By Barbara Brattin, Library Director
According to interestingliterature.com, classic authors are interesting, indeed. Vladimir Nabokov had a ‘genitalia cabinet’ in which he kept his collection of male blue butterfly genitalia. It’s now housed at Harvard.
In 1849, Fyodor Dostoevsky was sentenced to death by firing squad. At the very last minute the sentence was commuted to four years’ hard labor.
Owing to failing eyesight, James Joyce wrote much of his novel Finnegans Wake in crayon on pieces of cardboard.
If you remember the classics from high school as intolerably boring, maybe you should take another look. Our Classic Literature section at the Ruby Sisson Memorial Library is growing. Here’s what’s new or coming soon:
An American Tragedy by Theodore Dreiser explores themes of social class, ambition, and moral decay in early 20th-century America.
The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoevsky is described by Wikipedia as “a passionate philosophical novel that discusses questions of God, free will, and morality.”
The Bridge of San Luis Rey by Thornton Wilder, winner of the 1927 Pulitzer Prize for fiction, centers on a Peruvian monk determined to prove that a bridge collapse that results in the death of five travelers was an act of divine intervention.
The Awakening by Kate Chopin was a true awakening for me when I read it in college. A novel before it’s time (written in 1899), it follows a woman who rebels against the restrictive social expectations of her time in late 19th-century New Orleans.
Silas Marner by George Eliot. It wasn’t uncommon in the 19th century for women authors to pose as men in order to be published. Mary Ann Evans’ pen name was George Eliot, and in 1861 she wrote this classic focused on the contrast between material wealth and human connection.
Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston. From the Harlem Renaissance we got American writer Zora Neale Hurston who penned this book about racial and personal independence in 1937.
To the Lighthouse by Virginia Woolf. The perfect book to read over the holidays, To the Lighthouse focuses on a family’s holiday on the Isle of Skye with lots of tension told from a variety of viewpoints.
Construction update
Roof framing is complete, right on schedule with a temporary membrane to keep the snow and rain at bay. Interior framing begins the first week in December to get ready for mechanical, electrical and plumbing installations beginning December 9. Follow us on Facebook for periodic pictures of progress.
Your donations go a long way toward making this new library exceptional. The Colorado Gives campaign is underway and monthly donations are matched through December 9th. We have a ways to go to meet our fundraising goals. Thanks from all of us! https://www.coloradogives.org/organization/RubySissonLibraryFoundation
Meet us Out in the Community
Now that we have much less space for our operations and no meeting rooms during construction, several of our regular activities and special events are happening in other locations.
Please check the listings on your library’s website at https://pagosalibrary.org for location changes throughout the construction. If no other location is mentioned, the activity will stay at your library.
Activities calendars
Pick up monthly calendars at the library or check the website at https://www.pagosalibrary.org/events-calendar so you don’t miss any of the free programs, events and activities available to you and your family.
Online author talks
Our free online author talks with New York Times bestselling authors continue in December with one more talk this month for you to watch live on Zoom or via a recording later this month. For details and to register go to https://libraryc.org/pagosalibrary/upcoming.
Conversational Spanish
The Conversational Spanish group will meet Monday, October 27 from 4-5 p.m. at St. Patrick’s Episcopal Church at 225 South Pagosa. This is a great opportunity to practice your Spanish in a free group setting. No minimum skill level needed.
Adult book club
Join us for Ruby’s Book Club from 2-3 p.m. on Tuesday, December 9th as we discuss On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong. Copies are available at your library. This free adult book club is held the second Tuesday of each month, alternating between fiction and nonfiction titles. Anyone is welcome to attend. During construction it takes place at the new Harman Park Transit Center, 83 Harman Park Drive, next to the Sheriff’s Office.
Elementary school tutoring
Free after-school tutoring for grades one-three takes place on Wednesdays from 3:30 – 4:30 p.m. Registration is required because of limited space so call your library now at 970-264-2209 to enroll your child.
This invaluable tutoring involves one-on-one and small group help for math, literacy, writing and spelling.
Note that because of construction at the library these sessions will take place at the Elementary School.
Writers Guild
Thursdays from 9-11 a.m. the Ruby’s Writers Guild welcomes writers looking for support, guidance, resources and camaraderie with other writers at this free gathering. During construction the group will meet at the Senior Center, 451 Hot Springs Blvd. Enter through the left side of the building.
Tech Time
Free in-person slots are available from 2-4 p.m. on Thursdays. Taylor helps with basic questions relating to computers, smartphones and tablets and also provides assistance in accessing the library’s online resources. No appointment is needed, but please bring your device’s charger and passwords with you.
ESL classes
Free in-person evening classes happen on Tuesdays and Thursdays, from 4-5pm for students of all levels at St. Patrick’s Episcopal Church, 225 S. Pagosa Street. Please help us pass the word about these classes.
Clases de inglés
Clases gratis de inglés cada martes y Jueves de 4-5 p.m. Ayudenos a informar a todos quienes necesitan aprender inglés. Durante el plazo de la nueva construcción en la biblioteca, las clases se llevarán a cabo en St. Patrick ‘s Episcopal Church, 225 S. Pagosa Street.
Pagosa Adult Learning Services (PALS)
Join Mark or Sally for free individualized PALS sessions Tuesdays and Thursdays from 5:30 – 8 p.m. to help with high school equivalency, GED, college prep, financial aid, tutoring and more. No appointment necessary.
New and Notable
Elmore Leonard Picket Line; Louise Penny The Black Wolf; Nelson DeMille The Tin Men; Patricia Cornwell Sharp Force; Phillipa Gregory Boleyn Traitor; Mitch Albom Twice; Richard Osman The Impossible Fortune.