1) Spelling Bee
The Watauga County Schools Spelling Bee will take place on Friday, Oct. 11 at 9 a.m. at the Board of Education central office. Anyone who would like to attend is welcome
2) Pianist Rodney Reynorson Performs Oct. 6
Join the Hayes School of Music’s Faculty Performance Series Sunday, Oct. 6 for an evening of Chopin, Ravel and other compositions for piano. Professor Rodney Reynerson will be the soloist for the 8 p.m. performance in Broyhill Music Center’s Rosen Concert Hall at Appalachian State University. Admission is free.
3) Last High Country Trolley Wine Tour of the Season
It’s our last High Country Trolley Wine Tour of the season! Don’t miss it on Oct. 17. Meeting at Erick’s Cheese and Wine in Banner Elk at 11:30 a.m. The Trolley leaves at noon! Get your tickets today by calling 828-898-5606. Tickets are only $35 per person and $20 per person for non-drinkers. The price includes the trolley ride and all beer/wine tastings and lunch.
4) Series at Appalachian Explores Muslim Faith and Culture
Muslim Journeys-Let’s Talk About It, a series of free programs about the Muslim faith and culture, will be presented beginning Oct. 8 at Appalachian State University. The series is presented by Belk Library and Information Commons in partnership with the Appalachian Muslim Students Association and includes book talks and film screening. For more information, contact Allan Scherlen at 828-262-2285. The program is funded by a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities, which funded library materials related to Muslim culture, including books, films and the Oxford Islamic Studies Online database as well as funds to host events related to the materials. The Appalachian Humanities Council is also hosting a number of lectures related to Muslim cultures connection with the program. The first event will be a showing of the Iranian fil, “A Separation” which will be shown on Tuesday, Oct. 8 at 5 p.m. in Belk Library and Information Commons room 114. The film focuses on a recently separated Iranian couple and their daughter and the cascading social and legal conflicts that unfold after the husband fires a lower-class care giver of his elderly father who suffers from Alzheimer’s Disease. This powerful drama explores conflict that cuts across gender and class at the heart of Iranian society. Saiyid Hasnain will address perceptions of Muhammad and Islam Tuesday, Oct. 29, at 5 p.m. in Belk Library and Information Commons room 114. Hasnain is a native of Pakistan who moved to the U.S. in the 1980s. The book, “Muhammad, A Very Short History” by Jonathan Brown will be the starting place for the discussion. Copies of the book are available in the library’s browsing section. Library and community members are encouraged to read the book and participate in the discussion. A panel discussion by three Appalachian faculty members focusing on the book “The Children of Abraham: Judaism, Christianity, Islam” by F.E. Peters will be held Tuesday, Nov. 12 at 5 p.m. in Belk Library and Information Commons room 114. Penelists Alan Hauser, Maria Lichtmann and Rahman Tashakkori will use this classic comparative study to discuss the interconnections of these three major faiths. Copies of the book are available in the library’s browsing section. Library and community members are encouraged to read the book and participate in the discussion. The film “The Other Son” will be shown Thursday, Nov. 14, at 5 p.m. in Greenbriar Theatre in the Plemmons Student Union. The compelling, moving and humane film depicts the families of two young men, one Israeli, the other Palestinian, who discover that their sons were accidentally switched at birth. This revelation turns their lives upside down, forcing them to reassess their respective identities, values and beliefs. This is a life-affirming story about finding compassion for the “other.” The film is presented as part of the International Education Week in partnership among the library, the Appalachian State Muslim Students Association and the Office of International Education and Development. The last event in the series is co-sponsored by the university’s Humanities Council. Keya Maitra, an associate professor and chair of the Department of Philosophy at UNC-Asheville will lecture on “Bengali Muslim Women’s Experiences as Locations of Feminist Consciousness and Agency” Tuesday, Nov. 19 at 5 p.m. in Belk Library and Information Commons room 114.
5) Poet and Creative Nonfiction Author Molly Peacock Talks Oct. 10 at Appalachian
Molly Peacock, author of “The Paper Garden: Mrs. Delany Begins Her Life’s Work at 72” will speak Oct. 10 at Appalachian State University. Her reading and craft talk is sponsored by the Hughlene Bostian Frank Visiting Writers Series. Peacock will present the craft talk “Snap Sonnets” at 3:30 p.m. in Plemmons Student Union’s Table Rock Room. The talk will crystallize how poets seize that now-or-never crisis and drive in 14 lines with a turn, using a magic proportion of 8 to 6. Peacock will examine both a classic sonnet and a contemporary sonnet and she will provide individualized writing prompts for all who desire one. Peacock will read from her work at 7:30 p.m., also in the Table Rock Room. Books will be available for sale and signing at both events. The reading is dedicated to the memory of Margie South Idol, a longtime friend and generous supporter of the literary arts and University Library at Appalachian. Admission to both events is free and the public is invited to attend. “The Paper Garden” is a biography of 18th-century artist Mary Delany and a meditation on late-life creativity. Following the death of her second husband, Delany picked up a pair of scissors and created a new art form, mixed media collage. During the next decade, she created 985 botanically correct cut paper flowers, now housed in the British Museum and referred to as the Flora Delanica. Published in 2010 by Bloomsbury Books and McClelland and Stewart, the book was a Canadian bestseller and named by The Economist as a book of the year in the U.K. A widely anthologized poet and creative nonfiction writer, Peacock is the author of six collections of poetry including her recent publication “The Second Blush.” Her work appears in “The Best American Essays,” “Best American Poetry” and the “Oxford Book of American Poetry.” Her poems have appeared in such leading publications as The New Yorker and The Times Literary Supplement.
6) Library Plans to Honor Evelyn Johnson
The Watauga County Public Library welcomes donations that will be used to refurbish the meeting room, purchase a photo plaque and signage and put materials into the library in memory of Evelyn Johnson, a long time beloved librarian who passed away in January. The Watauga County Commissioners voted in favor of naming the library’s meeting room after Evelyn. “As of now, we are seeking donations, and we will have a room dedication in the spring,” said Monica Caruso, County Librarian. “We would like the ‘new’ meeting room to honor Evelyn and all that she contributed to this community.” Additionally, the Friends of the Library is co-sponsoring and accepting donations for a Kiwanis college scholarship in Evelyn’s name that will go to a Watauga High School senior who excels in community service. Evelyn was heavily involved with Kiwanis of Boone, holding many offices and having received many awards. Checks can be made to either the Watauga County Public Library or the Friends of the Library.