Amy Lowell 150th Anniversary
Poet Amy Lowell was born 150 years ago this month in Brookline. This display features photographs of Lowell, biographical information, and examples of her poetry.
The Library, in partnership with the New England Poetry Club and Brookline Commission for the Arts, will hold a celebration of Amy Lowell on Monday, February 26 at 6 PM. All are invited to attend.
Learn more about the Amy Lowell 150th Anniversary Celebration here!
Black History in Brookline: Spotlight on Florida Ruffin Ridley and Roland Hayes
This month Hidden Brookline and the Brookline Office of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Community Relations invite you to learn more about two Black trailblazers who lived in Brookline and had a national impact. (Hayes’ impact extended to Europe.)
Two Brookline schools now proudly carry the names Florida Ruffin Ridley and Roland Hayes. Before, the names of both schools (Devotion and Heath) were directly linked to enslavers.
Sakura’s Artwork and Philip’s LEGO Minifigures
Check out the collections on display in the Children’s Room!
In our flat case, Sakura is displaying her artwork.
In our wall case, Philip is displaying his LEGO Minifigures.
Stop by the Brookline Village Children’s Room to see these amazing collections! And sign up for a slot in our display cases here!
Bjorbaek & Mahoney (Daughters & Mom) New Year’s Family Art Exhibit
The various art pieces were inspired from visiting special places such New York City, Westport, MA, and Denmark, in addition to nearby Chestnut Hill, MA.
Kitt Bjorbaek (17 years) graduated from Baker School and is a junior at Brookline High School. She is on the girls varsity rowing team. In her free time, Kitt is learning Swedish and enjoys snowboarding.
Mia Bjorbaek (14 years) is an 8th grade student at Baker School. She will be in the Little Mermaid school play this March 2024. Mia has been ice skating for 12 1/2 years and recently skated in the Frog Pond holiday opening celebration in November 2023 in the Boston Common and in April 2024, she will skate in the Ice Chips through the Skating Club of Boston. She also works at the ice skating rink at Larz Anderson. For fun, Mia is learning to speak Danish.
Christine Mahoney is Kitt & Mia’s mom. She has always loved art and has a BA in journalism with a minor in Studio Art from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst.
Upcoming Poets: February
Kazim Ali’s (left) new book “Sukun: New and Selected Poems” was published in the fall by Wesleyan Press. Ali’s work encompasses multiple genres, including poetry and cross-genre texts. His novels include The Secret Room: A String Quartet and among his books of essays are the hybrid memoir, Silver Road: Essays, Maps & Calligraphies, and Fasting for Ramadan: Notes from a Spiritual Practice, and a memoir of his Canadian childhood, Northern Light. After a career in public policy and organizing, he is currently a Professor of Literature at the University of California, San Diego.
Leila Chatti (right) is a Tunisian-American poet and author of Deluge (Copper Canyon Press, 2020), winner of the 2021 Levis Reading Prize, the 2021 Luschei Prize for African Poetry, and longlisted for the 2021 PEN Open Book Award, and four chapbooks. Her honors include multiple Pushcart Prizes, grants from the Barbara Deming Memorial Fund and the Helene Wurlitzer Foundation, and fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts, the Fine Arts Work Center in Provincetown, the Wisconsin Institute for Creative Writing, and Cleveland State University, where she was the inaugural Anisfield-Wolf Fellow in Publishing and Writing. Her poems appear in The New York Times Magazine, The Nation, The Atlantic, POETRY, and elsewhere. She is a Provost Fellow at the University of Cincinnati and teaches in Pacific University’s M.F.A. program.
Thomas’ Squashed Pennies and Hugo and Simon’s LEGO Creations
Check out the collections on display in the Children’s Room!
In our flat case, Thomas is displaying his squished pennies.
In our wall case, Hugo and Simon are displaying their LEGO creations.
Stop by the Brookline Village Children’s Room to see these amazing collections! And sign up for a slot in our display cases here!
Celebrating the 60th Anniversary of Martin Luther King, Jr.’s 1964 Nobel Prize for Peace
To honor the values and life of Martin Luther King, Jr., the Town of Brookline marks the 60th anniversary of Dr. King receiving the 1964 Nobel Prize for Peace. Brookline’s MLK Celebration
Committee presents an inspiring one-hour program on Monday, January 15 at 3 PM, at the Coolidge Corner Theatre. The event features:
• Video of Dr. King’s Nobel Acceptance Speech
• Different Ships, Same Boat, a performance by poet/spoken word artist Regie Jackson and Guy Mendilow Ensemble
• Boston University Professor of Religion Margarita Guillory reflects on the power and the glory of Dr. King
• Jennifer Barber, Brookline Poet Laureate, opens the program with a special work
This accompanying exhibit, on display at both the Brookline Village and Coolidge Corner Libraries, includes excerpts from Dr. King’s Nobel Peace Prize Acceptance Speech, information on the source of this year’s event poster, Study for MLK, Jr. plaque by Brookline artist John Wilson (1922-2015), and more.
Sheepscapes
Carolyn Letvin’s sheep series started with a painting retreat to a farm in central Pennsylvania in 2001. She went to paint cows but couldn’t take her eyes off the Jacob sheep, an ancient breed that dates back to biblical times. She found their curved horns, fluffy spotted coats and spindly short legs incredibly captivating. They’ve become her primary source of imagery, allowing her to explore paint application, surface texture, composition, and color in a way that satisfies her.
A resident of Marlboro, MA, Carolyn has exhibited in the New England area since 1990. She is an accomplished landscape and interior painter and also creates stylized sheep imagery. Having won many awards through the years, she has begun teaching her plein air printmaking process, gyotaku fish printing, and zen enso circles. Her work can be seen at Galatea Fine Art, Boston, MA, Gallery Twist in Lexington, MA, Hudson Art & Framing, Hudson, MA, and Lauren Clark Fine Art, Great Barrington, MA.
My Mother’s Teacups
Artist Carolyn Letvin presents a display of her mother’s teacup collection. Carolyn describes the exhibit as follows:
“This was my mother’s teacup collection. It’s made up of mostly English and Bavarian bone china. My father, a mechanical engineer, traveled to Canada and Europe for his business, and he would often bring back teacups as gifts for my mother. When the family traveled together, Mom would often add to her collection herself, and sometimes purchase a matching demitasse cup for me. It is my recollection that the bulk of the collection was created in the late 50s through the 60s.
“The cups were on display in a built-in china cabinet in our dining room for the entire 45 years that my parents lived in their house in York, Pennsylvania. My mother passed away in 1999, but I didn’t take possession of the collection until Dad died in 2005 and the house was sold. The cups have been packed away in storage, so I am very pleased to have them displayed once again for all to see.”
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