The Bookmark: April Literary Happenings in Coweta
By NANCY CAROL SANKER, Special to The Paper
Emotional soup? Yes. It’s swirling around us. Newnan is a stew of devastating loss, compassion, flexibility, creativity and just a pinch of frustration. Coordinating outreach is a challenging task, but grace and gratitude abound. The dedicated individuals, companies and organizations who are rescuing Newnan are too numerous to list here. I hope they feel a warm embrace of thanks.
What has been your light in this dark stew? Faith, prayer and friends are obvious answers, but I also tripped over the warm glow of a vintage postcard. It had a bird on it. How could I resist?
The first two stanzas of this beautiful poem by Douglas Malloch are perfect to share as we limp through our pollen-laced Spring.
You Have to Believe in Happiness
You have to believe in happiness
Or happiness never comes.
I know that the bird chirps none the less,
When all that he finds is crumbs.
You have to believe that winds will blow,
Believe in the grass, the days of snow,
Ah, that’s the reason the bird can sing:
On his darkest day he believes in Spring.
We have certainly had dark days. The following literary events and books offer us light, refuge and escapism.
Coweta Public Library System (CPLS)
National Library Week is April 4-10. The theme this year is “Welcome to Your Library” so the welcome mats are out and they’re waiting to greet you.
Current hours are:
Monday, Wednesday & Friday – 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Tuesday & Thursday – 1 – 6 p.m.
Saturday – 10 a.m.- 2: p.m.
Curbside Pick-up:
M-F – 10 a.m.-5 p.m.
Saturday – 10 a.m.-2 p.m.
Using any one of the four Coweta County Libraries is easy. The ecard provides access to all digital resources including GALILEO (Georgia’s Virtual Library), eRead Kids, Mango Languages (over 70 languages taught at your own pace), Testing Prep Courses and more. And it’s all available for my favorite four-letter word, FREE! You can even receive reserve notifications for your favorite books via text. Check the CPLS website and Facebook page for new virtual programming (cowetapubliclibrary.org).
What’s new at the Central Library? The Vivid Blooms Art Exhibit will be available to view beginning April 5 at 9 a.m. through May 7. Rae Duncan, professional artist and creator of these huge magnificent blooms, is a resident of Newnan and serves on several boards, including the Friends of the Library. Rae’s free-standing will also be available virtually at https://www.calendarwiz.com/calendars/bit.ly/vividblooms.
The A. Mitchell Powell Library apparently used magic fertilizer! It grew an outside garden of story pages called a Storywalk® appropriately named I See Spring by Charles Ghigna. The goal of this project, originated by Anne Ferguson of Montpelier, Vermont, is to encourage families to exercise their minds and bodies. Hop on over to outside the Powell Library to enjoy a creative and colorful installation which encourages children to enjoy the magic of reading in a new way.
The Newnan Carnegie Library (NCL)
1 Lagrange Street (www.newnancarnegie.com) – 770-683-1347.
Masks and social distancing are a must. Register for events on Eventbrite. Good news! The Carnegie has returned to regular hours. M-F – 9 a.m-5 p.m. and Sat. 9 a.m.-Noon.
FREE– What goes hand-in-hand with the hope of Spring? Planting seeds! The Carnegie is offering free seeds and soil to get you started.
• Hometown Novel Nights (HNN) Author Programs co-hosted by the Carnegie are overflowing like my favorite German watering can. In April these programs will be virtual on Zoom, but hold on to your garden gloves … in May the programs will be Hybrid with a live panel of authors, an audience and the convenience of Zoom for those unable to attend.
• Thursday, April 15 – 6:30-8 p.m.– Inspirational Stories with guest authors, Heidi Chiavaroli, Kim Williams, Gail Palotta with Mike Brown, Moderator. When the world seems too dark, we all need some light – much more than the battery-operated kind. These three award-winning authors will serve us some much-needed hope and inspiration, right in the comfort of our homes. Register to receive your Zoom link at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/148827564251.
• Saturday, April 10 – 10-11:30 a.m. – Tips on Writing Crime and Police Procedural Stories– Dana Ridenour, Retired Undercover FBI agent and award-winning author of Behind the Mask, Beyond the Cabin and Below the Radar. Dana will share real life details from her storied career. Get a sneak peek into her own books and career background at DanaRidenour.net. Co-hosted by the NCL Zoom. Registration on Eventbrite required.
• Saturday, April 17 – 10:30 a.m.– Beth McCoy, author of You Can Choose Joy. This event is free, but registration is required at nclf-bethmccoy.eventbrite.com. Beth’s book tells the story of a journey filled with laughter, sadness and despair, balanced by many miracles and hope. Perfect. Right?
• Monday 26, April 26 – 9:30 a.m. – The Carnegie Literary Circle will discuss The Sanatorium by Sarah Pearse. Currently the limit of 10 in-person tickets has been met, but you can choose the online ticket option and receive the Zoom link to join beforehand. The title for the next month will be announced on the Tuesday after each meeting.
Other Events
Monday April 12 – 6:30-8 p.m. HNN Writers Virtual Meeting – Tips to encourage, enlighten and embolden writers at all levels. In these meetings writers reach out to their peers by sharing helpful critiques and comments. Submit your max. 10-page sample (Word or pdf format) by the first Monday of each month to [email protected].
Wednesday, April 14 – 11 a.m. – Peachtree City Library – Join Obie, the multi-talented canine, in his usual second Wednesday time slot as he reads the classic tale, Puss and Boots. Obie currently has over 131k views on Pinterest – I think he needs to spring for an agent!
Once again, abundant thanks to everyone who has so generously shared their time, talents and funds to help Newnan and all the people who make up our beautiful community, recover.
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Nancy Carol Sanker landed in Newnan via Ohio, Colorado and California. The constants in her life are her love of family, friends, fundraising and books. Nine years ago, she created Lights for Linda to raise funds for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society in memory of her sister. Now she looks forward to illuminating the literary opportunities and fundraisers our community offers readers of all ages. Nancy’s 11-year-old book club provides fresh, new titles while her two and eight-year-old grandchildren keep her aware of books for “littles.” Who knew a cow could type? Your contributions about book clubs, Little Free Libraries, events and fundraisers will lead The Bookmark to success! To reach Nancy, email: [email protected].
I look so forward to this article. There is always an inspirational element along with fun suggestions. This is the best way to stay informed of all of the literary happenings in our community! Keep up the amazing work, Nancy!