Events

MTL Youth Chess Club (Recommended for Grades 4-8) IN PERSON Program

Monday, April 29

5:30 pm - 6:30 pm

Registration recommended; drop-ins welcome. We invite young chess players and chess enthusiasts to participate in our newly launched Youth 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. While this program is recommended for grade 5-8, older teen players are welcome too! 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! The club will meet every Monday, 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. except on holidays or as otherwise noted. Program contact: Sarah Zimmermann (sarah@marktwainlibrary.org), Teen and Reference Librarian

Adult Chess Club (In-person)

Monday, April 29

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, April 29

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

Creative Collective Discussion Group: “The Creative Act” (Virtual)

Tuesday, April 30

10:30 am - 12:00 pm

Registration is closed for this session.  Please join us for our next session in June. 

Weekly Drop-In Knitting Circle (In-Person)

Tuesday, April 30

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.  

Paths To Autistic Empowerment: Open Communication and Self-Advocacy

Tuesday, April 30

7:00 pm - 8:00 pm

Registration Required Below April is Autism Awareness Month, a time for sharing stories and providing opportunities to increase understanding and acceptance of people with autism. Jeremy Farrell, an Autism Spectrum Disorder Advocate, provides a roadmap to help those with autism and their loved ones find ways toward open communication and advocacy. As an autistic individual who has been on his own personal journey, Jeremy has unique insight on cultivating autistic empowerment. Jeremy goes beyond the textbook “dos and don’ts” for those on or off the autism spectrum, providing actionable steps toward empowerment. Jeremy will use examples from his personal and professional life to provide a comprehensive understanding of the common barriers autistic individuals face in everyday life and how to break through those barriers. Jeremy K. Farrell is a passionate Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) Advocate and a proud person on the spectrum himself. He has been working with children with developmental disabilities, specializing in autism, since the age of 15. Since graduating from Southern Connecticut State University, he has run social skills groups for kids through Western Connecticut Behavioral Health. He has also worked with autism-focused organizations to provide recreational resources for clients. He spent time working as a University Assistant for Southern Connecticut State University, where he traveled around the state as the Leader of Community Outreach and Recruitment for the Listening to Faces Speech and Language Autism research with Yale’s Child Study Center.   About Our Speaker Jeremy K. Farrell is a passionate Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) Advocate and a proud person on the spectrum himself. He has been working with children with developmental disabilities, specializing in autism, since the age of 15. Since graduating from Southern Connecticut State University, he has run social skills groups for kids through Western Connecticut Behavioral Health. He has also worked with autism-focused organizations to provide recreational resources for clients. He spent time working as a University Assistant for Southern Connecticut State University, where he traveled around the state as the Leader of Community Outreach and Recruitment for the Listening to Faces Speech and Language Autism research with Yale’s Child Study Center. In his role as the Director of Family and Personal Growth at Planning Across the Spectrum, Jeremy has consulted with businesses and organizations, aiding them in understanding autism to effectively serve their autistic clients. More recently, he has been involved as a Certified Job Coach for the Connecticut Autism Waiver program, empowering autistic adults to establish their own businesses and advocating for the autistic community by offering webinars and presentations built on what he’s learned through his personal and professional life  

Family Story Time (birth-5)

Wednesday, May 1

10:30 am - 11:10 am

Registration Required It's time for Family Story Time! We'll sing, dance, and read together.  This event is designed for children birth - 5 but interested older siblings are welcome to attend. You only need to signup once for all the Family Story Time sessions. It is okay to miss sessions. Questions, please email Lisa at Lisa@marktwainlibrary.org Photos & videos from this event may be used on the Library's social media sites.

MTL Cookbook Club: “The Woks of Life” (In-person)

Wednesday, May 1

12:00 pm - 1:00 pm

Registration Require Below 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. Meetings will be held on the first Wednesday of every other month.

Register online and we'll be in touch with details about the meeting and your recipe selection to share with the group.  Space is limited.

This Month's Pick:  The Woks of Life: Recipes to Know and Love from a Chinese American Family by the Leung Family

Copies of this month's cookbook will be available to check out at the front desk beginning April 1.  Browse the book and let us know what recipe you plan to make and share at our next meeting.  See below for recipes already selected.

Chosen Recipes:

Fast Sizzled Cucumber Salad

Eggplant with Garlic Sauce

Lazy Veggie Noodles

Shanghai Cold Noodles

Old Shanghai Potato Salad

Hand Torn Cabbage Stir Fry

Chicken Curry Puffs

Hand-Shredded Chicken

Pork, Mushroom and Cabbage Dumplings

Steamed Eggs with Chicken and Oyster Mushrooms

Milk Bread

Chinese Bakery Cream & Fruit Cake Reinvented

Pineapple Cakes

Bearing Witness: Yom HaShoah — Holocaust Remembrance Day (In-Person)

Thursday, May 2

7:00 pm - 8:00 pm

Registration Required Below As a descendant of two Holocaust survivors, Redding's Renee Bronner Pessin will mark this Holocaust Remembrance Day (May 5—6) by telling the story of her parents, Helen and Sam Bronner, who met while imprisoned in a concentration camp. Helen was the only survivor of more than 50 members of her immediate and extended family, while Sam and one brother were the only survivors of his immediate family. The couple became separated during the war, but they eventually found each other following liberation. Soon after, Helen and Sam got married and immigrated to the United States to start a new life in Brooklyn, NY. Renee shares the story of her parents through excerpts of her mother's video testimony to the Shoah Foundation and through family pictures that survived the horrors of the Holocaust. About Our Speaker Renee Bronner Pessin has been a Redding resident for over seven years. Originally from Brooklyn, NY, Renee has worked as a registered nurse, editorial associate for scientific journals and for over 20 years, she has worked as a biomedical grant and manuscript editor.     This program is part of the Conversations Series, created in partnership by the Redding League of Women Voters and the MarkTwain 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.

Make Beaded Friendship Bracelets with MTL Teen Craft Club (Recommended for Grades 5-8)

Friday, May 3

4:00 pm - 5:00 pm

Please register below. The MTL Craft club is a fun space for teens to relax, have snacks, and craft! During each meeting, we’ll make a different craft, starting with beaded friendship bracelets during our May 3rd meeting. For each craft made, we ask that participants make another to be donated to local shelters, hospitals, or charities. No experience with crocheting and crafting necessary to participate. The club is run by Redding teens Kristina and Kieran, the co-presidents of Joel Barlow High School’s craft and crochet club, which donates crocheted blankets and other crafts to hospitals. Light refreshments will be served. Registration is limited to 10 participants. Program contact: Sarah Zimmermann (sarah@marktwainlibrary.org), Teen and Reference Librarian Image credit: Magda Ehlers

Frog Frolic Family Festival

Saturday, May 4

10:00 am - 4:00 pm

Click here to learn all about the Frog Frolic Family Festival! A Day of Fun for Everyone! SATURDAY, MAY 4TH, 2024 - 10AM-4PM @ Redding Community Center - 37 Lonetown Road, Redding, CT 06896

MTL Open Mic: A Literary Event for Teens and Adults (Registration for AUDIENCE MEMBERS)

Sunday, May 5

3:00 pm - 4:00 pm

Please register below. Mark Twain Library invites local writers and lovers of literature to join us for an open mic event! Read your own work or someone else’s work, or just listen to others read. All literary genres are welcome, but participants should limit their readings to no more than 5 minutes. We will also accommodate drop-in readers as time permits. About our emcee:  A high school senior in New York City, Anisha is an avid reader and is very passionate about writing (particularly poetry), and is an active member of her school’s poetry club. In 2021, she received the Scholastic Silver Key Award for her poetry and is an alumna of the Kenyon Review Young Writers Summer Program. This fall will mark Anisha's second time hosting a popular teen poetry workshop series focusing on social justice and activism at the Mark Twain Library. REGISTRATION FOR READERS/PARTICIPANTS Light refreshments will be served. Program contact: Sarah Zimmermann (sarah@marktwainlibrary.org), Teen and Reference Librarian

MTL Open Mic: A Literary Event for Teens and Adults (Registration for READERS/PARTICIPANTS)

Sunday, May 5

3:00 pm - 4:00 pm

Please register below. Mark Twain Library invites local writers and lovers of literature to join us for an open mic event! Read your own work or someone else’s work, or just listen to others read. All literary genres are welcome, but participants should limit their readings to no more than 5 minutes. We will also accommodate drop-in readers as time permits. About our emcee:  A high school senior in New York City, Anisha is an avid reader and is very passionate about writing (particularly poetry), and is an active member of her school’s poetry club. In 2021, she received the Scholastic Silver Key Award for her poetry and is an alumna of the Kenyon Review Young Writers Summer Program. This fall will mark Anisha's second time hosting a popular teen poetry workshop series focusing on social justice and activism at the Mark Twain Library. Registration for AUDIENCE MEMBERS Light refreshments will be served. Program contact: Sarah Zimmermann (sarah@marktwainlibrary.org), Teen and Reference Librarian

Kindergarten May Story Time

Monday, May 6

4:00 pm - 4:45 pm

Kindergartners, we'll gather together for a relaxing afternoon of books, stories and songs. The Kindergarteners will attend this program without an adult. Photos and videos from this event may be used on the Library's Website. Registration Required

MTL Youth Chess Club (Recommended for Grades 4-8) IN PERSON Program

Monday, May 6

5:30 pm - 6:30 pm

Registration recommended; drop-ins welcome. We invite young chess players and chess enthusiasts to participate in our newly launched Youth 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. While this program is recommended for grade 5-8, older teen players are welcome too! 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! The club will meet every Monday, 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. except on holidays or as otherwise noted. Program contact: Sarah Zimmermann (sarah@marktwainlibrary.org), Teen and Reference Librarian

Adult Chess Club (In-person)

Monday, May 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!    

Great Decisions (In-Person)

Monday, May 6

7:30 pm - 9:00 pm

Registration for this program is closed.  Look for our next session in the Fall of 2024 Join our popular Great Decisions series, an international relations discussion group that meets in person at the Library. This 8-session course, designed by the Foreign Policy Association, focuses on the most pressing issues of our time. The discussions will be moderated by members of the Library’s World Affairs Forum.  Read the Foreign Policy Association briefing book before each session and engage in lively discussions. The World Affairs Forum meets on 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 Zoom link on the day of the meeting. Dates and Topics February 5 - Mideast Realignment February 19 - Climate Technology and Competition March 6 - Science Across Borders March 18 - U.S. - China trade rivalry April 1 - NATO’s future April 15 - Understanding Indonesia May 6 - High Seas Treaty May 20 - Pandemic Preparedness Registering on this page will register you for the full 8-week course.  Registered participants will receive notification when the briefing books arrive in late January.  There is a suggested donation of $20 to help defray the cost of the briefing book and materials for this program. Donations welcome when you pick up your book or click here to donate.   More About Great Decisions: Great Decisions is America's largest discussion program on world affairs. The name is shared by a national civic-education program, briefing book, and PBS television series produced by the Foreign Policy Association. The Great Decisions program highlights eight critical foreign policy challenges facing Americans each year. In libraries across the country, Great Decisions discussion group participants discuss and debate each issue. Supported by the Foreign Policy Association for over 50 years, Great Decisions involves citizens in the foreign policy-making process.

Creative Collective Discussion Group: “The Creative Act” (Virtual)

Tuesday, May 7

10:30 am - 12:00 pm

Registration is closed for this session.  Please join us for our next session in June. 

Weekly Drop-In Knitting Circle (In-Person)

Tuesday, May 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.  

K.R.A.B.S (Kids Raving About Books) for 4th, 5th and 6th Graders

Tuesday, May 7

4:00 pm - 4:45 pm

4th, 5th, and 6th graders are invited to attend our monthly book discussion group for younger readers on May 6th, to browse through new books, snack on cookies and chips, and talk about the books you’ve read recently. REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED.