Events

Gingerbread Houses

Monday, December 23

4:00 pm - 5:30 pm

Bring your friends and come have fun building your own gingerbread houses! Kits and supplies are provided.   Registration is required

Snowflake Crafts

Thursday, December 26

4:00 pm - 5:30 pm

Put your creativity to work with various supplies to make the snowflakes your heart desires!

Friday Games – Uno

Friday, December 27

4:00 pm - 4:45 pm

Bring your friends - it's UNO night! We will play a big game of uno while munching on chips and snacks.   Registration is required

Tea Party!

Saturday, December 28

11:00 am - 11:45 am

YOU'RE INVITED TO A TEA PARTY AT THE MARK TWAIN LIBRARY, ON SATURDAY DECEMBER 28 FROM 11:00am to 11:45am. All around the world, people love to drink tea - and have tea parties! What's so special about tea? We'll find out! We'll taste some teas. We'll enjoy some tea party treats. And we will listen to some fun books about tea parties! For children in KINDERGARTEN - THIRD GRADE REGISTRATION REQUIRED

End-of-Year Pizza Party

Monday, December 30

4:00 pm - 5:30 pm

Celebrate the end of the year with a pizza party! Cheese pizza and fun treats will be available.   Registration is required

Adult Chess Club (In-Person)

Monday, December 30

6:30 pm - 7:30 pm

Registration Recommended, See Below We invite all adult chess players and chess enthusiasts to participate in our newly launched, weekly Adult Chess Club. No prior chess knowledge is required; all levels of experience are welcome to participate! The library will provide chess boards and pieces for all to use. As space is limited, we recommend participants register for each program that they plan to attend. About our facilitator: Matthew Shirvell (aka Coach Matt) is an avid chess player who has been teaching chess in Connecticut for over 6 years. He has competed in USCF tournaments across the country, worked as a tournament director to run some of the largest events in the state, and has helped his students reach their goals.  Recently, in January 2023, one of his students earned sole 1st place in a USCF event with a perfect score!

Adult Chess Club (In-Person)

Monday, January 6

6:30 pm - 7:30 pm

Registration Recommended, See Below We invite all adult chess players and chess enthusiasts to participate in our newly launched, weekly Adult Chess Club. No prior chess knowledge is required; all levels of experience are welcome to participate! The library will provide chess boards and pieces for all to use. As space is limited, we recommend participants register for each program that they plan to attend. About our facilitator: Matthew Shirvell (aka Coach Matt) is an avid chess player who has been teaching chess in Connecticut for over 6 years. He has competed in USCF tournaments across the country, worked as a tournament director to run some of the largest events in the state, and has helped his students reach their goals.  Recently, in January 2023, one of his students earned sole 1st place in a USCF event with a perfect score!

World Affairs Forum (In-person)

Monday, January 6

7:30 pm - 9:00 pm

Waiting List: World Affairs Forum January 6th

Name

First Last

Email

Phone

Spaces

Up to 4

Join our popular international relations discussion group modeled on the Foreign Policy Association's Great Decisions. This seven-session series will cover an array of foreign affairs topics, international migration, the Syrian War, Japan in the 21st century and more.  These discussions are developed and moderated by members of the Great Decisions group that meets each winter. The World Affairs Forum meets the first and third Monday of the month at the Library.   Participants are encouraged to attend in person to fully participate in the discussion; however, an option for individuals to join virtually via Zoom is available.  All registered participants will receive a link the day of the meeting. Register once to receive topic specific reading material prior to all  7 sessions. Dates and Topics: October 7 — International Migration October 21 - TBD November 4 — The U.S. and the Syrian Civil War November 18 — China December 2 — Japan, Rising Out of the Ashes of WWII December 16 — Sudan and Other Understated Crises January 6 – South Africa: Recent History & Outlook for the Future Registration if full for this event.

New Mini-Series ~ Creative Collective Discussion Group (Virtual)

Tuesday, January 7

10:30 am - 12:00 pm

Registration Required Below Click Here to attend Zoom Meeting  (For registered participants only)

Weekly Drop-In Knitting Circle (In-Person)

Tuesday, January 7

1:30 pm - 2:30 pm

Meets Tuesdays, 1:30 pm – 2:30 pm Our popular weekly drop-in knitting circle continues to meets every Tuesday in the Library's Mark Twain Room.  Share your knitting, crochet, and needlepoint project or learn basic techniques like casting on, knit, and purl stitches. Each week brings an opportunity to learn something new and there is always someone who can help with any problem.

Conversations Read & Reflect: That Was Then, This is Now (Virtual)

Tuesday, January 7

7:00 pm - 8:00 pm

Registration Required Read and Reflect Discussion Group is part of the Conversations: Truth, Myth & Democracy Series Join us for our next Read and Reflect virtual session That Was Then, This is Now where we'll reflect on two readings, separated by 57 years, on the Black experience in America.  Participants are encouraged to read the selections, and then reflect on the interplay of the two.   Our virtual discussion will be moderated by Tom Kilbourn, ordained Episcopal priest and retired JBHS English Teacher. Register to receive a Zoom link the day of the program. Include a cell for a text reminder. Selected Articles: Letter from a Region in My Mind by James Baldwin Found in The New Yorker, November 9, 1962. Click here to read the article. Breathe: A Letter to My Sons by Imani Perry Beacon Press. September 2019 (184 pages) “Emotionally raw and deeply reflective, Imani Perry issues an unflinching challenge to society to see Black children as deserving of humanity. She admits fear and frustration for her African American sons in a society that is increasingly racist and at times seems irredeemable...”  — Beacon Press The book will be available to borrow at the Library. This discussion is part of the Conversations Series, created in partnership by the Redding League of Women Voters and the Mark Twain Library. This award-winning series offers opportunities to continue and expand conversations on race, justice and democracy. Community members can exchange ideas, hear differing perspectives and talk about our ever-evolving democracy.

MTL Cookbook Club: Exploring Jacques Pépin’s Cookbooks (In-person)

Wednesday, January 8

12:00 pm - 1:00 pm

Join us for the MTL Cookbook Club – part book club, part culinary tasting! Each meeting will focus on a particular cookbook from the Library's collection. Group members are invited to read the book, select a recipe to cook, and enjoy sampling with one another as we discuss. CLICK HERE to learn more about our club meetings, selecting recipes and sharing dishes. Meetings will be held on the first Wednesday of every other month. *Due to the New Year holiday, our January meeting will be held on January 8, the second Wednesday of the month.

Space is limited.

This Month's Pick: Jacques Pépin Cookbooks 

This month, we will immerse ourselves in the numerous cookbooks by Jacques Pépin, celebrated French chef, author, culinary educator, television personality, and artist. Choose your favorite recipe from his many books, and let us know what you plan to make and share at our next meeting. See below for recipes already selected.

Books by Jacques Pépin will be available to checkout at the front desk beginning in December.

Selected Recipes:

Garlicky Cherry Tomato and Bread Gratin

Red Cabbage, Pistachio, Cranberry Salad with Blue Cheese

Oven Baked Salmon with Sun-dried Tomato & Salsa mayo

Fine Wine or Sour Grapes? Let’s Talk About Aging (In-Person)

Thursday, January 9

1:30 pm - 2:30 pm

Registration Required Below Co-sponsored by Redding's Commission on Aging "Aging is an extraordinary process whereby you become the person you always should have been," David Bowie Aging happens... so let’s talk about it! Join a new, informal discussion group as we talk, listen, learn — and figure out how to turn sour grapes into fine wine. Potential topics will include maintaining relevancy, resiliency, dealing with ageism, acceptance and compassion. The conversation will be facilitated by Redding residents Jean Rexford and Kathleen Brandt. The group will meet at the Library the second and fourth Thursday of the month. Winter Meeting Dates: January 9 & 23, February 13 & 27, March 13 & 27 Our Facilitators Jean Rexford — Jean started the Connecticut Center for Patient Safety in 2005 to promote patient safety, improve the quality of health care and protect patient rights.  Jean is a former member of the Connecticut Medical Examining Board and Redding's Commission on Aging. Kathleen Brandt — Kathleen is vice chairman of the Redding's Commission on Aging. After nearly two decades working as a registered nurse, she became an attorney in 1996, specializing in patient advocacy litigation.

Broadway Blockbusters Part III: Wicked (In-Person)

Thursday, January 9

7:00 pm - 8:00 pm

Registration Required Below About Our Speaker

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This is a hybrid series of programs that will take place both live at the Library, and virtually over Zoom. For a full experience we recommend attending this program live at the Library. Scroll to the bottom of the screen to register for the in-person option. Would you prefer instead to attend the virtual program, over Zoom? Click here to register for the virtual program.    Broadway Blockbusters: Dates & Topics:

• Part I October 9—  Fiddler on the Roof 
• Part II  November 7 —  Into the Woods
• Part III January 9 — Wicked 

Broadway Blockbusters Part III: Wicked (Virtual)

Thursday, January 9

7:00 pm - 8:00 pm

Registration Required Below About Our Speaker

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This is a hybrid series of programs that will take place both live at the Library, and virtually over Zoom. For a full experience we recommend attending this program live at the Library. Scroll to the bottom of the screen to register for the virtual option and you will receive a Zoom link on the day of the program. Include your cell for a text reminder. Would you prefer instead to attend the program in-person, at the Library? Click here to register for the in-person program.    Broadway Blockbusters: Dates & Topics:

• Part I October 9—  Fiddler on the Roof 
• Part II  November 7 —  Into the Woods
• Part III January 9 — Wicked 

Kids Night Drop-Off Event (Grades 1-5) Co Sponsored with the Boys & Girls Club of Redding

Friday, January 10

5:00 pm - 8:00 pm

DROP-OFF EVENT Join Miss Lisa and the Boys & Girls Club of Redding-Easton for a night of FUN at the Mark Twain Library!!! Friday, January 10, 2025 from 5-8pm Open to grades 1-5 Dinner, Games, and Activities! FREE!! Space is limited. Register below ASAP If you already have a BGCRE account, you can also register at their site at https://bgcre.net/    

Dying to Know!! — A Moderated Discussion Group on Death and Dying (In-person)

Monday, January 13

6:00 pm - 7:30 pm

Registration Required Below Join us in a judgment-free environment where participants, often strangers, can openly engage in discussion on the topic of death and dying. “Dying to Know” is a moderated discussion group created to explore and normalize conversations around death and dying. Mickey Nelson and Sue Broudy, certified End-of-Life Doulas, will guide open conversations around mortality. Participants are invited to attend, listen, and share in the conversation as they feel comfortable. All perspectives are welcomed and respected. “Dying to Know” is not a grief support group or counseling session, but a space for sharing conversations and questions about dying and deepening our awareness about death. Group meetings will be held on the second Monday of the month. About Our Facilitators

Adult Chess Club (In-Person)

Monday, January 13

6:30 pm - 7:30 pm

Registration Recommended, See Below We invite all adult chess players and chess enthusiasts to participate in our newly launched, weekly Adult Chess Club. No prior chess knowledge is required; all levels of experience are welcome to participate! The library will provide chess boards and pieces for all to use. As space is limited, we recommend participants register for each program that they plan to attend. About our facilitator: Matthew Shirvell (aka Coach Matt) is an avid chess player who has been teaching chess in Connecticut for over 6 years. He has competed in USCF tournaments across the country, worked as a tournament director to run some of the largest events in the state, and has helped his students reach their goals.  Recently, in January 2023, one of his students earned sole 1st place in a USCF event with a perfect score!

MTL Writers’ Group (Virtual)

Monday, January 13

7:00 pm - 8:30 pm

Registration Required Below The Mark Twain Library's Writers' Group meets via Zoom on the second and fourth Monday of the month. In this session the group will  be reading and discussing Write Your Novel From The Middle by James Scott Bell In addition to reading books on writing craft, the group's mission is to provide a supportive environment for those looking to share their love of writing with others. The group also serves as a potential source of accountability and feedback for ongoing writing projects. Facilitation of the group will be shared by group members. Prior to attending, it is recommended that group members obtain their own copy of Write Your Novel From The Middle by James Scott Bell Click Here to attend Zoom Meeting (For registered participants only) Password: Write

“Free Play”: Creative Collective Discussion Group (Virtual)

Tuesday, January 14

10:30 am - 12:00 pm

Registration Required Below