Come and meet Pulitzer Prize-winning author, Tracy Kidder! On Tuesday, May 16, 2023, Mr. Kidder will read from and discuss his books. Copies of the books will be available for purchase. Register for this free event by clicking HERE. Registration begins on April 1st.   Schedule for the Evening Book Sales & Cash Bar | 6:30pm Author’s Presentation | 7:30pm **NEW Location: Ipswich Country Club Ballroom, 148 Country Club Way, Ipswich, MA 01938**   This is an indoor event.  There is no hybrid/Zoom component to this program.  And this program will not be recorded. There is no ticket needed on the day of the event.  If you are registered to attend, your name will be on a printed list at the check-in table. And volunteers will be on hand to check your name off the registrant list.   About the Author Born in New York City in 1945, Kidder spent his childhood in Oyster Bay, Long Island, where his father was a lawyer and his mother a teacher. He attended Harvard, where he earned a BA in 1967. From June 1968 until June 1969, he served as a lieutenant in Vietnam, for which he was awarded a Bronze Star, an experience chronicled in his memoir My Detachment. After the war, Kidder obtained his MA from the University of Iowa, where he attended the Iowa Writers’ Workshop. It was there that Kidder met Atlantic contributing editor Dan Wakefield, who helped him get his first assignment as a freelance writer. Over the years, Kidder’s articles have covered a broad array of topics, including railroads, energy, architecture, and the environment. His writing has appeared in The New Yorker, Granta, The New York Times Book Review, and The New York Times. Kidder lives with his wife in western Massachusetts.   About the Johnson Author Lecture Series The Johnson Lecture Series is made possible by a permanent endowment by Louise & Hugh Johnson. The Johnson endowment was left to and is managed by the Friends of the Library and is intended to enrich the lives of Ipswich residents. Louise and Hugh loved life. They loved books, nature, friends, good food, and each other. They lived together in Ipswich. Louise was very involved with the Ipswich Public library, the garden club, bird watching, and poetry. Hugh had a background in publishing, loved to fly fish, and cherished Jane Austen’s novels (his favorite being Emma).  

April is National Poetry Month!    Join us in celebrating poetry this month by stopping to read our poetry bookmarks that will feature a new poem for every day of the month! They will be located with our other bookmarks by the main circulation desk on the first floor of the library. Feel free to take a bookmark home! There are a variety of authors and styles in the thirty poems we’ve selected, and we hope you enjoy. Also, do not forget to check out one of our poetry books to take with you to read in the April Sunshine (or to read indoors when April Showers come to call). Below are some of our titles for you to consider! Children’s Poetry Titles [books list=”cr-poetry-month-titles” display=”carousel” total_items=”50″ auto=”true”] Teen Poetry Titles [books list=”teens-poetry-month-titles” display=”carousel” total_items=”50″ auto=”true”] Adult Poetry Titles [books list=”adult-poetry-month-titles” display=”carousel” total_items=”50″ auto=”true”]

Grab your yoga mat (and a book if you like), put on some comfortable clothing and join us at the library for four evening yoga sessions starting April 12th! Melanie Simard will be our instructor. Residing in Ipswich, MA, Melanie teaches weekly Gentle Yoga classes at the Greater Beverly YMCA, where she strives to offer the benefits of yoga in a fun and approachable way making it accessible for every body regardless of experience or flexibility. Her fun and laid back teaching style focuses on grounding, enhancing body awareness and connecting gentle movements with breath, creating balance in the mind and body. Melanie encourages her students to honor themselves exactly as they are, offering plenty of modifications and variations, making her classes suitable for beginners and experienced practitioners alike. To register, click HERE to find each of the four sessions listed on our event calendar. If you are interested in attending more than one session, you will need to sign up for each session individually. Signing up for one session does not mean you are signed up for all of them.