Fantasy romance is any work of fiction with fantastical, magical, or non-human elements where there’s a significant romantic element. This February, a group of authors and readers who love the genre are celebrating it with FaRoFeb - Fantasy Romance February! In this panel discussion, authors Jennifer Estep, Michelle Diener, Scarlett St Clair, and HR (Harriet) Moore talk about their experiences and the publishing world, answering questions delivered by Chris Upton, owner of A Freethinker's Corner in Dover, NH. This event was hosted by Portsmouth Public Library in conjunction with Rye Public Library and Kensington Public Library, along with A Freethinker's Corner. You can find more about Fantasy Romance February at https://farofeb.com/. Give the library feedback and enter to win a library book bag! This helps us make decisions about library programming and advertising. Fill out a brief Event Feedback Form here: https://forms.gle/uLaj2MrLtenEZmvH7 Want to learn about more upcoming events at the library? Sign up for our monthly newsletter here: https://www.cityofportsmouth.com/library/newsletter

In this informative recounting of the growth of jazz in Seacoast New Hampshire, Charlie Jennison presents a first-hand look at the people behind the scenes as well as the important players, venues, and events that shaped the current flourishing jazz world in Portsmouth. From its beginnings in the 1950s to the influx of amazing talent in the new millennium, Charlie unfolds his personal recollections of how jazz and its proponents have enriched the Seacoast community and inspired generations of artists and listeners. This program was hosted by Portsmouth Public Library, NH. Give the library feedback and enter to win a library book bag! This helps us make decisions about library programming and advertising. Fill out a brief Event Feedback Form here: https://forms.gle/uLaj2MrLtenEZmvH7 Want to learn about more upcoming events at the library? Sign up for our monthly newsletter here: https://www.cityofportsmouth.com/library/newsletter

Picture books for children are poems with pictures. They can be hysterically funny. They can bring a family memory to life. Maria Popova describes picture books as “stories that tackle with elegant simplicity such complexities as uncertainty, loneliness, loss, and the cycle of life.” What makes a story one that children will love? What are the components that blend and form the structure and beauty of a picture book story? Join author Terry Farish to explore the narrative components that help a picture book sing. This presentation was part of a two-week workshop in January 2021, hosted by Portsmouth Public Library. See Terry's handouts here: https://www.terryfarish.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Writing-a-Picture-Book-Handouts.pdf. Give the library feedback and enter to win a library book bag! This helps us make decisions about library programming and advertising. Fill out a brief Event Feedback Form here: https://forms.gle/uLaj2MrLtenEZmvH7 Want to learn about more upcoming events at the library? Sign up for our monthly newsletter here: https://www.cityofportsmouth.com/library/newsletter

“People of the Dawnland,” an interactive exhibit at Strawbery Banke, is a space for learning more about the Abenaki, People of the Dawnland, past and present, by exploring their culture, arts, foodways and storytelling traditions. Objects found by archaeologists in the Puddle Dock neighborhood of Strawbery Banke include pottery and stone tools; and demonstrate that Native people have been here for millennia. In this talk hosted by Portsmouth Public Library, Anne Jennison and Dr. Alexandra Martin share their experiences and thoughts about creating the exhibit. Give the library feedback and enter to win a library book bag! This helps us make decisions about library programming and advertising. Fill out a brief Event Feedback Form here: https://forms.gle/uLaj2MrLtenEZmvH7 Want to learn about more upcoming events at the library? Sign up for our monthly newsletter here: https://www.cityofportsmouth.com/library/newsletter Here are a few more links which were shared in the chat: NH Commission on Native American Affairs: https://www.dncr.nh.gov/commission_on_native_american_affairs/ This year's Sidore Series, "Honoring the Mother of All People; Contemporary 2020-2021 Sidore Lecture Series - UNH Center for the Humanities. This year’s series,focusing on “Indigenous Leadership in Revitalizing Environmental and Cultural Sustainability," will consider how Indigenous knowledge and cultural heritage can deepen our thinking about sustainable futures: https://cola.unh.edu/center-humanities/events-programs/sidore-lecture-series INHCC Indigenous New Hampshire Collaborative Collective https://indigenousnh.com/ American Alliance of Museums 2019 “TrendsWatch": https://drive.google.com/file/d/1pxO04AfOVUTFtNUDKOr-FdJGO9Wgb_Ik/view?usp=sharing For more on NH Land Acknowledgements: https://indigenousnh.com/land-acknowledgement/ Strawbery Banke Museum membership page: https://www.strawberybanke.org/join/membership-levels.cfm The library has an Indigenous Stories Resources page with booklists for all ages, as well as links to our partner organizations: https://www.cityofportsmouth.com/library/indigenous-stories-resources The 1713 Treaty of Portsmouth 300th in 2013 developed and updates this bibliography as well: http://www.1713treatyofportsmouth.com/bibliography.cfm Place Names Divide Indigenous Communities in New England https://indigenousnh.com/2020/07/20/place-names-divide-indigenous-communities-in-new-england/ Dawnland documentary: https://upstanderproject.org/dawnland University of Toronto has a good online course entitled “Aboriginal Worldviews and Education”. (https://www.coursera.org/learn/aboriginal-education) Here's a booklist from the library, "Decolonize with Indigenous Fiction" https://portsmouth.bywatersolutions.com/cgi-bin/koha/opac-shelves.pl?op=view&shelfnumber=815 Library's land acknowledgement https://www.cityofportsmouth.com/library/land-acknowledgement UBC had an online course that focused on the residential schools. (https://www.edx.org/course/reconciliation-through-indigenous-education)