Upcoming Programming at the Talbot County Free Library during the week of 4/20-26/14:
The Poetry of Place at the Library
On Monday, April 21, at 6:30 p.m., in the Easton branch of the Talbot County Free Library, Bill Peak will host his annual poetry discussion in celebration of National Poetry Month. This year the poems under discussion will focus on the idea of what “place”—whether it be home, coastline, or a campsite in Greece—means to us. Patrons can pick up a copy of the 7 poems to be discussed at either branch of the library, or they can request a copy from Bill Peak at mcpeak@tcfl.org and he will e-mail them one. All library programs are free and open to the public. Patrons do not need to pre-register for this program. For more information, call the library at 410-822-1626, or visit www.tcfl.org.
Contact: Bill Peak, telephone: 410-822-1626
Local Pulitzer Prize-Nominated Poet to Speak at Library
On Thursday, April 24, at 6:30 p.m., in the Easton branch of the Talbot County Free Library, poet and teacher Sue Ellen Thompson will speak on the extraordinary friendship that developed between the poets Robert Frost and Edward Thomas during the years leading up to World War I. Frost had just moved to England with his family when he met Thomas, an English writer then known primarily for his nonfiction and biographies. The two men were close in age and soon, with their wives, became fast friends. They both rented houses in the same rural area and got in the habit of taking long walks together. It is said that the famous Frost poem, “The Road Not Taken,” was written about Thomas. It was with Frost’s encouragement that Thomas decided to try his hand at poetry, which he did with considerable success. Sadly, the two men’s friendship was cut short by Thomas’s untimely death in France, in April of 1917, a casualty of World War I.
Thompson’s program will trace the course of a literary friendship and the poems that came out of it, which will be read and discussed. The three years that Frost spent in England represent a turning point in his career as a poet, and although the war forced him to return to the United States, he did so with two published books and a reputation that would continue to grow. But he never found another friend like Edward Thomas, whom he often referred to as “the only brother I ever had.”
Sue Ellen Thompson is the author of four books of poetry, with a fifth book to be published in October 2014. She is the editor of a major anthology of contemporary American poetry and has taught at several universities, among them Middlebury, Central Connecticut State University, Binghamton University, and the University of Delaware. She was the Robert Frost Fellow at the Bread Loaf Writers’ Conference in Vermont and spent a summer as resident poet at The Frost Place in Franconia, NH. Her work has been read on NPR by Garrison Keillor and featured in the Best American Poetry series. In 2010 she received the Maryland Author Award from the Maryland Library Association. Her poetry has twice been nominated for a Pulitzer Prize. Thompson lives and writes in Oxford, MD.
Thompson’s presentation at the library is made possible by a generous grant from the Talbot County Arts Council, with funds from the Talbot County Council and the Towns of Easton and Oxford. All library programs are free and open to the public. Patrons do not need to pre-register for this program. For more information, call the library at 410-822-1626, or visit www.tcfl.org.
Contact: Bill Peak, telephone: 410-822-1626, or visit www.tcfl.org
Celebrate International Migratory Bird Day at the Library!
On Saturday, April 26, from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., the Easton branch of the Talbot County Free Library, in partnership with the Pickering Creek Audubon Center, will celebrate International Migratory Bird Day with a day-long program of guest speakers, urban bird walks, live birds of prey, and games and crafts for all ages. A highlight of the day will be a presentation by Prof. Teena Gorrow, of Salisbury University, and eagle/raptor biologist Craig Koppie, of the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, on their new book, “Inside a Bald Eagle’s Nest: A Photographic Journey Through the Bald Eagle Nesting Season.” Gorrow and Koppie’s book, released late last year, is a finalist for the prestigious 2014 Green Earth Book Award. All library programs are free and open to the public. Patrons do not need to pre-register for International Migratory Bird Day. For more information, call the library at 410-822-1626, or visit www.tcfl.org.
Contact: Bill Peak, telephone: 410-822-1626, or visit www.tcfl.org
Note: Information on the presentation by authors Gorrow and Koppie on their book “Inside a Bald Eagle’s Nest: A Photographic Journey Through the Bald Eagle Nesting Season” follows:
Title of Presentation
National Treasure: The Majestic Bald Eagle
Presentation Description
Through rare photographs and the sharing of personal stories, get an inside view of the American bald eagle, its recovery, and its nesting behavior.
Presenters
Teena Ruark Gorrow and Craig A. Koppie
Bios
Teena Ruark Gorrow, professor of Teacher Education at Salisbury University, began her career in education more than 30 years ago as a teacher and administrator with Talbot County Public Schools. In addition to instructing graduate and undergraduate courses in classroom management and education foundations, her scholarly pursuits have resulted in a dozens of professional publications including co-authoring the award-winning book, The ABC’s of Wellness for Teachers. Named Excellent Educator by Kappa Delta Pi International Honor Society in Education and Outstanding Faculty Member of the Year by Salisbury University’s Student Government Association, Gorrow is the recipient of a host of distinguished honors including Talbot County’s Teacher of the Year.
A native of Maryland’s Eastern Shore, Gorrow has felt a deep appreciation for wildlife and the environment since childhood, longs to inspire others toward species and habitat protection, and hopes to inspire in children a sense of environmental stewardship. When eagle nest cams started popping up on the Internet a few years ago, she saw the need for an educational tool and decided to write a book about the bald eagle’s nesting behaviors.
Craig A. Koppie, an eagle/raptor biologist and an eagle spokesperson for the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS) Chesapeake Bay Field Office, has amassed an extensive 30-year work history with bald eagle research and recovery initiatives. Koppie’s dedication to safeguarding America’s bird has resulted in an array of prestigious USFWS awards including the Eagle Award, Recovery Champion Award, and Accomplishment of the Year Recognition, as well as the Department of the Army Commander’s Award for Civilian Service. Koppie’s wealth of experiences as an eagle expert has placed him alongside prominent national figures. During a prestigious White House ceremony to commemorate America’s freedom and the resurgence of the national emblem, Koppie joined former President Bill Clinton to release a rehabilitated two-year old bald eagle into the wild which had recovered from injury in a raptor rehabilitation center.
Uniting his love for the outdoors and interest in flying, Koppie embraced the study, banding, and photography of raptors and falconry at a young age. He revels in unveiling the secrets of the raptors’ world to ultimately help others understand the ways in which all living things are uniquely connected.
Coming Together to Write the Book: Gorrow and Koppie join their passion for bald eagles and enjoyment of wildlife photography to capture the remarkable behaviors of America’s national symbol during nesting season in their new book, Inside a Bald Eagle’s Nest, released by Schiffer Publishing in December 2013. Featuring 160 unique photographs, the book presents a factual and rare glimpse into the nesting behaviors of the Chesapeake Bay bald eagle. It illustrates how eagles select their nest site, construct and gather nest materials, forage for prey, ward off intruders, and care for their young. Gorrow and Koppie also function as their book’s photographers.
Special Note: Inside a Bald Eagle’s Nest is a finalist for the 2014 Green Earth Book Award to be presented in September 2014 by The Nature Generation.
Book Signing
Gorrow and Koppie will sign copies of Inside a Bald Eagle’s Nest which will be available for purchase following their presentation at the Talbot County Free Library.