Join your neighbors in reading:
Still Alice by Lisa Genova
Still Alice is a compelling debut novel about a 50-year-old woman’s sudden descent into early onset Alzheimer’s disease, written by first-time author Lisa Genova, who holds a Ph. D in neuroscience from Harvard University.
Alice Howland, happily married with three grown children and a house on the Cape, is a celebrated Harvard professor at the height of her career when she notices a forgetfulness creeping into her life. As confusion starts to cloud her thinking and her memory begins to fail her, she receives a devastating diagnosis: early onset Alzheimer’s disease. Fiercely independent, Alice struggles to maintain her lifestyle and live in the moment, even as her sense of self is being stripped away. In turns heartbreaking, inspiring and terrifying, Still Alice captures in remarkable detail what’s it’s like to literally lose your mind…
One Town, One Title Events
Book Distribution Begins
February 1 at the Van Horn Public Library, Pine Island City Hall, and the Pine Island Bank. Get your free copy while supplies last!
What is Alzheimer’s?
February 11
6:30pm via Zoom: Event link
Neuroscientist Julianna McCall will deliver an introductory overview of the brain, with an emphasis on memory and learning, two of the remaining frontiers of neuroscience. A special focus on how the brain changes during Alzheimer’s Disease will conclude the talk, with time at the end for discussion. Julianna can only join us for 30 minutes, but she is happy to answer as many questions as people have for her. This presentation will be recorded, as will a Q&A video after the presentation. We will post a link to the full video once it is available.
This presentation is brought to us by Skype a Scientist, whose goal is to connect people directly to science and scientists.
About the presenter:
Julianne McCall serves as Co-Director of the California Initiative to Advance Precision Medicine, housed within the California Governor’s Office of Planning and Research. Prior to her current career in policy, she spent sixteen years in neuroscience research labs, including at the Salk Institute, Stanford University, the Cleveland Clinic, and the National Center for Microscopy Imaging Research. She conducted medical research as a Fulbright Fellow in Sweden and as a neuroscientist at the Neuroregeneration Laboratory of Heidelberg University in Germany. She is the co-founder of TEDxFulbright, the Sacramento Brain Bee, and a chapter of the Sustained Dialogue Campus Network for racial and social justice. McCall earned a PhD in Neuroscience from Heidelberg University in Germany, a master’s degree in Biomedical Sciences from the University of California, San Diego, and a Bachelor’s degree in Neuroscience from Denison University.
Reminiscing-in-Writing Workshop with local author, Mike Ransom
March 4 and 18
6:00-8:00pm via Zoom
Registration required! Contact the library (stop in, email pipl@selco.info or call 507-356-8558) to register.
Family and friends of those with dementia seek ways to connect with them emotionally and intellectually. Short stories—in the 500 to 750 word range—about people (a favorite cousin), places (the family cabin), events (the time that Uncle Bill was chased by a skunk on the farm), and objects (a treasured Christmas ornament) that trigger memories and feelings can be powerfully effective. Writing these stories (with or without input from the person with dementia) and then reading them to the person can produce moments of recognition, laughter, and tears of joy.
The Reminiscing-in-Writing Workshop will:
- make participants aware of the many types of stories from which they can choose to write,
- suggest ways to involve a person with dementia in the story’s input gathering and/or creation process,
- provide tips on how to organize and write a heartfelt, descriptive story,
- share ways to write stories that trigger reader emotions.
The workshop consists of two, two-hour sessions held via Zoom. The first session will provide story writing guidance and many examples. Between the first and second sessions, participants will be encouraged to write one or more stories. During the second session, participants can ask questions and comment on their story-writing experience. They will be welcomed (but not required) to share with the group stories they have written.
About the Instructor
Mike Ransom is a memoirist, biographer, and freelance writer who lives in Rochester. In addition to helping others write their life stories, which he has done for the past twenty years, Mike teaches workshops to guide others through the process. When not putting pen to paper, Mike loves to read, jog, golf, play squash, and frequent coffee shops. Most of all, he enjoys time with his family. More about Mike and his writing can be found on his website: www.mransomwriter.com.
Book Discussion
March 10
6:00 pm – Pine Island City Hall Council Chambers
Join us to discuss the themes, plot and characters of Still Alice. We will be using discussion questions found at LitLovers.com. All are welcome!
The Remember Project
We are happy to be partnering with The Remember Project and their local performances of “In the Garden”, a one-act play that explores the role adult children play in the sometimes difficult decision-making process that surrounds the journey of memory loss. It can be viewed online on February 16 at 6:30 pm, February 27 at 2:00 pm, and March 11 at 6:30 pm.
Registration is required – get your free tickets online!
