MIX AND MAKE MUSIC IN MAY AT THE CLOQUET PUBLIC LIBRARY

The Arrowhead Library System and the Cloquet Public Library invite children of all ages to make some music with singer-songwriter and comedian Richie Johnson at 10:30 a.m., Sat., May 5 at the Cloquet Public Library.

The program is free of charge and open to the public.

Richie Johnson, who is also a historian and magician, will teach children the art of storytelling through songwriting, creating musical instruments from recycled items, and making new songs with audience assistance.
Participants should bring a good imagination as well as a love of having fun!

Admission is free thanks to sponsorship by the Arrowhead Library System and funding through Minnesota’s Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund. For more information on other Arrowhead Legacy Events, please see our events’
calendar at www.arrowhead.lib.mn.us/whats-new/. Find us on Facebook at “Arrowhead Legacy Events” or on Twitter @ArrowheadLegacy. Questions can be directed to Miriam Kero, Arrowhead Library System, miriamk@arrowhead.lib.mn.us.

Meet "Maud Hart Lovelace"

Maud Hart Lovelace, author of the "Betsy-Tacy" books, will be portrayed by a member of the Minnesota History Players on Thursday, April 12, at 6 p.m. Lovelace, born Maud Hart in Mankato in 1892, authored the famous series of chidren's books between 1940 and 1955.
The Betsy-Tacy books are set in the fictional town of Deep Valley, Minnesota, which is based on Mankato. Our History Player will tell what it was like to grow up in Minnesota 100 years ago and how she pursued her dream of becoming a writer. Along the way, audience members will learn about the rise of the middle class and how technology revolutionized life at the beginning of the 20th century.
This program will appeal both to children and adults who grew up reading "Betsy-Tacy." This event is sponsored by the Arrowhead Library System with money from Minnesota's Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund.

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy

"Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy" brings together a cast of notable British actors including John Hurt, Colin Firth (Academy Award winner for "The King's Speech"), Ciarán Hinds ("Persuasion"), Tom Hardy ("Inception," "Band of Brothers," "The Virgin Queen"), and Gary Oldman, who was nominated as Best Actor for this 2011 British film. Oldman plays George Smiley, a spy brought out of retirement to ferret out a Soviet mole in the highest echelon of the British secret service. Based on John LeCarre's best-selling novel from the 1970s, the film recreates a dingy, bureaucratic London while making elliptical references to the private lives of intelligence operatives. James Bond is fantasy; "Tinker Tailor" is for the connoisseur of cerebral, unglamorous, and deadly spy games. Showing on our 55-inch wide-screen HD-TV. Tuesday, April 10, at 6:30 p.m.

Explore the Poetry of Place! Poetry Reading and Workshop at Cloquet Public Library

Poets Sheila Packa and Michelle Matthees will lead these programs on Wednesday, April 4, starting with a poetry reading at noon that will feature the poets’ work as related to place. Sheila Packa grew up south of Biwabik and has a deep understanding of how place helps define identity and can be celebrated in poetry. Michelle Matthees shares how place informs her poetry, especially as it relates to travel—including her recent trips to Russia, Turkey, and Ukraine. Local poets are encouraged to share their poetry as well.
Following the reading,at 1 p.m., participants can take part in a writing workshop that explores and celebrates the role of place in our lives. Using guided writing exercises, participants will explore themes like memory, tradition, pride and even alienation. This workshop is designed for everyone, from beginning to more experienced writers. Pre-registration is required for the workshop. To register, please contact the Cloquet Public Library at 879-1531 or email markking@arrowhead.lib.mn.us.
Sheila Packa is the author of “Echo & Lightning” and “Cloud Birds,” editor of “Migrations: Poetry & Prose for Life's Transitions,” and serves as Duluth’s Poet Laureate. Michelle Matthees is a current Minnesota State Arts Board Fellow and the author of “Served,” “Outside,” and “Junket.”

Library Open House

Join us on March 31 at 11 a.m. to celebrate our new teen area, public service desks, and digital microfilm reader/scanner. Refreshments will be be provided by the Cloquet Shaw Memorial Library Foundation.

A Tale of Courage and Friendship! PuppetTellers to perform at Cloquet Public Library

The Arrowhead Library System (ALS) and Cloquet Public Library invite children and their caretakers to a vibrant puppet adventure at 10 a.m., March 31, 2012, at the Cloquet Public Library. The program is free of charge and open to all.

Puppeteer Heron Gardner and his PuppetTellers recount “A Night on Bear Island,” the story of Basil and Samantha who become marooned on Bear Island and must overcome their fear of monsters and the dark. Told with rod puppets, bold graphics and dramatic sound effects, this fast-paced, family-friendly tale of suspense and friendship is suited for children of all ages.

Admission to the event is free thanks to sponsorship by the Arrowhead Library System and funding by money from Minnesota’s Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund. For information regarding other Arrowhead Legacy Events, please see our events calendar www.arrowhead.lib.mn.us/whats-new/. Find us on facebook at “Arrowhead Legacy Events” or on Twitter @ArrowheadLegacy.
Questions can be directed to Miriam Kero, Arrowhead Library System, miriamk@arrowhead.lib.mn.us.

St. Patrick's Day: A Celebration of Word and Music

Celebrate St. Patrick's Day at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, March 17, with a special program uniting the spoken literary word and music. Traditional Irish folk music on the Celtic harp and penny whistle will be performed by Mary Hagen and Linda Crumpton. Following the musical prelude, avant-garde writer Séamas Cain will read from his recently published novel, "The Dangerous Islands." A Cloquet native, Mr. Cain has lived in and traveled extensively in Ireland since the late 1960s, when he began writing about the Irish experience during the conflict between Northern Ireland and Great Britain. Cain has described the Irish Civil Rights Movement as the struggle to create a non-violent humanist movement against the tyranny of the British establishment. As early as 1968 while living in Northern Ireland, he nevertheless decried the "mindless violence" of the paramilitaries, in reference to the Irish Republican Army (IRA). Ireland's Troubles form the backdrop to "The Dangerous Islands," an unconventional work that melds a poetic sensibility with a coming-of-age story. The novel depicts the moral and political education of a generation of activists, focusing in particular on a young Irish-American man. Cain also draws on his experience as a playwright and theater director, which is reflected in aspects of the novel's form. Copies of the novel, which was published in Ireland last fall, will be available for purchase following the reading. All proceeds from the sale of "The Dangerous Islands" at this event will go to support event programming at the library. (Photo credit: Mary Cain)