Sustainability: An American Literary History. May 11th, 6:30 PM on Zoom. Presented by Prof. Abby Goode. Sponsored By NH Humanities
Sign up for Zoom access here: http://bit.ly/3iXZ11o

What is sustainability? And how has American literature shaped our understanding of this concept, in ways both surprising and disturbing? This interactive program begins with a discussion of current ideas about sustainability. Then, we will go back in time to examine Thomas Jefferson's vision of American agricultural abundance, which he contrasted with an overpopulated and under-resourced Europe. Throughout the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, writers such as Walt Whitman and Charlotte Perkins Gilman drew on Jefferson's agrarian vision to respond to sustainability crises of their time. But in so doing, they depicted selective breeding and racial "improvement" as the solution to population crises and the path to agricultural plenty. We will explore this particularly eugenic conception of sustainability and discuss what new or different versions of sustainability might prove more useful in our current moment.

Abby L. Goode is Assistant Professor of English at Plymouth State University.
Library Receives $500 Summer Learning Grant to Study Micro-plastic in the Saco River
The Conway Public Library has received a $500 NH State Library Summer Learning Grant provided by the Saul O. Sidore Memorial Foundation in memory of Rebecca Lee Spitz. This grant funding will allow the library to develop and implement a citizen science experiment to learn about the effects of micro plastic pollution on plants, animals, and the Saco River. Read the full press release here.
Valley Food Fight! A Fundraiser for the Friends of the Conway Public Library. Sponsored by Valley Promotions
Kathy Bennett, Trustee of the Conway Public Library, has agreed to participate in Valley Food Fight, in an effort to win $1000 for the Friends of the Conway Public Library, to be used for children's library services and programs. To make a donation in support of this endeavor, visit Kathy's fundraising page.

April Town Election Brings Three New Trustees to the Library Board. Kathy Bennett is Elected to a One Year Term.
At the April Town election Jason Ciciero, James Cousins, and Alan Shapiro were elected to three year terms on the Library Board of Trustees. Kathy Bennett was also elected to a one year term. Jason is a teacher at Kennett High School. James is a programmer at Rapid Insight and Alan is a retired educator. Kathy is a consultant in the field of marketing and public relations and formerly worked for Memorial Hospital and Cranmore. Library Director David Smolen said, "I congratulate Jason, James, Alan, and Kathy on their victories and I look forward to working with them on the various challenges and opportunities that the library will face in the years to come." For more information about the library board of trustees, check out their website.
Redstone History on Valley Vision with Bob Cottrell
Check out this great video produced by Valley Vision featuring Henney History Room Curator Bob Cottrell on the history of the Redstone Quarry historic site.
The May Book Club Selection is Untamed by Glennon Doyle. The Group Meets May 17th at 10:15 AM
Contact Kathy Keene to obtain a copy and participate in the group.

Untamed is both an intimate memoir and a galvanizing wake-up call. It is the story of how one woman learned that a responsible mother is not one who slowly dies for her children, but one who shows them how to fully live. It is the story of navigating divorce, forming a new blended family, and discovering that the brokenness or wholeness of a family depends not on its structure but on each member's ability to bring her full self to the table. And it is the story of how each of us can begin to trust ourselves enough to set boundaries, make peace with our bodies, honor our anger and heartbreak, and unleash our truest, wildest instincts so that we become women who can finally look at ourselves and say: There She Is . Untamed shows us how to be brave.