CT Fiscal Challenges, Spring Poetry, Holocaust Survivor Talk & more The Week Ahead

April 1 - 7, 2019

News

We are hard at work preparing for the annual Gigantic Spring Book Sale Fundraiser, April 27-30. The last day to donate pristine and gently-used books for the sale is Monday, April 8. Please drop books in bags or boxes in the book donation bins located by the drive-through window along Godfrey Place. Thank you for your generous, high-quality donations.
Wilton Library's April 6th Spring Benefit - Under the Sea - is sold out. Many thanks to our generous event sponsors, silent auction donors, stellar planning committee and those who purchased tickets. If you missed getting a ticket to the event, please consider making a donation to Wilton Library.

Here's what's happening the week of April 1 - 7.

Click here for a listing of the full month's events.

Brian Walker: A Life in Cartoons

Tuesday, April 2 @7pm

Cartoonist and longtime Wilton resident Brian Walker is part of the creative team that produces the comic strips Beetle Bailey and Hi and Lois. In fact, the setting for Hi and Lois resembles Wilton and often features The Silvermine Market, Cobbs Mill Inn, Orem's Diner, Scoops Ice Cream, and the Silvermine Tavern. Brian will give a presentation about the cartoon business and will also field questions. He has written, edited or contributed to forty books on cartoon art, including the definitive history, The Comics, The Complete Collection. Walker's current exhibit, Masterpieces from the Museum of Cartoon Art, will be on view at the Bruce Museum in Greenwich, CT until April 20. More info & register

A Workshop Series on Running a Small Business in Connecticut

Wednesdays, April 3, 10 & 17 @8:30am

Join us for a three-part breakfast workshop to learn about free resources for entrepreneurs from the Small Business Administration (SBA) including securing financing for your business and taking advantage of government contracting opportunities to grow your business. The sessions will be presented by Lisa Powell and Tanisha Baptiste of the SBA. April 3: SBA 101- Learn about the free resources the Small Business Administration and its Resource Partners have to offer entrepreneurs: counseling, training, technical assistance, loan programs, contracting assistance. April 10: How to Finance Your Small Business. April 17: Learn how to do business with the State of Connecticut, municipalities, private sector as well as the Federal Government. Co-sponsored by Wilton Library, SCORE Fairfield County, Wilton Chamber of Commerce, the SBA CT District Office, and Silver Pine Real Estate. The media sponsor is the Wilton Bulletin. More info & register

Wilton Reads - Dr. Michael Nolan: Holocaust History Lecture

Wednesday, April 3 @7pm

The Holocaust was one of the most heinous periods in European history in which there was a proliferation of horrors. This talk will attempt to address the developments that culminated in the mass murder of over six million European Jews. Dr. Michael Nolan, Ph.D., Professor, Department of History and Non-Western Cultures, Western Connecticut State University, will examine the conditions that made possible the genesis of the 'Final Solution' in Germany. A Q&A will follow the talk. This program complements the Wilton Reads 2019 selection, The Tattooist of Auschwitz. More info & register

Wilton Reads - Spring Poetry with Judson Scruton

Thursdays, April 4, 11, 18 & 25 @10:30am

In conjunction with our 2019 Wilton Reads program, Judson Scruton leads this 4-part series exploring poetry related to the Holocaust. Poems will come from the anthology Holocaust Poetry compiled by Hilda Schiff, and The Poetry of Survival, Post-War Poets of Central and Eastern Europe edited by Daniel Weissbort. Poems by W.H. Auden, Stephen Spender, Elie Wiesel, and Yevgeny Yevtushenko also will be considered along with powerful poems by lesser-known voices. This seminar is made possible with the support of the Literary Series in Memory of Amy Quigley. More info & register

An Update on CT's Fiscal Challenges: Decades in the Making - A Look Back and a Look Forward

Thursday, April 4 @7pm

The Connecticut Mirror State Budget Reporter Keith Phaneuf provides a sobering speech about Connecticut's profound budget challenges: what exactly are the challenges, how did we get here, and what are our options going forward? Q&A session will follow. In his role as State Budget Reporter, Phaneuf analyzes and reports on all aspects of state government finances, including the budget development process, pension funding, income tax equity, waste in government, and the impact of the state's budgeting and financial policy decisions. Co-sponsored by Wilton Library and the Wilton League of Women Voters. More info & register

Book Discussion of The Tattooist of Auschwitz with Susan Boyar

Thursday, April 4 @7pm

Professional book discussion leader Susan Boyar discusses our Wilton Reads 2019 selection, The Tattooist of Auschwitz by Heather Morris. Beverages will be provided. More info & register

Wilton School Districts' Fine and Performing Arts Exhibition & Music

Friday, April 5 @6pm

Join in a celebration of the Wilton Schools' Fine and Performing Arts Exhibition featuring 400+ works from students in grades K-12. During the reception, student musical performances will take place in the Brubeck Room and art demonstrations will be happening throughout the library. The International Art Show also will be part of the evening reception. The exhibit will run from April 5-24. Media sponsor is the Wilton Bulletin. More info

Wilton Reads - Holocaust Survivor Talk 'Zachor - Remember'

Sunday, April 7 @2pm

Born in Czechoslovakia, Judith Altmann was arrested and transported to Auschwitz at age 14. She will share her story of survival through extermination camps, slave labor camps, and the 'death march' to Bergen-Belsen. Join us to hear her story and message of hope, and most importantly, to remember. This program complements the Reads 2019 selection, The Tattooist of Auschwitz. More info & register.

Wilton Reads - The Art of William Pachner, 1915-2017

Sunday, April 7 @4pm

Artist Ann Pachner will present a slide show of the work of her father, the artist William Pachner. In 1915, William Pachner was born a Jew in the area that became Czechoslovakia. He came to the US in 1939 to work as a commercial illustrator. He received news in 1945 that 'All is lost' -- the extermination by the Nazis of his mother, father, brother and 80 other family members. He then spent the next 60 years becoming a painter, imagining the circumstances of his people and that world, and giving us deeply felt images. He was an award-winning artist with works in many museums. More info & register

Save the Date for Upcoming Events
Here are a few upcoming programs and library events that you won't want to miss. Mark your calendars and click the dates for more information and to register:

April 11: Wilton Reads: Author Visit - Heather Morris, The Tattooist of Auschwitz
April 13: New Perspectives Film Series: The Accountant of Auschwitz
April 14: Connecticut's Own Concert: The Madera Winds - I Got Rhythm
April 20: Tea Tasting with Bubble & Brew
April 27-30: Gigantic Spring Book Sale Fundraiser