Blog: Author: Jean Slavkovsky

VIRTUAL Story Time for Adults!
Friday Folk and Fairy Tales at 12:15PM

Posted on by Jean Slavkovsky

Join us Friday, June 26th at 12:15pm for the reading of a new fairy tale, “Reeling for the Empire” from Vampires in the Lemon Grove by Karen Russell. This story is not recommended for children. A link will be posted here for the Zoom meeting 15 minutes before the event.

“Fairy tales are more than true: not because they tell us that dragons exist, but because they tell us that dragons can be beaten.” ~ Neil Gaiman* Coraline

The pandemic has presented us with new challenges and exacerbated old ones. Folk and fairy tales do not merely entertain us, but teach and remind us that we can conquer whatever we face and help quell our fears and anxieties. As we are faced with new obstacles we also need new fairy tales. On these summer Fridays, we will be sharing a combination of old and new folk and fairy tales to aid our community in overcoming the challenges we face today.

*Paraphrasing of G.K. Chesterton’s Red Angel: “Fairy tales, then, are not responsible for producing in children fear, or any of the shapes of fear; fairy tales do not give the child the idea of the evil or the ugly; that is in the child already, because it is in the world already. Fairy tales do not give the child his first idea of bogey. What fairy tales give the child is his first clear idea of the possible defeat of bogey. The baby has known the dragon intimately ever since he had an imagination. What the fairy tale provides for him is a St. George to kill the dragon.”

VIRTUAL Lunch Break Book Chat
Thursday, June 25th 12:15PM

Posted on by Jean Slavkovsky

Missed the book chat? Check out what staff and patrons recommended: Recommended Books

Take a break and join Librarian Jean for a casual discussion of what everyone’s been reading and find your next great read!

This program will be conducted via Zoom. The link will be posted fifteen minutes before the event in the “Upcoming Events” listing to the right of our homepage, maldenpubliclibrary.org, and in our Events Google Calendar. This program will not be recorded.

Mental Health Awareness in the Time of COVID-19

Posted on by Jean Slavkovsky

May is Mental Health Awareness Month and in light of COVID-19, nurturing our mental health has become even more necessary. We have highlighted some of the mental health challenges that have been exacerbated by the pandemic by providing books, audiobooks, movies, websites, and hotlines. We hope these resources will increase understanding of mental health and help you cope.

Hotlines, Mental Health, and Neurodiversity
Mental Health Ebooks for Children
Resources to Support Mental Health in Children
Mental Health Books and Resources for Teens
Mental Health Awareness Movie Recommendations
Stress, Anxiety, and Depression: Books and Resources
Loneliness and Connection: Books and Resources
PTSD, Trauma, and Recovery Resources
Racism and Bullying: Mental Health Consequences and Resources
Grieving: Books and Resources
Addiction and Recovery: Books and Resources

POSTPONED: Thursday, March 26th 6:30PM Gardening Program: Attracting Birds, Butterflies, and Other Beneficials

Posted on by Jean Slavkovsky

“Attracting Birds, Butterflies, and Other Beneficials,” a 90 minute presentation about welcoming pollinators and other beneficial wildlife, will be offered by naturalist and landscaper John Root at 6:30 PM on Thursday, March 26th. Free; perennials for edible landscaping and attracting birds, butterflies, and other beneficial wildlife will be offered for sale.

This program is supported in part by the Malden Cultural Council, a local agency which is supported by the Massachusetts Cultural Council, a state agency.

“The Miracle Flower”:
Learn Pastels with Gregory Maichack
Thursday, March 12th 6-8PM

Posted on by Jean Slavkovsky

Learn the art of pastels with artist Gregory Maichack in this adult art workshop. Call 781-324-0218 to sign up. Space is limited.

In this new, highly researched two-hour workshop, participants have fun producing their own pastel painting inspired by Georgia O’Keeffe’s enormous mural, The Miracle Flower, which Elizabeth Arden, the cosmetics mogul, commissioned her to paint in 1936.

Gregory Maichack is a seasoned pro at teaching pastel techniques, as recognized by the Museum of Fine Arts (MFA) Boston; Massachusetts Cultural Council (MCC), and hundreds of libraries and local cultural councils. He guides participants through the process with everything they need to know to pastel paint any subject. Expressive and fun, you will quickly learn how easy and direct pastel painting is and as always, all will keep their pastel painting.

This event is generously sponsored by the Malden Cultural Council and the Friends of the Malden Public Library.

National Novel Writing Month!

Posted on by Jean Slavkovsky

What is NaNoWriMo?
National Novel Writing Month began in 1999 as a daunting but straightforward challenge: to write 50,000 words of a novel during the thirty days of November. Now, each year on November 1, hundreds of thousands of people around the world begin to write, determined to end the month with 50,000 words of a brand-new novel. Learn more at NaNoWriMo.org.

Monday, October 28th 7PM NaNoWriMo Kickoff: Learn about National Novel Writing Month and meet other Wrimos. Hear from others who have successfully completed novels through NaNoWriMo.

Thursday, November 14th 6:30-8:30PM Come Write-In: Work on your novel among other Wrimos. Snacks provided.

Monday, November 25th 6:30-8:30PM Come Write-In: The Final Push: There are only a few days left to finish your novel! Join other Wrimos to meet your goal. Snacks provided.

Sponsored by The Malden Writers’ Collaborative and The Friends of the Malden Public Library.