This multimedia slideshow and video retrospective includes highlights of the life of Louis Armstrong, who became the first black entertainer to cross over into white audiences via mass media. Louis Armstrong grew up in extreme poverty in the segregated South, to become one of the most famous entertainers in the world and a pivotal figure in race relations. Bob Stankard sings and plays trumpet reminiscent of Armstrong’s style.
Registration is required. Registration will close 2 hours prior to the scheduled start time of the event. A Zoom link will be emailed to registrants 2 hours before the program starts. Make sure to check the email address you registered with to receive the link. You do not need a Zoom account to attend the virtual program.
This program supports the PA Forward Civic and Social Literacy Initiative.
The Henrietta Hankin Branch Library is excited to offer a monthly virtual TEDx program to discuss “Ideas Worth Spreading.” Join us on Wednesday, November 18 at 6 pm to watch a curated selection of TED Talks followed by a community discussion.
This month we are diving into the topic of success with talks like “The unexpected benefit of celebrating failure” and “Should you live for your resume or your eulogy?” Come share your ideas and viewpoints on what success means to you and how these videos impact those views.
Haven’t heard of TED Talks before? TED Talks are “short, powerful talks…that cover almost all topics – from science to business to global issues – in more than 110 languages.” TED is a nonprofit with a “global community, welcoming people from every discipline and culture who seek a deeper understanding of the world. [TED] believes passionately in the power of ideas to change attitudes, lives and, ultimately, the world.”
Dr. Dan Luczka, PT, DPT and founder of InstaCare Physical Therapy will present a virtual injury prevention program. Learn about evidence-based injury prevention methods and specific exercises that you can start now to help reduce the risk of injury. Discover the difference between dynamic and static warm-ups for any active individual, young or old.
Registration is required. Registration will close 2 hours prior to the scheduled start time of the event. A Zoom link will be emailed to registrants 2 hours before the program starts. Make sure to check the email address you registered with to receive the link. You do not need a Zoom account to attend the virtual program.
This program supports the PA Forward Health Literacy Initiative.
Explore what it takes to garden in the ‘off season’. In this workshop, examine ways to extend your outdoor garden. Review some chores you will need to do to ensure a healthy garden and prepare your soil and plants for spring. Learn how to grow vegetables and herbs indoors and discuss options for overwintering and bringing in your ornamental plants.
Liz Alakszay is an avid organic gardener, naturalist, quality operations engineer, and educator who has been gardening for over 30 years. She is an adjunct course designer and Instructor of Vegetable Gardening Longwood Gardens and the former Chester County PA Master Gardener Coordinator.
Registration is required. Registration will close 2 hours prior to the scheduled start time of the event. A Zoom link will be emailed to registrants 2 hours before the program starts. Make sure to check the email address you registered with to receive the link. You do not need a Zoom account to attend the virtual program.
This program supports the PA Forward Civic and Social Literacy Initiative.
Dreaming about writing a novel? NaNoWriMo is a great chance to get your book idea going. This month, aspiring and published authors from around the world have committed to writing 50,000 words in thirty days.
Jill Weatherholt
Today we welcome NaNoWriMo published author Jill Weatherholt, whose Whispering Slopes series began as a NaNoWriMo challenge.
Thank you for joining us, Jill!
Can you tell us about the story you’re writing for NaNoWriMo 2020? The story I will be writing for NaNoWriMo 2020 is the last book in my Whispering Slopes series, the fictional town in the Shenandoah Valley. The hero, a well-known professional bull rider, is injured and returns to his childhood home to seek medical attention out of the spotlight. He’s unaware that his high school sweetheart, and the only woman he ever loved, has moved back to town and is working as a physical therapist. After this book, I plan to move my next series out West where my hero’s brothers currently live.
What is your favorite method of writing — pen and paper or the computer? Why? When I start a story, I like to write with my favorite Mont Blanc pen, given to me by my father. I also use a separate journal for each book. I use the journal to get to know my character’s backstory, their internal and external goals and the story’s setting. I’m not exactly sure why, but writing my ideas makes me feel closer to my characters. Once I have a solid idea and really know my characters, I move to the computer.
What’s the most important part of your writing ritual (e.g. what kind of music do you listen to, favorite snack when writing, motivational quotes, etc.)? I don’t snack while writing, but I do need water and plenty of caffeine. When I first started the Whispering Slopes series, I listened to a lot of John Denver. Now, when I get stuck, I’ll take a break and play one of his CDs. I also listen to a lot of The Carpenters. I know…corny, but their music is perfect for writing romance.
What was your process of editing and preparing your NaNoWriMo manuscript for publication? For me, NaNoWriMo is a time to get a fast, partial draft written. Since the 50k word requirement is less than a full-length novel, additional writing is required after I’ve completed the competition to get to THE END. After that, extensive editing is required before I submit for publication.
Do you have any advice for first time NaNoWriMo participants? Don’t fall behind in your word count. If you keep a steady pace of 1667 words a day, you’ll reach the 50K word goal. Since I work a full-time day job, I write additional words on the weekends and some weekday evenings. Just keep writing! It will be a mess, but that can all be fixed after November.
How did you first hear about or get started with NaNoWriMo? Around 2008 or so, I became obsessed with reading authors’ websites. I loved to read their bios about how they got started writing, interviews, craft books that were helpful and about their writing process. I would even email authors after I’d finish reading their book to let them know how much I enjoyed it. It was always a thrill to receive a response. During that time, I think I stumbled across the website for NaNoWriMo. I participated for the first time in 2010. That story went on to become my first published book in 2017. I didn’t work on it all of those years. In fact, once I completed the 2010 competition, those 50k words sat on my hard drive untouched for many years, but the characters always stayed with me.
What makes you want to continue participating in NaNoWriMo? I’m not a disciplined writer. I need deadlines. If I commit to something, I’ll do it, so NaNoWriMo is perfect for me. In the three times that I’ve participated in the contest, each book has gone on to become published. That’s my biggest motivation to continue to participate.
What authors or books have inspired you to write your own stories? I can’t say there is one author or book that has inspired me to write my stories. I’ve always used writing as a way to relax and ease my worries. In fact, the first short story I ever had published was written after my mother was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. I remember after her appointment I sat down with a pen and tablet and wrote a story about a lighthouse keeper’s daughter whose father had Alzheimer’s. It was my way of processing what was happening to my family. There is inspiration all around us. We just need to pull away from our devices and take notice.
About Jill Weatherholt
By day, Jill Weatherholt works for the City of Charlotte. At night, and on the weekend, she writes contemporary stories about love, faith and forgiveness for Harlequin Love Inspired. Raised in the suburbs of Washington, D.C., she now resides in Charlotte, North Carolina, but her heart belongs to Virginia. She holds a degree in Psychology from George Mason University and Paralegal Studies Certification from Duke University. She shares her life with her real-life hero and number one supporter. Their relationship grew on the golf course, and now they have one in their backyard.
National Novel Writing Month began in 1999 as challenge to write 50,000 words of a novel in thirty days. Now, each year on November 1, hundreds of thousands of people around the world begin to write, determined to end the month with 50,000 words of a brand-new novel. NaNoWriMo, a nonprofit organization since 2006, supports writing fluency and education. Their website hosts more than a million writers, serving as a social network with author profiles, personal project libraries, and writing buddies.
NaNoWriMo Programs and Links from Chester County Library and the Henrietta Hankin Branch.
It’s not too late to get started with NaNoWriMo! Click herefor resources, tips, information about our month-long Write-Ins, and a free virtual Writer’s Emergency Kit.
An informative musical and historical program with original and documented songs of this region during the early 1900’s, highlighting the everyday struggles and life of the European coal miner in Northeastern Pennsylvania. Songs sung by miners are performed as well as songs about more contemporary issues such as “The Fires of Centralia” documenting the 50 year old coal fire that burns there to this day. To emulate the mining musicians of the region, Jay Smar sings, fiddles, and flat-foot clog-dances simultaneously to highlight the end of the program.
Registration is required. Registration will close 2 hours prior to the scheduled start time of the event. A Zoom link will be emailed to registrants 2 hours before the program starts. Make sure to check the email address you registered with to receive the link. You do not need a Zoom account to attend the virtual program.
This program supports the PA Forward Civic and Social Literacy Initiative.
Join us as we discuss this exciting thriller mystery, soon to be an HBO series, premiering November 26. You can watch the trailer here.
What’s it about?
Cassandra Bowden is no stranger to hungover mornings. She’s a binge drinker, her job with the airline making it easy to find adventure, and the occasional blackouts seem to be inevitable. She lives with them, and the accompanying self-loathing. When she awakes in a Dubai hotel room, she tries to piece the previous night back together, counting the minutes until she has to catch her crew shuttle to the airport. She quietly slides out of bed, careful not to aggravate her already pounding head, and looks at the man she spent the night with. She sees his dark hair. His utter stillness. And blood, a slick, still wet pool on the crisp white sheets. Afraid to call the police – she’s a single woman alone in a hotel room far from home – Cassie begins to lie. She lies as she joins the other flight attendants and pilots in the van. She lies on the way to Paris as she works the first class cabin. She lies to the FBI agents in New York who meet her at the gate. Soon it’s too late to come clean-or face the truth about what really happened back in Dubai. Could she have killed him? If not, who did?
Set amid the captivating world of those whose lives unfold at forty thousand feet, The Flight Attendant unveils a spellbinding story of memory, of the giddy pleasures of alcohol and the devastating consequences of addiction, and of murder far from home.
Copies of The Flight Attendant are available at the Henrietta Hankin Branch Circulation Desk. You can also reserve a print copy to pick up at a different library here.
Register here to join the fun! This program supports PA Forward Civic and Social Literacy.
This virtual presentation discusses ideas to help build a reasonable and sustainable strategy for managing income and expenses during retirement. We’ll explore how to address key concerns such as inflation, health care expenses and market volatility as well as ways to prepare for things that may not go as expected. Provided by Edward Jones.
Click here to register. This program supports PA Forward Financial Literacy.
We are holding our existing adult book groups as virtual programs. Please see our November titles and dates below. These groups are all being held online via Zoom. We are requiring registration for these online book groups in order to send out the Zoom meeting information. Click on the date below to register. Information on our adult book groups can also be found on our website: http://bit.ly/chescolibs-bookgroups.
Registration is required for all book groups. Registration will close 2 hours prior to the scheduled start time of the book group. A Zoom link will be emailed to registrants 2 hours before the book group starts. Make sure to check the email address you registered with to receive the link. You do not need a Zoom account to attend the virtual book group.
These programs support the PA Forward Civic and Social Literacy Initiative.
Join us for November Yoga Series- Vinyasa Flow, Tuesdays, November 3, 10, 17, and 24, 7:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
Join Yoga instructor Heather from 2 Crows and a Raven Yoga for a November of Vinyasa Flow sessions. Participate in one or more of the classes. This is a practice that combines movement with breath, where the transition between each posture aligns seamlessly with the pace and strength of your breath. Traditional yoga asanas (postures) are utilized to form a flow that is unique to each time that you practice. The sequence often has a focusing posture that all preceding postures lead up to, helping you achieve the focus posture.
Please register for the program (for one or more dates):
Registration is required. Registration will close 2 hours prior to the scheduled start time of the event. A Zoom link will be emailed to registrants 2 hours before the program starts. Make sure to check the email address you registered with to receive the link. You do not need a Zoom account to attend the virtual program.
This program supports the PA Forward Civic and Social Literacy Initiative.
Dreaming about writing a novel? 
The Hankin Whodunits Mystery Book Club will meet via Zoom on 
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