The Westport Library, the Westport Center for Senior Activities, and Meryl Moss Media Group are proud to announce that Tony Sanches, Steve Karp, Jim Alkon, William Field, Martin Erdheim, and Holly Goss Betts have been named the winners of the inaugural Jackie Robinson Essay Contest.
The essay contest, open to area residents age 60 and over and organized by the Library’s Common Ground Initiative, asked its submitters to answer the following question in 800 words or less: “Jackie Robinson stands as an icon of equality and civil rights. What does that say about the power of his legacy, of the place of sports in our culture, and about our modern-day society?”
Sanches took first place in the contest with his essay “Life Lessons,” earning a Jackie Robinson Baseball Hall of Fame 1962 Induction limited edition, full size 34-inch career stat bat.
Karp was this year’s runner-up with his essay, “42 and Me,” with Alkon taking third place for his submission, “His Courage Taught Baseball to be Color Blind.” Karp’s second-place prize was a Highland Mint Jackie Robinson Hall of Fame plaque, with Alkon receiving a Highland Mint silver photo coin.
The additional award-winning essays for 2025 were Field’s “The Meritocracy of the Locker Room: Jackie Robinson’s Halo Looms Large,” Erdheim’s “Jackie Was America’s Dream,” and Goss Betts’ “Jackie Robinson Moved Boulders.”
“The essays submitted for our inaugural contest were a joy to read,” said Bill Harmer, Westport Library executive director. “They were thoughtful, thought-provoking, and routinely excellent. It was a real challenge to narrow it down to just six recipients. Our congratulations to the winners and our sincere thanks to everyone who took part in the contest. We can’t wait for next year!”
Left: Second-place finisher Steve Karp, age 12 (center) and his brother meeting Jackie Robinson in Stamford; Right: Tony Sanches with his winning prize outside the Westport Center for Senior Activities.
In addition to Harmer, the judges for the inaugural essay contest were freelance journalist and author Jill Amadio, Westport-based journalist Robin Chung, Westport Library Marketing and Communications Director EJ Crawford, Common Ground Initiative committee member Ifeseyi Gayle, writer and former Westport poet laureate Diane Lowman, and author Michaela MacColl.
Playing for the Brooklyn Dodgers, Robinson broke baseball’s color barrier on April 15, 1947, becoming the first African American to play Major League Baseball in the modern era. He went on to enjoy a Hall of Fame career that included more than 1,500 hits, 137 home runs, and 197 stolen bases.
Robinson later became the first African American to hold an officer-level position at a major corporation, served as an advisor to top politicians, actively promoted economic empowerment by co-founding a bank and a housing development company, and was a key figure in advancing equal justice and first-class citizenship from the 1950s until his death in 1972. (Information courtesy the Jackie Robinson Museum.)
Pulitzer Prize winner Richard Russo, the critically revered and publicly adored author of Nobody’s Fool, Empire Falls, Bridge of Sighs, and additional award-winning best-sellers, will be making a special appearance at The Westport Library on Monday, June 2, at 7 pm to discuss his newest book of essays, Life and Art.
Russo will be in conversation with Suzanne Leopold, the creator of SuzyApproved.com, a platform for Leopold’s book reviews, and SuzyApprovedBookTours.com, where she aggregates her community of bloggers across social media platforms to support authors with book launches.
Tickets for Russo’s appearance are $28 and include a copy of Life and Art. Click here to buy tickets; you can purchase either one or two seats plus a copy of Life and Art for the $28 cost.
Russo is the author of nine novels, most recently Somebody's Fool, Chances Are…, Everybody’s Fool, and That Old Cape Magic. He has also written two collections of short stories and a memoir, Elsewhere. He is perhaps best known for his trilogy of novels set in the fictional town of North Bath: Nobody’s Fool (1993), Everybody’s Fool (2016), and Somebody’s Fool (2023). Nobody’s Fool was made into a film starring Westport’s own Paul Newman along with Buce Willis, Jessica Tandy, and Melody Griffith.
“Nobody does small-town life better than Richard Russo,” said The Atlanta Journal-Constitution in a review, with The New York Times Book Review noting that “Russo is one of the best novelists around.”
In 2002, Russo received the Pulitzer Prize for Empire Falls, which, like Nobody’s Fool, won multiple awards for its screen adaptation. And in 2023 his novel Straight Man was adapted into the television series Lucky Hank starring Bob Odenkirk. Russo also received France’s Grand Prix de Littérature Américaine in 2017.
Said the Pulitzer committee in recognizing the author: “Richard Russo … has demonstrated a peerless affinity for the human tragicomedy, and with this stunning new novel he extends even further his claims on the small-town, blue-collar heart of the country.”
Life and Art is a collection of 12 essays that reflect on life, art, how they inform each other, and how the stories we tell ourselves about both shape our understanding of the world around us. In “The Lives of Others,” he considers the fact that writers use people, insisting that what matters, in the end, is how and for what purpose. In “Stiff Neck,” he writes of the fault lines exposed within his own family as his wife’s sister and her husband develop COVID. In “Triage,” he details the terror of seeing his 7-year-old grandson in critical condition. And in “Ghosts,” he revisits Gloversville, the town that gave rise to the fictional North Bath of his novels, and confronts the specter of its richly populated past and its ghostly present.
“Russo’s fans will savor this,” said Publishers Weekly.
Leopold is an active book reviewer and promoter of authors. SuzyApproved.com has more than 10,000 followers on Twitter, and Leopold also posts regularly to Facebook and Instagram. A 20-year Westport resident, she served as a juror for the 2024 Westport Prize for Literature.
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Author Talk: Pulitzer Prize-winning Author Richard Russo on His New Essay Collection, Life and Art
Monday, June 2
7-8:30 pm
Trefz Forum, The Westport Library
Jerry Craft (left) and Kwame Alexander (at lectern) met with more than 250 students in The Westport Library's Trefz Forum.
The J vs. K Book Tour took The Westport Library by storm Wednesday morning, May 7, with #1 New York Times best-selling authors and Newbery Award winners Kwame Alexander (The Crossover) and Jerry Craft (New Kid) taking over the Library’s Trefz Forum to celebrate comics, creativity, and the magic of collaboration.
J vs. K is the latest book project from Alexander and Craft, a hilarious illustrated story that features two talented fifth graders — one a writer, the other a drawer — going head-to-head in a creative competition for the ages. As part of the book launch, the two superstar writers are traveling the country via a special J vs. K tour van, making stops in a variety of venues to talk to elementary- and middle school-age students.
Wednesday at the Library, they entertained a packed Trefz Forum full of young faces — nearly 300 in all — from Dunbar School in Bridgeport, ESL students from Central High School in Bridgeport, Marvin Elementary in Norwalk, and Wooster Middle School in Stratford.
Alexander and Craft talked about their journeys from learners to readers to writers, their time in grade school, overcoming adversity, the power of collaboration, and their favorite books, engaging the assembled students throughout with calls-and-responses, giveaways, selfies, and more. Both men emphasized that reading should be fun, noting that many of the books they had to read when they were younger were often too long and didn’t reflect their experiences.
“So, when I grew up, I decided I wanted to write the books I wanted read when I was a kid,” said Craft, recounting how he self-published his first graphic novel with the help of a how-to book he borrowed from the Norwalk Library.
Alexander told a similar story of how he had to self-publish his first book after a number of rejections. He encouraged students to do what they love, and above all else, to believe in themselves.
“You can’t allow your career to be determined by other people’s no’s,” said Alexander. “You have to say yes to yourself.”
Wednesday’s book tour event was organized in coordination with Bryan Ripley Crandall, director of the Connecticut Writing Project, which endeavors to serve teachers of writing at all grade levels, with the goal of improving student achievement by improving the teaching of writing and improving in Connecticut schools.”
About J vs. K
J and K are the most creative fifth graders at Dean Ashley Public School (DAPS). J loves to draw, and his wordless stories are J-ENIUS! K loves to write, and his stories are K-LASSIC!! Both J and K are determined to win the DAPS annual creative storytelling contest or at least get in the Top 5. And when they find out that they are both entering The Contest, it’s the beginning of one of the most intense rivalries the world has ever seen. It’s artist vs. writer, with plenty of shady double crosses as J and K plot their way to the top.
“I love this book so much,” Alexander said Wednesday morning to the assembled students, who received autographed copies of the book following the authors’ talk.
Added Craft, address the crowd: “Our book birthday was yesterday, so you’re some of the first people to read this book.”
About Kwame Alexander
Alexander is an Emmy Award-winning producer of The Crossover, his Newbery Medal-winning novel turned Disney+ TV series, the creator of the new animated PBS special Acoustic Rooster’s Barnyard Band, and the host of America’s Next Great Author, the first reality television show for writers (produced by Libby and Kanopy and premiering in 2026).
Alexander is the #1 New York Times best-selling author of 44 books, including Why Fathers Cry at Night, How Sweet The Sound, J vs. K, and the just-released motivational primer for graduates, creatives, and professionals entitled Say Yes.
A recipient of the 2025 NAACP Image Award, Alexander is also the Michael I. Rudell Artistic Director of Literary Arts for Chautauqua Literary Arts. He regularly shares his passion for literacy, books, and the craft of writing around the world, including in Ghana, West Africa, where he opened the Barbara E. Alexander Memorial Library and Health Clinic. His mission is to change the world — one word at a time.
About Jerry Craft
Craft is the New York Times best-selling author and illustrator of the graphic novels New Kid, Class Act, and School Trip. New Kid is the only book in history to win the John Newbery Medal for the most outstanding contribution to children’s literature (2020), the Kirkus Prize for Young Readers’ Literature (2019), and the Coretta Scott King Author Award for the most outstanding work by an African American writer (2020).
In his latest book, Craft has teamed up with fellow Newbery winner Alexander to bring you J vs. K. Craft was born in Harlem, grew up in the Washington Heights section of New York City, lived in Norwalk, and now travels the world telling kids and their families about the importance of reading.
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Photos by KT Kaminski/The Westport Library
Mark your calendar for The Westport Library Big Spring Book Sale, to be held Friday, May 16, through Monday, May 19, on the Library’s main level.
Once again, the Westport Book Sale offers something for everyone, from toddlers to adults, with thousands of gently used books in more than 50 categories of nonfiction and fiction, including Noteworthy, antiquarian books and vintage children’s books. Plus a huge assortment of DVDs, CDs, vintage vinyl, ephemera, and a large selection of framed artworks, from small desktop pieces to large wall pictures.
Related: Biannual Westport Library Book Sale Creates Opportunity, Celebrates Community
The book sale hours, with free admission, are as follows:
* On Friday morning, May 16, from 8:45 am to 12 pm, the Book Sale will be open only to patrons who purchase an Early Access ticket in advance. Early Access tickets are available online, through eventbrite.com, at https://Spring2025BookSale.eventbrite.com.
For more information, visit the book sale website.
Of special interest for this sale:
A link to our Featured Specials list is available on the Book Sale’s website, at www.westportbooksaleventures.org/our-events; this list will be updated periodically during the weeks leading up to the sale. Featured Specials are first being offered only at the Spring Book Sale and have not previously been listed in the book sale's eBay store.
To volunteer at this sale, please send an email to Judi Lake at [email protected].
Can’t make the sale? Visit the nonprofit Westport Book Shop open year-round at 23 Jesup Road, right across Jesup Green from the Library, or shop any time 24/7 on the Book Sale’s eBay store at ebay.com/str/westportbooksalesct.
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Event Information
Westport Library Big Spring Book Sale
Friday, May 16 – Monday, May 19
The Westport Library
The Westport Library has officially launched a community survey to gauge public sentiment about the Library itself as well as its programs, events, and offerings. The anonymous survey is open to both Westport residents and non-residents as well as Library patrons and those who have never before visited our space.
The survey, open now and available through May 31, takes about 10 minutes to complete and is available at go.westportlibrary.org/survey or through a computer kiosk set up in the Hub on the Library’s main level.
“We’re very excited to hear back from Westporters and Library users to learn more about what they think about the Library,” said Westport Library Executive Director Bill Harmer. “We’re always diligent in listening to and responding to community feedback. This survey provides us with invaluable information to aid in that endeavor. It also enables us to make the kind of data-driven decisions that we believe will maintain The Westport Library’s place as a true asset to the town and as one of the very best libraries in the country.”
In addition, the results of the survey will inform the Library’s emerging strategic plan, which will guide the Library’s mission and work for years to come. The work on the strategic plan is ongoing, with the plan set to be unveiled to the public later this year.
“The 2025 community survey is a month-long opportunity to participate in shaping the future of The Westport Library,” said Westport Library Chief Impact Officer Tory Donahue. “As part of our strategic planning process, the Library is committed to engaging the entire community in gathering feedback and ideas that will inform our plan.”
Those who opt to participate in the survey will be eligible to win one of a handful of prizes offered to respondents. Available prizes include two sets of Apple AirPods; free drinks at the Library café; Amazon gift cards; and for teens, a delivery of 10 pizzas to the Library during AP exam study times.
For more information on the survey and prizes, please visit The Westport Library website or read our FAQs below.
ABOUT THE SURVEY
Where can I go to take the survey?
It is available at go.westportlibrary.org/survey. You can also fill out the survey on the computer kiosk set up in the Hub on the Library’s main level.
How long does it take?
The survey takes less than 10 minutes.
Is it anonymous?
Yes. The survey can be completed entirely anonymously. You have the option to add your email both to enter the sweepstakes for prizes or to be contacted for follow-up focus groups, but this information will not be associated with your responses.
What is the survey asking about?
The survey is looking for information about how to focus the Library’s efforts on what is most needed, most wanted, and most likely to engage our community in a way that is welcoming, innovative, and responsive.
To find this information, the survey asks questions about how you are using the Library (or not), what features are a priority for you, and what topics interest you most. Because of our commitment to lifelong learning, the survey also asks your opinions about our role in the community relative to schools. Finally, it asks questions about you and your relationship with and to the Library.
Who will see my answers?
All of the data will be examined collectively and not on the basis of individual responses. Westport Library Chief Impact Officer Tory Donohue will analyze the data and share the results with a strategic planning committee made up of staff and trustees. The strategic plan that emerges from this will be shared with the community.
How will the Library manage the data?
All of our work is done with respect to our Privacy Policy and our Data Collection and Usage statement.
How can I win one of the prizes?
When you take the survey, enter your email when asked if you want to be eligible for a prize. This will be how you are contacted if your name is randomly chosen for a prize.
In 1993, the Friends of The Westport Library established the annual book sale, and it quickly became a cherished event that attracts crowds of avid readers and community members. Over the years, it has become a Library staple, overflowing with secondhand treasures.
As the book sale grew in size, so did its mission.
In 2020, a transformative change occurred with the creation of Westport Book Sale Ventures, a separate nonprofit organization dedicated to hiring young adults with diverse learning abilities to manage the Book Sale and its logistics. This expansion of mission led to a new venture, the Westport Book Shop, a used book store across Jesup Green from the Library, and today there are three initiatives supported by Westport Book Sale Ventures: two book sales held at the Library (fall and spring), the used book store, and eBay sales.
In the months leading up to each sale, volunteers gather and work together, and I can testify that the energy is palpable. Currently, there are 50 year-round volunteer category managers in the book sale donation center (located behind the Library) who process books by making decisions on pricing, boxing, and labeling for all three initiatives. Each title is a potential treasure, and every donation represents a small act of kindness that breathes life into the events.
Recently, I asked a group of volunteers to share their experiences. Each has a compelling reason why and how they dedicate their time and what it means to them. Each one spoke about how their efforts not only benefited the Library but also fostered a sense of community — all while supporting the broader mission.
Among the people I spoke with was an individual who supervises the young adults employed by the Book Shop. She expressed joy in witnessing her employees develop skills and self-confidence through their work. It’s more than just a transaction; it’s about empowerment.
The impact of the book sale proceeds on the Library is undeniably profound. Since the book sale’s inception, nearly $1,000,000 has been raised to support the Library. The community of volunteers rallies together, transforming what began as a simple fundraiser into a multifaceted initiative that uplifts everyone involved. The book sale has evolved into something greater than itself: an embodiment of how literature, compassion, and teamwork can change lives for the better.
Volunteers at the book sale represent a diverse group: children as young as 8 can volunteer alongside a parent, our teen volunteers are incredibly helpful, and we have many active octogenarians, fostering an intergenerational collaboration. There is something for everyone to do.
The legacy of the book sale lives on thanks to the loyal and dedicated volunteers who support this mission. For that, we are extremely grateful.
Although I cannot thank everyone individually, I want to express my deepest gratitude to all who contribute to the biannual book sales and the book store ventures. Your unwavering commitment to organizing successful and profitable sales is a monumental effort each time.
If you are interested, be on the lookout for sign-ups for the next book sale, scheduled for May 16-19. If you are interested in volunteering at the book sale, please email Judi Lake at [email protected]. You may also drop off your donations at the donation center from Monday to Saturday, 9 am to 4 pm daily, for processing.
Robin Powell is the development director for The Westport Library and a longtime book sale volunteer.
L to R: Westport First Selectwoman Jennifer Tooker, Westport Library Executive Director Bill Harmer, Annam Olasewere,Aanya Gandhi, Sienna Tzou, Souleye Kebe, Staples High School Principal Stafford Thomas, and TEAM Westport Chair Harold Bailey Jr. Photo credit: Jerri Graham Photography
In partnership with The Westport Library, TEAM Westport has named Annam Olasewere, Aanya Gandhi, Souleye Kebe, and Sienna Tzou as the winners of its 2025 Teen Diversity Essay Contest.
The winners were honored at a special evening ceremony held in the Library’s Trefz Forum on Monday, April 28.
This year’s essay challenge focused on Identity. Here is the prompt:
TEAM Westport is dedicated to addressing issues of bias and discrimination related to race, religion, ethnicity, and LGBTQIA+ identity that negatively impact our town’s goal of being a welcoming community for all who live and work here. The recent introduction of the Anti-Defamation League's "No Place for Hate" initiative in Westport's schools strives to create an environment where all students feel they belong and are free from bias, bullying, or hatred.
In our community, each person's unique identity — shaped by their race, religion, ethnicity, sexual orientation, and other aspects of who they are — contributes to the character of Westport. In 1,000 words or less, we invite you to reflect on how your own identity shapes your perspective and the experiences you have in Westport. Please address the following considerations in your response:
Annam Olasewere was named the first-place essayist and awarded $1,000 for her work entitled “Understood. Connected. Valued.” Annam is a senior at Staples.
Aanya Gandhi was named second-place essayist and awarded $750 for her work entitled “White Paint and Other Lies.” Aanya is a sophomore at Staples.
Souleye Kebe was named third-place essayist and awarded $500 for his work entitled “S-L-M.” Souleye is a junior at Staples.
Sienna Tzou received honorable mention and was awarded $250 for her work entitled “The Value of Identity from the Start.” Sienna is a freshman at Staples.
This year’s essay contest was open to students in grades 9-12 at a public or private high school in Westport, or a resident who attends school elsewhere.
The 2025 prompt specifically addressed TEAM Westport's dedication to addressing issues of bias and discrimination related to race, religion, ethnicity, and LGBTQIA+ identity. Contest participants were asked to consider which aspects of their identity feel most central to how they wish to be understood and accepted, how aspects of their identity shape their daily school and community experiences, and what specific changes the community could make to decrease identity-based bias, bullying, and hate.
“I have always been encouraged when the youth of our community participate in discussions that will enhance their experience in Westport, and ultimately, in the world beyond,” said Westport First Selectwoman Jennifer Tooker. “TEAM Westport’s Essay program provides contest participants with a forum to express and capture their unique and honest perspective on their experience in Westport. They are wonderful illustrations that we are a community that strives to be welcoming for all.”
“These thoughtful young writers have contributed their perspectives on identity and belonging in our community with tremendous talent and insight,” said TEAM Westport Chair Harold Bailey. “They continue the very important tradition of teen essayists whose voices help shape how we understand diversity in our schools and town.”
“The Library is once again proud to host this celebration of young voices addressing crucial issues of identity and inclusion,” said Westport Library Executive Director Bill Harmer. “These essays are powerful and thoughtful. They demonstrate the great diversity of the Westport experience and reflect the Library's mission to empower individuals and strengthen the community through learning and the open exchange of ideas.”
The judges for this year’s contest were:
- Judith A. Hamer, PhD, retired professor (chief judge)
- Ramin Ganeshram, executive director, Westport Museum for History and Culture
- Kerri Gawreluk, coordinator, programs, community coalitions, and digital marketing, The Westport Library
- Alex Giannini, director, program and events, The Westport Library
- Shonda Rhimes, television producer, screenwriter, founder of Shondaland
- Donna Skolnick, retired teacher
All judges are writers.
"As a writer, I know how important having outlets of expression can be,” said Rhimes. “The TEAM Westport essay contest provides our young people with the opportunity to raise their voices and be heard while also showcasing the rich diversity of thought so necessary for fostering community. I was honored to be a judge for this year’s contest, and I thank the writers for sharing their points of view. Every essay submission was a valuable revelation for us all.”
Now in its 12th year, the essay contest was established to further TEAM Westport's goal of engaging Westport teens in the dialogue surrounding diversity and belonging. Prior challenges have tackled topics from hate speech and white privilege to micro-aggressions and dialogue, drawing widespread attention and engagement in Westport and beyond.
For more information about TEAM Westport and to read winning essays from this and prior years, please visit the TEAM Westport website at www.teamwestport.org
Peggy Bud and Tamara Jacobson have more than 60 years of combined experience in education. They have served as educators, administrators, and consultants. Together they wrote the books, Navigating Special Education, The Power of Building Positive Parent Educator Partnerships and Conversations Lead to Consensus, with the goal of connecting parents and educators to create positive learning scenarios.
Now, the pair is teaming with Verso Studios at The Westport Library for a new community contributed podcast, Ask the Educators.
Ask the Educators debuts Wednesday, April 16, with three 15-minute episodes. New episodes will drop bi-weekly (episode #4 will arrive April 30).
The podcast will be available on the Verso Studios podcast page, through regular podcast distributors such as Apple and Spotify, and also through the Ask the Educators Substack and on the Navigating Special Education website.
“We are proud to announce the release of the Ask the Educators podcast, which supports our mission of empowering parents and educators to build lasting partnerships,” Bud and Jacobson said. “Through the collaboration with Verso Studios, Ask the Educators provides parents, teachers, and administrators with insights on placing the child at the center of the conversation.”
The purpose of the Ask the Educators podcast is to build a common language between parents and educators, with each episode taking a deep dive into relevant 21st century topics, including effective communication and the IEP, building partnerships, empathy and grief, and the 5-C Model of Communication.
Through animated conversations, Bud and Jacobson provide listeners with tools to foster conversations, collaboration, cooperation, and compromise as the path to consensus.
Verso Studios is the media arm of The Westport Library. The Library created the Verso Studios Community Producer Partnership initiative in keeping with the studio’s mission to produce content with the community.
To learn more about Verso Studios’ mission and offerings, visit the Verso Studios page on The Westport Library website.
Green River, L to R: Tim Theobald, Harrison Balthaser, Rick Horvath, and Dave Figura
The Supper & Soul series, presented by The Westport Library and the Westport Weston Chamber of Commerce, returns Saturday, May 3, with Green River, the #1 nationally touring Creedence Clearwater Revival/John Fogerty tribute show.
Dinner starts at 6 pm, with the concert kicking off at 8 pm. A single Supper & Soul $85 ticket buys you a three-course dinner at one of 11 downtown restaurants plus the concert. There are concert-only tickets available as well for $30. All tickets available here.
Participating restaurants are: Arezzo, Basso, Capuli, Casa Me, Don Memo, Emmy Squared, Il Pastaficio, Nomade, Spotted Horse, Gogi, and Walrus Alley.
Once you buy a dinner-and-concert ticket, you will be given a link to select your restaurant. Just fill in all the information and you and your friends will be set for the night. After the concert, show your ticket at any of the participating restaurants and receive special happy hour pricing on drinks.
The show is faithful to a live CCR performance. Listeners can expect a full 90-minute show of their favorite CCR classics ("Bad Moon Rising," "Proud Mary," and "Up Around the Bend," to name a few) and songs that CCR would turn into live jams such as "Born on the Bayou" and "Susie Q." Green River also mixes in John Fogerty classics, including "The Old Man Down the Road" and "Centerfield."
Green River is the brainchild of native New Yorker Rick Horvath, who started singing CCR songs in his very first band when he was 13 years old. In addition to singer/guitarist Horvath, the band features guitarist Tim Theobald, bassist Dave Figura, and drummer Harrison Balthaser.
In front of a Trefz Forum crowd packed wall to wall with more than 600 people, Patti Smith strode onto the stage, sat down, and graciously opened her talk with Alisyn Camerota by saying, “I’m a big, big fan of libraries, and I’m so happy to be here.”
For four remarkable days, Smith had good company, with approximately 3,500 people filling The Westport Library for our fourth annual VersoFest music and media festival, a celebration of music, media, art, creativity, and once again this year, community.
Smith’s Thursday evening conversation — which featured spoken-word poetry and an inspiring singalong of her hit single “Because the Night” with those assembled — was followed by a Friday night concert with Jakob Dylan and the Wallflowers that drew more than 700 attendees, a full Saturday of programming that started with a weekend kickoff celebration hosted by visionary artist 5iveFingaz, an all-star panel discussion celebrating the 50th anniversary of Bruce Springsteen’s Born to Run, and Verso Visionary conversations with Black Thought and Henry Rollins.
Each event attracted at least 200 people, with many surpassing 400, an eclectic mix celebrating music and creativity in all its forms — all in a most unique setting: a public library with the goal of redefining what a 21st century library can be.
“We have to support our libraries,” Smith said in her closing remarks. “Our libraries are the seat of truth.”
Dylan, now 30 years into his admired career, acknowledged the novelty by telling the assembled Friday night crowd: “I apologize, I’m a little nervous. This is my first [show in a] library.”
The festival wrapped up Sunday with a VersoFest live podcast featuring longtime David Letterman music director Paul Shaffer and SNL Beehive Queen Chirstine Ohlman that was a blend of conversation and song, all played to another packed house.
Westport Library Executive Director Bill Harmer summed up the excitement of the weekend during his introduction to the Springsteen panel.
“Let’s hear it for libraries that rock!” Harmer said. “We are building something truly unique here, and we’re just getting started.”
And in fact, VersoFest isn’t quite done yet. On Friday, April 18, the seminal post-punk band Gang of Four will be launching their farewell tour at the Library. The show starts at 7:30 pm (doors open at 6:30 pm), preceded by a book talk between Gang of Four vocalist Jon King and Talking Heads and Tom Tom Club drummer Chris Frantz on King’s new book, To Hell with Poverty! A Class Act: Inside the Gang of Four, at 1 pm.
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Photos by KT Kaminski/Westport Library & Kerry Long/Kerry Long Photography
VersoFest annually delivers four days of music, media, and creativity, featuring a range of conversations, workshops, panel discussions, concerts, and a featured art exhibit.
This year, it will also offer an opportunity to bid on a range of items signed by legendary Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards, who visited the Library on March 5 to receive the inaugural Governor’s Award of Excellence from Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont.
Among the items up for auction are:
The items will be on display during VersoFest, hosted April 3-6, in the Hub on the Library’s main level. Proceeds will benefit the festival.
All items will be available viasilent auction on the BetterWorld platform. Bidding opens Thursday, April 3, and closes Sunday, April 6. View the full collection and place your bids here — or scan the QR code on-site during VersoFest!
More on the Michael Friedman print: The image was taken in 1969 at The Rolling Stones’ Madison Square Garden concert that was featured in the documentary Gimme Shelter. Friedman took Janis Joplin, who he was managing at the time, to the concert. Since they had all-access passes, Friedman was able to be right on stage when he took the photo. His photographic negatives from1969 were discovered almost 50 years later and are featured in the book EXPOSED: The Lost Negatives and Untold Stories of Michael Friedman, by Friedman and Donna Vita.
More on Life: The long-awaited autobiography of the guitarist, songwriter, singer, and founding member of the Rolling Stones. With The Rolling Stones, Keith Richards created the songs that roused the world, and he lived the original rock and roll life. Now, at last, the man himself tells his story of life in the crossfire hurricane. Listening obsessively to Chuck Berry and Muddy Waters records, learning guitar and forming a band with Mick Jagger and Brian Jones. The Rolling Stones’s first fame and the notorious drug busts that led to his enduring image as an outlaw folk hero. Creating immortal riffs like the ones in “Jumping Jack Flash” and “Honky Tonk omen.” His relationship with Anita Pallenberg and the death of Brian Jones. Tax exile in France, wildfire tours of the U.S., isolation and addiction. Falling in love with Patti Hansen. Estrangement from Jagger and subsequent reconciliation. Marriage, family, solo albums and Xpensive Winos, and the road that goes on forever. With his trademark disarming honesty, Richards brings us the story of a life we have all longed to know more of, unfettered, fearless, and true.
VersoFest 2025 weekend will be a vibrant roof-raiser, from a kickoff celebration hosted by renowned visual artist 5iveFingaz, to an illuminating evening with hardcore legend Henry Rollins and fellow musician Nabil Ayers — and now, The Westport Library is excited to welcome its newest Verso Visionary as part of this year’s annual music and media festival: three-time Grammy Award-winning hip-hop artist and co-founder of The Roots, Black Thought.
The conversation between The Roots’ lead emcee and music industry executive, entrepreneur, and celebrated community leader June Archer will take place Saturday, April 5, 4-5:30 pm, in the Library’s Trefz Forum.
The event is free to attend. Click here to register. Copies of Black Thought’s 2023 memoir, The Upcycled Self: A Memoir on the Art of Becoming Who We Are, will be for sale, with the author signing copies after the talk.
Crowned by HYPEBEAST as “one of the best lyricists in hip-hop history,” critically acclaimed musician Tariq Trotter, popularly known as Black Thought, has led a diverse creative career not only as a musician, actor, writer, and producer — but also as one of the most prolific, innovative, and powerful voices in hip hop.
Black Thought founded The Roots in 1987 alongside fellow hip-hop legend Questlove. From humble beginnings performing on Philadelphia street corners, to more than two decades of commercial success before expanding their reach in 2009 as the house band for both Late Night With Jimmy Fallon and later The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, The Roots’ eclectic, jazz-infused sound has transcended genres, with Black Thought’s influence and musical mastery rendering the group a hip-hop cornerstone.
In all, The Roots have produced 11 studio albums, including their debut, Organix (1993); the breakthrough Things Fall Apart (1999); the hard-hitting Game Theory (2006); the optimistic How I Got Over (2010); and countless more that have earned critical acclaim.
Beyond collaborations with Eminem, John Legend, J Dilla, Big Pun, Linkin Park, Logic, and Fall Out Boy, Black Thought also co-produced the multi-platinum, Grammy Award-winning original Broadway cast recording of Hamilton. He has also succeeded in in film and television, with work on projects such as HBO’s The Deuce and Hamilton creator Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Golden Globe-nominated Tick, Tick… Boom! — as well as live theater, in his roles as main composer and lyricist of the 2022 off-Broadway production Black No More, which he also starred in.
“I think a writer should always be aware of his or her surroundings,” Black Thought told The Paris Review. “The material is there. It’s already in the world. You have to be in tune with it to hear it and see it. The best essays, the best books, all wrote themselves. Same with paintings and dances — all of the best art ... comes from the universe. You have to master the art of being in tune enough when it’s time to create.”
Like Black Thought, Archer has led a diverse career, as an entrepreneur, music industry executive, motivational speaker, and educator. After getting his start in the music industry in 1995 as a member of the Elektra Records recording group Room Service, Archer transitioned into the business side of the industry. His accolades include gold and platinum plaques for his work on albums by Jay-Z, 50 Cent, Mario, Omarion, Beyonce, and more. A two-time Grammy and Soul Train Award nominee, Archer also previously served eight years on the Grammy Committee.
In addition to his current role as CEO of The Eleven28 Entertainment Group, Archer spearheaded the documentary Stepping Into the Shade — screened at The Westport Library in June 2024 — and he hosts the The Winner’s Circle podcast for rapper 50 Cent's 'This is 50' platform. Archer is the founder of The June Archer School of Arts, The Archer Foundation, The 100 Men and Women of Color Black Tie Gala & Awards, The New England Music Seminar, the Hot Chocolate Soul performance showcase, and June Archer's Celebration of Life AIDS/Breast Cancer Fundraiser. In 2013, he also added published author to his list of distinctions, with his children’s books, Yes! You Can and Yes! Every Day Can Be a Good Day.
VersoFest is four days of music, media, and creativity, running this year from April 3 to April 6 — a forum for media creators, artists, and fans to converge. In addition to Black Thought, this year’s guests include Patti Smith, Henry Rollins, and Paul Shaffer, with a Friday evening concert by the Wallflowers, the Saturday weekend kickoff event hosted by 5iveFingaz, and an all-star panel discussion on the 50th anniversary of Bruce Springsteen’s Born to Run, plus art exhibits and workshops. In addition, VersoFest will host the kickoff event to legendary post-punk band Gang of Four’s farewell tour on April 18.
Past VersoFest guests have bridged connections between genre and medium, including hip hop legend Chuck D, established hit-makers Spin Doctors and the Smithereens, up-and-coming bands Sunflower Bean and the Lemon Twigs, rockers Lez Zeppelin, famed producers Steve Lillywhite (U2, Dave Matthews Band) and Tony Visconti (David Bowie, T. Rex), Psychedelic Furs frontman Richard Butler, the Doors drummer John Densmore, Cramps drummer Miriam Linna, Alice Cooper Group bassist Dennis Dunaway, hip-hop originators Tony Crush and Grand Wizzard Theodore, Manic Panic’s Tish and Snooky, and a wide array of authors, photographers, artists, and thought leaders.
