Posts By: Jen B.

Elvis Is In The Building

The following is the fourth in a series in which I interview each staff member of the Topsham Public Library.  On your next visit to the Topsham Public Library, if you are quiet, you might hear someone singing out back. That would be Julie – she is usually singing or humming a little ditty to herself. It might… Read more »

Happy Halloween!

Saturday is Halloween! Are your costumes ready? (Miss Mariah has been planning her costume for weeks now!) Are you going to be a ghost or goblin or a favorite character from a favorite book? Make sure you dress warm under those costumes so you don’t get cold and carry a flashlight or glow sticks with you… Read more »

No Excuses!

Joy of the Pen submissions have been received and we are eagerly awaiting the Joy of the Pen Reception on Saturday, November 14 1-3pm here at the Topsham Public Library. We have been encouraged by the growing number of submissions we receive each year for this program. The number of submissions is evidence of the vibrant writing… Read more »

There’s a Body in the Library!

It was the end of a very long day at the end of a very long week. The gray and gloom inside my sparsely furnished office reflected the gray and gloom of the dreary day outside. My P.I. business was limping along. Things were grim. I sat at my desk contemplating my dismal future. Looking at My Girl Friday, I said,… Read more »

Chores Can Be Fun! (Really, they can!)

This past week, I rolled up my shirtsleeves and decluttered my house. From the tip-top of the roof to the dark corners of my basement. (Well, that one corner of the basement I left alone. I’m afraid there may be a body hidden under all that stuff.) I sorted through the books, then attacked the trunks… Read more »

It’s Banned Book Week!!

We get pretty excited about Banned Book Week here at the Topsham Public Library (Emma is absolutely giddy!) Every year during the last week of September the American Library Association (ALA) sponsors Banned Book Week. ALA coordinates this event to educate the public that censorship is still a thing. The ALA also maintains a list of the… Read more »

It’s the Beatles for Helen

The following is the second in the series in which I conduct flash interviews with members of the Topsham Public Library staff.  When I was a teenager, I often heard my mother call up the stairs, “Jen, come set the table.” I think my mother hated telling me to do it as much as I… Read more »

I Do Not Have a Green Thumb

This past Friday, in the drizzling morning rain, I found myself cleaning out my garden. I am the first one to admit that I am terrible at keeping any plant alive, and my family will tell you the same thing. Every spring my children shake their heads and look at me with panic stricken eyes. They say things… Read more »

Joy of the Pen

There once was a writer from Nantucket who ran around town with a bucket, and when asked, “why do you carry that thing?” she just shook her head and said, “Do you not have any imagination?” It’s just my first draft. I know, I have a lot of work to do. I only have until… Read more »