Join The Community Library for a poetry reading, followed by an open mic for local poets and poetry lovers, with Daiva Chesonis, a November Writer-in-Residence at the Hemingway House. During the first half of the program, Daiva will channel the coming season of short days and long nights with words that are brisk and crisp like a November wind, followed by a brief discussion about her work. The second half hour will be an open mic event where local poets are invited to share 1-2 poems, and lovers of poetry are invited to read 1 of their favorite poems. Please keep your time at the mic to three minutes or less. Daiva Chesonis was the San Miguel County Poet Laureate in southwestern Colorado from 2019 to 2022. She has been a snowboard instructor, Art Director at Telluride Magazine, a traveling minstrel for Mountainfilm on Tour, and is currently the producer of Music on the Mesa, a free outdoor community concert series. She was co-owner of Between the Covers Bookstore in Telluride for over a decade, during which time she co-founded the Telluride Literary Arts Festival. She has served on the Boards of Norwood Park & Recreation District and Telluride AIDS ...

Join filmmaker and journalist Reed Lindsay for a sneak preview of "Teresita’s Dream," a soon-to-be released documentary about an inspiring Cuban scientist who has developed a potentially game-changing treatment for Alzheimer’s. Reed is the founder of Belly of the Beast, a groundbreaking media outlet that produces bold, cinematic journalism from inside Cuba. "Teresita's Dream" (23 minutes, Spanish with subtitles) tells the story of Cuban scientist Teresita Rodríguez and her struggle to find a medication to help her mother with Alzheimer’s. What begins as a personal journey leads to a discovery that could change how the world treats this devastating disease forever. In addition to the screening of "Teresita’s Dream," Reed will share several other short videos and first-hand accounts of Cuba, including stories about Cuban entrepreneurs defying U.S. stereotypes, young people from the U.S. studying medicine in Havana, and the impact of U.S. policy on the Cuban people. This program offers a rare, on-the-ground perspective from someone who has lived and reported in Cuba for years. Join us to view some of Belly of the Beast’s award-winning work and take part in an insightful discussion about the realities — and possibilities — of U.S.-Cuba relations. Registration recommended to join us ...