Menu

kennebunkport events

AUTHOR EVENT – DAVID ROHDE – NOVEMBER 9 @ 4:00 PM

We are pleased to welcome Pulitzer Prize Winning Author and Maine native David Rohde to the Louis T. Graves Memorial Public Library on Saturday, November 9 @ 4:00 p.m. Mr. Rohde will be interviewed by author and associate editor for the Washington Post, David Maraniss. Rohde’s book (published August 2024), Where Tyranny Begins: The Justice Department, the FBI, and the War Against Democracy will be featured in the discussion. 

A suggested donation of $25 would be appreciated. Please stop by the Library or call (207) 967-2778 to reserve your seat. You may also purchase your ticket through our website (www.graveslibrary.org/support).  A wine and cheese reception and book signing will follow. The Library is located at 18 Maine Street, Kennebunkport, Maine. Parking is available at Consolidated School (School Street) or the Village Fire Station (North Street). 

A ride shuttle will be provided by Kennebunkport Recreation from Consolidated School from 3:15 to 3:45 p.m. and return from 6:00 to 6:30 pm after the program.

 

David S. Rohde is an investigative journalist and American author. He is the former news director for The New Yorker and now serves as Senior Executive Editor, National Security for NBC News. While a reporter for The Christian Science Monitor, he won the Pulitzer Prize for International Reporting in 1996 for his coverage of the Srebrenica massacre. From 2002 to 2005, he was co-chief of the New York Times’ South Asia Bureau. He later contributed to the newspaper’s team coverage of Afghanistan and Pakistan that received the 2009 Pulitzer Prize for International Reporting, and was a finalist in his own right in the category in 2010. He is also a global affairs analyst for CNN.

While in Afghanistan, Rohde was kidnapped by members of the Taliban in November 2008 but managed to escape in June 2009 after seven months of captivity. His publications include  Endgame: The Betrayal and Fall of Srebrenica, Europe’s Worst Massacre Since World War II; A Safe Area: Srebrenica – Europe’s Worst Massacre Since the Holocaust, 1997;  A Rope and a Prayer: A Kidnapping from Two Sides; In Deep: The FBI, the CIA, and the Truth about America’s “Deep State” and Where Tyranny Begins: The Justice Department, the FBI, and the War Against Democracy.

David Maraniss is a New York Times bestselling author and associate editor at The Washington Post. He has won two Pulitzer Prizes for journalism and was a finalist three other times. Among his bestselling books are biographies of Bill Clinton, Barack Obama, Roberto Clemente, Jim Thorpe and Vince Lombardi, and a trilogy about the 1960s. He currently lives in Washington D.C. and Madison, Wisconsin.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

BOB DENNIS & TOM BRADBURY – DECEMBER 3 @ 4:00 PM

REFLECTIONS AT THE LIBRARY – BOOK SIGNING AND HOMEMADE CLAM CHOWDER

We hope to see you here at the Graves Library for a special Prelude book signing on Tuesday, December 3 at 4:00 pm in the Community Room.  Local favorites, Bob Dennis and Tom Bradbury will discuss and sign copies of their new book Reflections: Four Seasons of Beauty in Kennebunkport, Volume II. The book features 200 photos of Kennebunkport by award-winning photographer Bob Dennis. The photographs are accompanied by thought-provoking quotations selected by Tom Bradbury. Light refreshments will be served. Parking is available along Maine Street, the Fire Station Parking Lot (North Street), and Consolidated School (Route 9).

 

The Louis T. Graves Memorial Public Library is located at 18 Maine Street, Kennebunkport. For further information, please call 967-2778 or visit our website at www.graveslibrary.org.

2 TOPIC CLASS WITH LOU SALOME

TOPIC 1. American society in the 1940s, ’50s, and ’60s through the eyes of Number 42, Jackie Robinson. The core of this class is baseball in New York City and the United States during those three decades, but the story is as much about American society and American history, as it is about baseball.

Noon to 2 p.m. on Tuesday, October 8 Graves Library

Topic 2: Afghanistan — all you didn’t know about the country and the longest war in United States history. I’ll tell that story from personal experience and Afghanistan’s history, complete with a burqa (burka), a Taliban turban, and a Tajik-style Pakul (hat), each of which you can touch and wear.

noon to 2  Tuesdays — October 15, 22 and 29 Graves Library

Your Instructor:  Lou Salome

Lou is the author of “Violence, Veils and Bloodlines: Reporting from War zones in Europe, Asia and Africa”. He earned a BS from the College of the Holy Cross and a MA from Boston College. He is a retired COX Newspapers reporter who has covered the conflicts in Pakistan, Afghanistan and the Middle East.

Online registration is required; please visit: https://south-coast-senior-college.coursestorm.com/course/2-topics-jackie-robinson-the-longest-war-in-us-history-the-logest-war

or call South Coast Senior College at 274-3105.

The Louis T. Graves Memorial Public Library is located at 18 Maine Street, Kennebunkport. For further information, please call 967-2778 or visit our website at www.graveslibrary.org.

MAINE AUTHOR SHANNON BUTLER – DECEMBER 12 @ 5:30 PM

SHANNON BUTLER – DECEMBER 12 AT 5:30 PM

To help us celebrate Christmas Prelude in the perfect literary fashion, Maine Author Shannon Butler will be here at the Graves Library on Thursday, December 12 at 5:30 pm to sign copies of her book All is Calm: a Maine Christmas Reader.

 

When many people think of Christmas, they dream of snow-covered pine trees and a small cabin warmed by the wood fire on a cold December day. Since Maine was founded, people have written stories about the joys of Christmas in the state. In times of hardship and in times of wealth, Maine and her people have always put the value of Christmas in time shared with family and friends, connections with the natural world, rich traditions, and warm wood stoves. In a collection featuring essays, stories, and poetry, All Is Calm is a look at the lives of Mainers during the holidays from the mid-1800s, to the Great Depression, to modern day. Spanning nearly 200 years, these stories show that while Christmas traditions and trends may be changing, the warmth, gratitude, and humility of the Maine spirit is evergreen. [Islandport Press].  A perfect gift for the holidays or a special treat for yourself!

The Library is located at 18 Maine Street, Kennebunkport.  Please call for more information on this event and other Prelude festivities (967-2778).   Parking is available along Maine Street, the North Street Fire Station Parking Lot, and Consolidated School (Route 9).

 

MAINE AUTHOR IRENE DRAGO – OCTOBER 5 @ 2:00 PM

THE PATSY BRAY MAHONEY LECTURE SERIES PRESENTS

Maine Author Irene Drago will be here at the Graves Library on Saturday, October 5 at 2:00 pm to talk about her passion for writing and the sea.

Born in the shadow of the Brooklyn Bridge, Irene M. Drago developed a keen interest in every kind of watercraft at an early age. Before moving to Maine, she worked for the Defense Department as a Russian analyst, earned a Master of Arts degree in Spanish language and literature, and taught at the high school and college level. Her debut novel, Daughters of Long Reach, was a 2018 Next Generation Indie Book Awards Winner, First Novel and led to a sequel, The Maine Point. More recently, Lavinia Wren and the Sailmakers is a 2023 Next Generation Indie Book Awards Finalist, Regional Fiction. If Drago isn’t penning a story, you’re apt to find her giving a shipyard tour at Maine Maritime Museum or leading a creative writing workshop. But in fair weather, there’s a good chance you’ll find her piloting her Maritime Skiff on Casco Bay.

Copies of Ms. Drago’s books will be available for sale and signing after the discussion.

Light refreshments will be provided by the Graves Library Snack Team.  Please call the Library for more information on this event and the rest of the series (967-2778).   Parking is available along Maine Street, the North Street Fire Station Parking Lot, and Consolidated School (Route 9).

The Graves Library is located at 18 Maine Street, Kennebunkport, Maine.  Please enter through the white door in the Parking Lot.

PLANTING FOR CLIMATE RESILIENCE – MAY 8 @ 5:30 PM

PLANTING FOR CLIMATE RESILIENCE IN NORTHEAST LANDSCAPES

WEDNESDAY, MAY 8 AT 5:30 PM

Together with our Friends of Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge, we are very excited to be hosting members of the Wild Seed Project. In addition to helping to sustain vital pollinators, birds, and other wildlife, native plantings offer countless other benefits that are indispensable in the age of climate change. When created and maintained with ecologically attuned landscaping practices, they can minimize flooding and storm water runoff, shade and cool cities, survive droughts, and facilitate carbon storage more effectively than the landscapes dominated by turf and mulch that blanket so many of our communities.

Andrea Berry from the Wild Seed Project will talk about the actions you can take to make your corner of the world more biodiverse and resilient to the effects of climate change. Andrea joined Wild Seed Project as the organization’s Executive Director in 2021. She also serves on the Board of Directors at Momentum Conservation and Resources for Organizing and Social Change.

Colin McKevitt, Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge Biological Technician, will address habitat management and native species planting. This includes shrubland habitats, salt marsh field surveying and restoration, and monitoring and managing invasive species. Colin is a key member of the Refuge team and is the manager of the Refuge native plant greenhouse. He instructs interns as well as community volunteers.

Copies of the publication “Planting for Climate Resilience” will be available for sale.

The Louis T. Graves Memorial Public Library is located at 18 Maine Street, Kennebunkport. For further information, please call 967-2778 or visit our website at www.graveslibrary.org.

SECRET GARDENS OF THE KENNEBUNKS – JULY 13 – 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

According to Cicero, “if you have a garden and a library, you have everything you need.”

 

Purchase tickets at Consolidated School on Saturday, July 13

 

We are very pleased to announce that Graves Library’s Secret Gardens of the Kennebunks will be held again on Saturday, July 13, 2024, from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. (rain or shine). Six homeowners have agreed to open their private gardens for this one day only to help raise money for the Library. Tickets are $40 each. “Day-of” tickets will only be available for sale at Consolidated School.

On the day of the event, ticket holders should begin at Kennebunkport Consolidated School, 25 School Street, to pick up their map and any instructions.

A detailed map revealing the secret locations of the six participating properties will be provided to all ticket holders on the day of the tours. Visitors will be treated to a wide variety of garden styles and plant types amid lovely natural settings hidden from view behind stone walls, seaside cottages, and privacy hedges. Volunteers will be located at each garden to help with questions and where to park.

This year, we are also offering a special addition to the tour. If you are looking for a delicious option for lunch, our friends from Texas Grace will be here with their food truck. We encourage you to use the bathrooms and shop at our pop-up garden boutique. Other bathroom options are located behind Alisson’s Restaurant in Dock Square.

All proceeds for this event benefit the Graves Memorial Public Library. Please call us with any questions. (207) 967-2778.

 

WORLD WAR 1 CLASS WITH LOU SALOME

How World War I and Its Aftermath Created the Modern Middle East with Lou Salome on Wednesday, April 10, 17 & 24, 12-2 PM

First and foremost, there is a series of secret, duplicitous, and contradictory agreements that couldn’t be untangled and create lasting distrust. Imperialists (Britain and France) groped for more as old empires (namely, Ottoman) died. Add to that international intrigue (The League of Nations mandates — to the victors belong the spoils) conflicting with the promised but denied self-determination of some peoples, all mixed in with American isolationism. In the ashes of this explosive mix were many Arab peoples whom the West incredibly robbed of the opportunity to create their democracies. All of this is from a time when oil was barely mentioned. Online registration is required; please visit https://south-coast-senior-college.coursestorm.com or call South Coast Senior College at 274-3105.

 

The Louis T. Graves Memorial Public Library is located at 18 Maine Street, Kennebunkport. For further information, please call 967-2778 or visit our website at www.graveslibrary.org.

MAINE ARTIST WADE ZAHARES – SEPTEMBER 14 @ 2:00 PM

THE PATSY BRAY MAHONEY LECTURE SERIES PRESENTS

We are so excited to invite the very talented Maine Artist Wade Zahares to Graves Library on Saturday, September 14 at 2 PM.

Wade works exclusively in pastels; he is drawn to the intimacy of the chalk and the ease with which he can blend colors. The magic happens in his studio, a converted shed just off his main house. The studio, equipped with 15-foot ceilings and a house gutter to catch all the pastel dust, is set on 5 1/2 acres of farmland in Lyman, Maine, just a few miles from the Kennebunk farm on which he grew up. When Wade needs a break, he goes for a drive to soak up the New England landscape—his biggest inspiration—or tends to his flowers, gardens, and fruit trees. Then he returns to his studio, refreshed and ready to make more magic.

Wade will be here to talk about his work and his passion and demonstrate how he goes about his craft.

Light refreshments will be provided by the Graves Library Snack Team. Please call the Library for more information on this event and the rest of the series (967-2778).

Parking is available along Maine Street, the North Street Fire Station Parking Lot, and Consolidated School (Route 9).

The Graves Library is located at 18 Maine Street, Kennebunkport, Maine. Please enter through the white door in the Parking Lot.

JOURNALIST SHANNON MULLEN AND GUEST GOVERNOR JANET MILLS – NOVEMBER 5 – 2:00 PM

We hope you will join us on Sunday, November 5 at  2:00 p.m. for a very special event.  Journalist Shannon Mullen will be here (with a special appearance by Governor Janet Mills) to talk about her book  In Other Words, Leadership:  How a Young Mother’s Weekly Letters to Her Governor Helped Both Women Brave the First Pandemic Year.

 

This trip to the “Vacationland” of Maine — where the state motto is I Lead — offers an inspiring tale of civility and purpose, of doing the right thing and not just surviving, but prevailing.

The first woman to serve as Governor of Maine, Janet Mills, had been in office a year when COVID-19 reached the United States. The recently-widowed 72-year-old wrote in her journal there is “no playbook for a pandemic” as she imposed unprecedented restrictions on her state.

When early support for the governor’s response curdled to rampant opposition, a young mother named Ashirah Knapp sent a letter of support from a remote homestead in the woods of Maine. Ashirah’s handwritten dispatch detailed how the public health emergency was upending her family’s life and livelihood, and she promised to keep writing “every week until we are through this time” to remind the governor how many Mainers supported her despite the disruption.

Ashirah’s letters, with their simple wisdom and striking penmanship, stood out in a flood of correspondence Governor Mills was receiving that ranged in tone from appreciative to furious. They helped keep her grounded as she made wrenching, often unpopular choices.

Shannon A. Mullen weaves from these two women’s letters and the governor’s journal, which were never intended for publication, an intimate and compelling true story that is a celebration of civility and compassion in the face of rancor and of resolve in the face of adversity.

Copies of the book will be for sale.  Light refreshments will be served.  Doors open at 1:30.    Parking available at the Village Fire Station (North Street) and Consolidated School (Route 9).  Please call (207) 967-2778 for more information.

Governor Janet Mills:

Janet Trafton Mills is the 75th Governor of Maine and the first woman elected to that office. She was sworn in for her second consecutive term in January 2023 after winning re-election, having earned more votes than any previous Maine governor. She was also the first governor since 1970 to be elected with a majority of the vote, in her case for both terms. Under her leadership during the global COVID-19 pandemic Maine had one of the highest vaccination rates and lowest death rates in the US, as well as one of the strongest economic recoveries among the states. Governor Mills previously served as Maine’s first female Attorney General and its first woman district attorney, as well as in the state’s House of Representatives. She is step-mother to her late husband’s five daughters and a grandmother of five.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Author Shannon Mullen:

Shannon A. Mullen is a journalist, author, screenwriter and film producer, playwright and podcast host. She grew up in the White Mountains and Lakes Region of New Hampshire and studied pre-veterinary medicine at UNH after misinterpreting her love of storytelling, inspired by James Herriot’s books, as an inclination toward animal husbandry. She then earned a graduate degree in broadcast journalism at Boston University. Shannon went on to report for national programs on public radio for two decades, including Marketplace, Morning Edition and All Things Considered. Her print journalism has been published by The New Yorker, The Boston Globe and Boston Magazine, among other outlets. She is also developing multiple projects for the screen and stage through her production company Broad Reach.

1 2