Curtis Casts

Joyce talks with Dr. Nirav Shah - a household name in Maine, as he is the Director of the Maine Center for Disease Control.  However, the "C-word" (COVID-19) is not discussed in this interview, as the topic of their conversation is Quincy, Dr. Shah's family dog. 

This virtual author event was hosted by Adult Services Librarian Pamela Bobker, and was held on Zoom and Facebook Live on September 15, 2020

In this program, Carolyn discussed her most recent novel Death at a Séance and played several jazz songs on the piano, which she tied in with her description of the book. There are no spoilers in her talk, so don't worry if you haven't read the book!

Carolyn Marie Wilkins is an author, a musician and a psychic medium.  She is the author of three mystery novels: Death at a Séance, Melody for Murder and Mojo for Murder. Carolyn's nonfiction work includes They Raised Me Up: A Black Single Mother and the Women Who Inspired Her;Damn Near White: An African American Family's Rise from Slavery to Bittersweet Success, and Tips For Singers: Performing, Auditioning, Rehearsing. As a musician, Carolyn has performed with the Pittsburgh Symphony and represented her country as a Jazz Ambassador for the U.S. State Department.  In addition, Carolyn maintains an active private practice as a psychic medium and Reiki healer. 

Library Director Liz Doucett talks about how libraries are adapting to meet the needs of our communities during the COVID pandemic, how our focus on sustainability has helped us in this effort, and how this adaptation will likely continue after the pandemic. 

Tech Guru Bryan Hoppe discusses the importance of updating your devices, avoiding problems or scams, and some tools to make the process simpler. 

Wynter talks indie publishers, why their books aren't always found in the library, and getting books of poetry in the mail through a subscription to Ugly Duckling Presse. Links to publishers and other things in this episode can be found in this blog post. 

Note: "I want to live like a snail, wrapped in gauze" by Elena Fainalova, translated by Genya Turovskaya and Stephanie Sandler, was first published in The Russian Version (Ugly Duckling Presse, 2009). Permission was given via the publisher for the reading of this poem in this episode. 

Adult Services Librarian Pamela talks with patron Jeanne Baker Stinson about romance novels.  We give a variety of suggestions for fans of romance and for people interested in trying one for the first time.

Bryan's Tech Tip segment talks about the importance of backing up your devices and gives advice on developing a backup plan. 

Teen Librarian Melissa interviews Micah Pietraho, a rising Brunswick High School Senior. They discuss the challenges and opportunities of distance learning and socializing during the COVID pandemic, and the potential historical significance of this moment in time. 

Adult Services Librarian Pamela and Reference Assistant Jamie talk about what to read next if you enjoyed The Martian by Andy Weir, and Tech Guru Bryan recommends a few tech blogs that he reads to keep up-to-date. 

Director Liz Doucett talks with the director of the Topsham (Maine) Public Library, Susan Preece, and the director of Merrill Memorial Library (Yarmouth, Maine), Heidi Grimm. They discuss what it's like to be a public library director in Maine, and how our libraries are navigating he COVID-19 pandemic. 

In the first segment, Wynter recommends reading you can't find at Curtis- the magazine Lapham's Quarterly. In the second segment, Bryan discusses the importance of passwords, and how to more easily and effectively manage them. 

Joyce interviews Brunswick author and editor Kate Egan, and her family dog, Tony. They talk about how Tony came to join the family, and about Kate's editing work on the newest Hunger Games book, The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, by Suzanne Collins.