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Collage Poetry Workshop

Join Annie Ellis, The Community Library’s Writer-In-Residence at the Hemingway House, for a generative workshop that combines poetry and the art of collage. All materials will be provided. Ellis is a graduate Creative Writing student at the University of Denver, as well as a fiction writer, outdoor enthusiast, and avid sewist. Registration required. Open to teens and adults. The workshop will be held at the Library’s Wood River Museum of History and Culture on 4th Street.

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Peaks, Personal Growth and the Almost Impossible

Peaks, Personal Growth and the Almost Impossible: The pains and gains from one man’s solo and unsupported challenge of running 5 trail marathons, in 5 consecutive days, in 5 different countries through the Alps. David Grange is a performance and mindset coach who helps individuals and teams achieve their biggest and most exciting goals. He lives in Hailey, Idaho, with his wife and four young kids and teaches early morning seminary to high school juniors and seniors. He grew up in Anchorage, Alaska, and has a wide range of outdoor passions. He’s known for his multi-sport sufferfests (bike-ski-packraft), his contagious optimism and overall stoke on life. This program will be livestreamed, and a recording will be available to view later. Register at www.comlib.org to save your seat.

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To Taste Life Twice: JESS WALTER

To kick off the 2024 To Taste Life Twice seminar at The Community Library, we are joined by National Book Award finalist and winner of the Edgar Allan Poe Award, Jess Walter. This opening keynote program is open to the general public, but registration is required as seating is limited. Registration opens on April 1. The event will also be livestreamed. Jess Walter is the best-selling author of seven novels, including “Beautiful Ruins” and “The Cold Millions,” as well as two book of short stories and one nonfiction book. His work has been translated into 34 languages, and his fiction has been selected three times for Best American Short Stories, as well as the Pushcart Prize and Best American Nonrequired Reading. His stories, essays and journalism have appeared in, Harper’s, Esquire, Playboy, McSweeney’s, Tin House, Ploughshares, the New York Times, the Washington Post and many others. To Taste Life Twice is an annual, three-day that is offered free of charge for local and visiting writers. The seminar features writing workshops with esteemed Idaho writers, an opening keynote from a guest author, and a closing storytelling event where writers of all levels are invited to share their work. The event is …

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Hemingway Distinguished Lecture: JOY HARJO

The annual Hemingway Distinguished Lecture is presented each July by The Community Library, honoring the month of Ernest Hemingway’s birth and death. The event celebrates the power of words and the creative spirit in a landscape that Hemingway loved. This year, The Community Library welcomes JOY HARJO, who in 2019 was appointed the 23rd United States Poet Laureate: the first Native American to hold the position and only the second person to serve three terms in the role. Harjo’s ten books of poetry include Weaving Sundown in a Scarlett Light, An American Sunrise, Conflict Resolution for Holy Beings, How We Became Human: New and Selected Poems, and She Had Some Horses. She is also the author of two memoirs, Crazy Brave and Poet Warrior, which invites us to travel along the heartaches, losses, and humble realizations of her “poet-warrior” road. She has edited several anthologies of Native American writing including When the Light of the World was Subdued, Our Songs Came Through — A Norton Anthology of Native Nations Poetry, and Living Nations, Living Words, the companion anthology to her signature poet laureate project. Her many writing awards include the 2022 Ivan Sandrof Lifetime Achievement Award, the 2019 Jackson Prize from Poets …

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Churchill and Ireland with Lee Pollock

The Misunderstood Relationship Between Britain’s Greatest Statesman and the Emerald Isle, presented by acclaimed Churchill speaker and popular Community Library presenter Lee Pollock, Director and Senior Advisor to the Board of The International Churchill Society. Registration is recommended to save your seat. This program will be livestreamed and available to view later. Image from the cover of Churchill and Ireland by Paul Bew, Oxford University Press (2016).

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“Homelessness Is a Housing Problem” with Gregg Colburn

In their book “Homelessness Is a Housing Problem: How Structural Factors Explain U.S. Patterns,” Gregg Colburn and Clayton Page Aldern seek to explain the substantial regional variation in rates of homelessness in cities across the United States. In a departure from many analytical approaches, Colburn and Aldern shift their focus from the individual experiencing homelessness to the metropolitan area. Using accessible statistical analysis, they test a range of conventional beliefs about what drives the prevalence of homelessness in a given city—including mental illness, drug use, poverty, weather, generosity of public assistance, and low-income mobility—and find that none explain the regional variation observed across the country. Instead, housing market conditions, such as the cost and availability of rental housing, offer a far more convincing account. With rigor and clarity, “Homelessness Is a Housing Problem” explores U.S. cities’ diverse experiences with housing precarity and offers policy solutions for unique regional contexts. In partnership with the City of Ketchum, Blaine County Housing Authority, and Spur Community Foundation. Gregg Colburn is an Associate Professor in the Runstad Department of Real Estate in the College of Built Environments at the University of Washington. He publishes research on topics related to housing and homelessness and is …

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The Latest in Alzheimer’s and Dementia Research

Alzheimer’s is an escalating health crisis. More than 6 million Americans are living with the disease and over 11 million individuals are their caregivers. Tremendous gains have been made in understanding the science and basic biology underlying Alzheimer’s and other dementias. These advances are leading to great strides in strategies for prevention, detection, diagnostics and therapeutic interventions. Join us to learn more about: – The landscape of Alzheimer’s and dementia science – Risk factors for Alzheimer’s and all other dementia – Highlights in early detection and diagnosis – Recent advances in clinical trials, treatments and lifestyle interventions Presenter Alexis Bonoff is the Community Outreach Manager and Research Champion for the Washington and Northern Idaho Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association. She runs education programs, support groups and manages volunteers throughout Southeast and Central Washington from the office in the Tri-cities. Alexis also presents the updates for the latest research throughout the region. The Alzheimer’s Assocation is a global leader in research, mobilizing the field to advance the vision of a world without Alzheimer’s and all other dementias.

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How To Talk So Kids Will Listen

Are you getting worn down by morning mayhem, bedtime battles, sibling scuffles, dawdling and defiance? Do you try to avoid using threats, bribes and punishments, but find yourself using them anyway, just to survive the day? Would you like to learn practical and effective methods that will make life with children easier and more satisfying? Presented in partnership with the Pioneer Montessori School, come hear best-selling author Julie King introduce parents of children ages two to twelve to the language that reduces conflict, strengthens connection, and promotes cooperation between adults and children. Julie will join us virtually over Zoom, and attendees will gather in the Library’s Lecture Hall to hear from Julie and engage in short breakouts to practice techniques. A Q&A with Julie will follow. Space is limited to 40 attendees, and registration is required. The program will also be livestreamed. For anyone who finds themselves locked in a power struggle with children or wondering how to manage a tricky situation (in other words, everybody at one time or another), this presentation demonstrates truly practical methods to use humor, creativity and respect, instead of bribes, threats and punishments, to engage the cooperation of children. How To Talk is at …

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Idaho Centennial Trail

Join Idaho Trails Association’s ICT Ambassador, Clay Jacobson, for a discussion on Idaho’s thousand-mile, long-distance hike. Past and present hikers are encouraged to come and join the conversation as we explore the history and future of this unparalleled wilderness route. Clay hiked the ICT in 2015 and has since been working with Idaho Trails Association to help address the trail’s maintenance and management issues. In addition to helping many potential hikers with planning and information, he is now coordinating with ITA, the Forest Service, and Idaho State Parks and Rec to connect with the hiking community and lead boots-on-the-ground trailwork projects. Whether you are preparing for your own journey, want to join Idaho Trails Association on an ICT trail project, or just an interested spectator, bring your comments and questions for a night of celebrating the ICT.