Letters Home: A Family's History Made Personal and Real

"As Ever, Bill."
On Thursday April 17, we at the East Hampton Public Library were delighted, proud, and deeply moved to receive a new addition to our book collection.

In this book, As Ever, Bill: Letters Home -- a series of over 300 letters written between January 1943 and December 1945 -- East Hampton son William R. Knotek chronicled his service as 1st Lieutenant in the First Fighter Squadron Second Air Commando Group, United States Army Air Corp. Lt. Knotek also served in the 4th Combat Cargo Squadron. Both units participated in the China Burma India Theater of World War II.

Letters Home: A Pilot's Journey
Lt. Knotek served in the Army Air Corps, the forerunner of the United States Air Force. His letters offer first-person insights on what it was like to train on and fly premiere aircraft of the day and his experiences undertaking World War II Air Corp assignments. As with every active service soldier, caring for family and connection to home shine through.

Left to Right: Theresa K. Schlosser,
Jeanette Knotek, Robin Knotek Bova,
William Richard Knotek

Letters Home: A Family's Gift
In an electronic age -- the age of quick pics, 140 characters, and Hope U R well messages -- writing letters may seem to be old fashioned or passé. We think not and the Knotek Family may very well help change the view.

As Ever, Bill: Letters Home is currently included in our new book collection. The book circulates for 14 days. Enjoy this important slice of local and world history made personal and real.

Witch Hunt!

Connecticut History Series:
New England's Other Witch Hunt : the Hartford Crisis of the 1660's
Everyone knows about the witch hunt at Salem in 1692. But few people know that in the years before Salem, Connecticut was New England's fiercest witch prosecutor. The first person hanged for witchcraft in New England came from Windsor, and every single person indicted for witchcraft in Connecticut in its early years was convicted and hanged.

Thursday, October 24, @ 1:00 p.m.
East Hampton Public Library Community Room

Dr. Walter Woodward

Join Dr. Walter Woodward, Connecticut State Historian, as he brings the events surrounding Hartford’s terrifying and deadly witch panic to life. Dr. Woodward will explore the context, actions, and consequences of this horrific event that occurred a generation before the Salem witch trials.

Why did people believe in witches? Why were most accused witches women? How could people be so afraid of witches’ powers that they were willing to kill their neighbors? How did the Hartford witch hunt change witchcraft prosecution in Connecticut and in New England?

You’ve always known about Salem…now learn about the rest of the story.

Sign Up to Attend
All East Hampton Public Library events are free and open to the public. For seating purposes, registration is encouraged. You may call the library at 860-267-6621 to let us know you will be attending or you may click here to register online.

Bob Dylan and Leonard Cohen

Illustration by Thorina Rose

 The Songwriter as Poet
Join us for a two-part, scholar-led discussion series focused on the poetry in the songs of Bob Dylan and Leonard Cohen.  

Cultural Conversations @ your library
As artists, both Dylan and Cohen produced bodies of work that rank with the best popular music of the past half-century. We’ll explore the close relationship between music and poetry and sample sound recordings while we discuss the artistry, influence, and timelessness of these living legends of music and verse.

To Register
Click here to register for the Dylan program (Tuesday, September 13) and here for the Cohen program (Tuesday, October 11).  Bring your appreciation for the artists and a story to tell about how their lyrics and music influenced you.

Our Discussion Moderator
David Garnes is graduate of Brown University and Columbia University.  He taught English in NY private schools and served as a librarian at Columbia University and UConn, Storrs, retiring in 2001. David is a published author and facilitates literature programs for the Connecticut Humanities Council.  For the past decade, he has worked part-time at the Emily Dickinson Museum in Amherst.

My Little Red Book

Just For Girls... and Their Mothers, Too
New Haven's Rachel Kauder Nalebuff is the 18-year-old editor of My Little Red Book, a collection of stories written by women of all ages and backgrounds about the experience of their first menstrual period.

The book started out as a high school project; became much more, and this week, was featured in the Editor's Choice section of the New York Times Book Review. The book includes short essays by a diverse group of well-known writers including Meg Cabot, Gloria Steinem, Judy Blume, Erica Jong, Cecily von Ziegesar, and Joyce Maynard.

As a precursor to reading the book, check out the short video by the author.