It's All About the Genes

Movies held every Wednesday night at 5:30 PM in the Marc Jacobs Reading Room.

October 14: French Connection (1971, 1h 44m)-A pair of NYPD detectives in the Narcotics Bureau stumble onto a heroin smuggling ring based in Marseilles, but stopping them and capturing their leaders proves an elusive goal. Gene Hackman, Roy Scheider

October 21: Blazing Saddles (1974, 1h 33m)- In order to ruin a western town and steal their land, a corrupt politician appoints a black sheriff, who promptly becomes his most formidable adversary. Gene Wilder, Cleavon Little, Slim Pickens

October 28: Leave Her to Heaven (1945, 1h 50m)- A writer falls in love with a young socialite and they're soon married, but her obsessive love for him threatens to be the undoing of them both as well as everyone around them. Gene Tierney, Cornel Wilde, Jeanne Crain

A seven week structured & facilitated group invitation to braid together in the light of bell hooks’ teachings that resonate in our individual life-experiences, living in the context of “These Times.” As in the spirit of Clarissa Pinkola Estés essay title, DO NOT LOSE HEART. WE WERE MADE FOR THESE TIMES.

Each 90 minute session will invite individual reflection through reading, deep listening, writing or drawing, voluntary sharing and group conversation. Please bring a notebook & pen.

Dates: Wednesdays in October 7th, 14th, 21st, 28th; Tuesdays in November 10th, 17th, 24th

Time: 10:30am-12:00pm

**Email araff@clamsnet.org to register as space is limited. **

Facilitator: Mary C. DeRocco, M.A., LMFT, LMHC is a licensed psychotherapist, published writer and poet. Mary has been immersed in the creative worlds of Provincetown as a year-rounder for the past forty years.

Join us for an inspiring virtual conversation with bestselling author David Epstein as we explore his latest book, Inside the Box, and redefine how to approach our greatest challenges!

We are constantly told to "think outside the box" to innovate, solve complex problems, and reach our goals. But what if the secret to true breakthrough creativity and peak performance actually lies in working within our limitations? In Inside the Box, David Epstein draws on science, research, and fascinating real-world case studies to demonstrate how constraints, boundaries, and structure can become powerful catalysts for ingenuity and mastery. Epstein challenges traditional ideas about skill acquisition, focus, and problem-solving, revealing how top performers and innovators across industries turn rigid limits into unmatched strengths.

Register now to learn how to reframe everyday obstacles and apply science-backed performance strategies to your career and personal life.

**Join us LIVE for a chance to win a copy of Inside the Box! The giveaway link will be in the Resources area under the broadcast screen during the live event. Please ensure you are watching on your library's webpage for the chance to participate. **

About the Author:

David Epstein is the author of three New York Times bestsellers — The Sports Gene, Range, and most recently Inside the Box: How Constraints Make Us Better. He was previously an investigative reporter at ProPublica, and before that a senior writer at Sports Illustrated. Prior to becoming a writer, he was living in a tent in the Arctic training to become an environmental scientist. Like many of the characters in Range, he has had a winding career path.

Provincetown-based performing songwriters Grant King and Moon will give a free concert on Sunday, October 11th, 2026 at 2:00 pm at the Provincetown Public Library.

King initiated this monthly acoustic music series to champion both established and lesser-known local performing songwriters.

As Part 5 of the popular songwriters-in-concert series “Songs I Wish I’d Written!” he curates, King is pleased to introduce special musical guest, Moon.

The mysterious yet open-hearted Moon has fronted indie bands as lead vocalist on both the East and West Coasts. Moon’s uniquely passionate singing has been heard and admired at Tin Pan Alley with Jim Brosseau & Friends, The Keyhole, and at other local venues. An ardent music-lover and budding songwriter, she also hosts “Atomic Moon” on WOMR.

King has performed to enthusiastic audiences in local venues and throughout the Northeast. He'll sing cover songs by songwriters he admires, as well as his original songs, accompanied by his guitar.

This concert will be held in the Provincetown Public Library’s Reading Room at 356 Commercial Street, Provincetown, MA.

Admission is free, but reservations are welcomed: 508-487-7094.

“Sterling...Wonderfully romantic and utterly hopeful.” – Billboard Magazine

“King sings gorgeous pop-folk with an honesty and passion seldom heard.” – The Advocate

Join us for a captivating online conversation with acclaimed author and Smithsonian curator Carolyn Russo as we dive into her fascinating book, The Ascent of Rauschenberg. Explore the towering legacy, unexpected inspirations, and creative heights of one of America's most influential artistic icons.

Most famous for his groundbreaking "Combines"—painting and sculpture hybrids that often incorporated everyday objects—American artist Robert Rauschenberg (1925-2008) created within a range of mediums, including collage, performance, photography, and printmaking. But a connective tissue through it all was his fascination with flight. The Ascent of Rauschenberg explores the flight motif across his work, spanning birds, insects, aviation, spaceflight, sensory experiences, and metaphors for his own life.

More than 150 images reveal the vibrant scope of his work, from lithographs inspired by the Apollo 11 launch that NASA invited him to witness and document, to a Combine featuring a taxidermied eagle that evokes Roman mythology. Nine accompanying essays reflect on his many flight themes and subtleties that might otherwise be overlooked. The book also includes archival photographs and personal papers from the Robert Rauschenberg Foundation.

Register now for the chance to view art history through the unique prism of flight.

About the Author:

Carolyn Russo is curator of the art collection at the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum. She has lectured internationally on the subject of art and flight and is the author of several publications including The Ascent of Rauschenberg: Reinventing the Art of Flight, Art of the Airport Tower, In Plane View: Abstractions of Flight, and Women and Flight: Portraits of Contemporary Women Pilots.

It's All About the Genes

Movies held every Wednesday night at 5:30 PM in the Marc Jacobs Reading Room.

October 7: Brigadoon (1954, 1h 48m)-Two Americans on a hunting trip in Scotland become lost. They encounter a small village not on the map, Brigadoon, in which people harbor a mysterious secret and behave as if they were still living 200 years in the past. Gene Kelly, Van Johnson

October 14: French Connection (1971, 1h 44m)-A pair of NYPD detectives in the Narcotics Bureau stumble onto a heroin smuggling ring based in Marseilles, but stopping them and capturing their leaders proves an elusive goal. Gene Hackman, Roy Scheider

October 21: Blazing Saddles (1974, 1h 33m)- In order to ruin a western town and steal their land, a corrupt politician appoints a black sheriff, who promptly becomes his most formidable adversary. Gene Wilder, Cleavon Little, Slim Pickens

October 28: Leave Her to Heaven (1945, 1h 50m)- A writer falls in love with a young socialite and they're soon married, but her obsessive love for him threatens to be the undoing of them both as well as everyone around them. Gene Tierney, Cornel Wilde, Jeanne Crain

A seven week structured & facilitated group invitation to braid together in the light of bell hooks’ teachings that resonate in our individual life-experiences, living in the context of “These Times.” As in the spirit of Clarissa Pinkola Estés essay title, DO NOT LOSE HEART. WE WERE MADE FOR THESE TIMES.

Each 90 minute session will invite individual reflection through reading, deep listening, writing or drawing, voluntary sharing and group conversation. Please bring a notebook & pen.

Dates: Wednesdays in October 7th, 14th, 21st, 28th; Tuesdays in November 10th, 17th, 24th

Time: 10:30am-12:00pm

**Email araff@clamsnet.org to register as space is limited. **

Facilitator: Mary C. DeRocco, M.A., LMFT, LMHC is a licensed psychotherapist, published writer and poet. Mary has been immersed in the creative worlds of Provincetown as a year-rounder for the past forty years.

In this collection of vignettes—heartbreaking and often humorous—Nealon explores caregiving as both sacred practice and human risk. ​ The essays ask what price we pay when we offer ourselves wholeheartedly to one another, and what it means to remain open to being more than human in a fractured world.

About the Author: Mary Jane Nealon worked as a nurse for 47 years, including 25 years serving people with HIV/AIDS. A former FAWC fellow, MJ received her MFA from Warren Wilson College. She is the author of two poetry collections, Immaculate Fuel and Rogue Apostle, both published by Four Way Books, and the memoir Beautiful Unbroken: One Nurse’s Life, published by Graywolf Press.

Share and discuss books for this year’s Challenge during our monthly (hybrid) groups.

Meets first Friday of every month 10:00–11:00 am in the Bowsprit Room on the Library’s Second Level or via Zoom, How to join: Email ncinnater@clamsnet.org

Our 2026 Reading Challenge allows you to read books you choose while expanding your horizons. Discuss your choices, have fun, and win prizes! Participants will be able to discuss their progress on Facebook, by email, and/or via a monthly hybrid meet-up. Signing up qualifies you for a prize upon completion at the end of the year Hybrid in-person/Zoom meetings continue on the first Friday of each month throughout the year.

For more information click here.

A single choice can transform your destiny. Join us for an online conversation with #1 New York Times bestselling author Veronica Roth as we celebrate the enduring legacy of her Divergent series, one of the most iconic young adult series of a generation, and get an exclusive sneak peek into her highly anticipated upcoming novel, The Sixth Faction!

Fifteen years after readers first stepped into dystopian Chicago alongside Tris Prior, the Divergent universe continues to captivate readers with its unflinching exploration of identity, courage, and sacrifice. And in the alternate universe of The Sixth Faction, we revisit familiar characters in a completely new way…

Beatrice Prior stands on the brink of a decision every person in her world must make: five factions, five futures, five lives.

She has a plan: she’s going to make the bravest choice and leave Abnegation to join Dauntless, even though it means abandoning her family.

But when tragedy strikes at her choosing ceremony, everything changes—her world, her plans, even Beatrice herself.

Her decision will thrust her into the crosshairs of an underground rebellion, where a boy with secrets as dangerous as her own—a boy with only a number for a name—may be the only person she can trust.

One choice will change everything.

Register now for the chance to ask questions and get an exclusive sneak peek of The Sixth Faction–out on October 6, 2026!

About the Author:

Veronica Roth is the #1 New York Times best-selling author of numerous titles including When Among Crows, Chosen Ones, the Divergent series, Carve the Mark, and Seek the Traitor’s Son. Veronica lives with her husband and their dog in Chicago, a city that she lovingly features (and frequently destroys) in many of her novels.

Movies held every Wednesday night at 5:30 PM in the Marc Jacobs Reading Room.

September 30: City of Angels (1998, 1h 54m)- An angel considers becoming human after falling in love with a Los Angeles surgeon. Nicholas Cage, Meg Ryan

A dead man. A quiet beach town. A truth nobody wants unearthed. A fatal late-night hit-and-run shatters the quiet of Provincetown, drawing interim police chief Silas Lopez into a case that appears straightforward-until the cracks begin to show. In a town where secrets wash ashore with every tide, nothing is ever as it seems.

Christopher Mirabile, the middle child of a small-town librarian, has loved books all his life. A magna cum laude graduate in English from Colgate University and a Boston College-trained lawyer, he built a career as an attorney, executive, and startup investor. He co-authored six books on early-stage investing, wrote for Inc. Magazine, and served as Chair of the Angel Capital Association and the SEC's Investor Advisory Committee. Today, after decades in business and nonfiction, he has returned to his roots as a fiction writer. He lives in Provincetown, Massachusetts, with his wife, their three dogs, and visits from their two adult children.

Magic the Gathering : Commander

Tuesdays in September from 1:30-3:30 PM in the Bowsprit Room on the second floor.

Are you a new or veteran player looking to play Magic? Join us for our weekly game days at the library.

Commander will be our go to format! Bring your own custom or pre-constructed deck!

We aim to create a fun and casual atmosphere for new and veteran players.

La duración de este evento será de 30 minutos.

Agarra un puñado de monedas y prepárate para bailar por la calle. Únete a nosotros para una enérgica conversación mientras celebramos la alegría de la comunidad y la diversión del verano con Lucky Diaz, músico ganador del premio Latin GRAMMY y autor del sensacional libro ilustrado bilingüe, Paletero Man.

¿Cuál es la mejor manera de refrescarse en un caluroso día de verano? ¡Corre rápido y encuentra al Paletero José!

Sigue a nuestro narrador mientras recorre su ajetreado vecindario en busca del Paletero Man. Pero cuando finalmente lo alcanza, los bolsillos de nuestro narrador están vacíos. ¡Oh no! ¿Qué pasó con su dinero? Se necesitará la ayuda de toda la comunidad para conseguir la sabrosa golosina ahora.

Inspirada en los vibrantes ritmos de Los Ángeles y la exitosa canción de Diaz, esta hermosa historia invita a los lectores a un vecindario bañado por el sol donde el sonido de una campana significa que la mejor golosina del día está a la vuelta de la esquina.

¡Regístrate hoy y descubre cómo todos podemos aportar un poco más de dulzura y espíritu comunitario a nuestra vida diaria!

Ten en cuenta que presentaremos a Lucky Diaz dos veces en esta fecha, una en español y otra en inglés. Asegúrate de registrarte para el formato que prefieras.

Acerca del autor:

Lucky Diaz es un artista ganador del premio GRAMMY, multi-ganador del premio Latin GRAMMY, aclamado autor y una voz líder en la literatura infantil contemporánea. Compositor nominado seis veces al premio Emmy y ex alumno de Berklee College of Music, Diaz hizo historia como el primer artista infantil norteamericano en ganar un Latin GRAMMY. Su trabajo une música y narración, creando un cuerpo distintivo de trabajo bilingüe arraigado en la vida cultural de las comunidades mexicano-americanas en Los Ángeles.

Como autor, Diaz ha obtenido algunos de los más altos honores en el mundo editorial. Sus libros han recibido reseñas destacadas de Kirkus Reviews, School Library Journal, Publishers Weekly y Booklist, lo que lo sitúa entre un raro grupo de creadores reconocidos en todas las principales publicaciones literarias. Su título revelación Paletero Man recibió una estrella de Kirkus y una distinción de audiolibro y fue galardonado con el Premio Alma Flor Ada 2024 por su contribución duradera a la narración centrada en los latinos. También ha recibido el Parent’s Choice Gold Award y un NAPPA Award, lo que reconoce aún más su impacto en el público familiar.

Su último libro, Fix-It Familia, sigue generando reconocimiento nacional, con una edición en español que llegará este verano, ampliando el acceso a lectores bilingües y aulas en todo el país.

El trabajo de Diaz ha sido presentado y elogiado por NPR, Billboard, The New York Times y People Magazine, lo que lo posiciona como una voz creativa confiable en la intersección de la cultura, la música y la literatura.

A través de sus libros, grabaciones y presentaciones con Lucky Diaz and the Family Jam Band, Diaz continúa ampliando las posibilidades de la narración estadounidense. No solo está contribuyendo al campo. Está ayudando a definirlo.

This event will be 30 minutes in length.

Grab a pocketful of change and get ready to dance down the street! Join us for an energetic conversation as we celebrate the joy of community and summer fun with Latin GRAMMY-winning musician Lucky Diaz, author of the sensational bilingual picture book, Paletero Man.

What’s the best way to cool off on a hot summer day? Run quick and find Paletero José!

Follow along with our narrator as he passes through his busy neighborhood in search of the Paletero Man. But when he finally catches up with him, our narrator’s pockets are empty. Oh no! What happened to his dinero? It will take the help of the entire community to get the tasty treat now.

Inspired by the vibrant rhythms of Los Angeles and Diaz’s own hit song, this beautiful story invites readers into a sun-drenched neighborhood where the ring of a bell means the best treat of the day is just around the corner.

Register today and discover how we can all bring a little more sweetness and community spirit into our daily lives!

Please note that we will be hosting Lucky Diaz twice on this date, once in Spanish and in English. Be sure that you are registering for your preferred format.

About the Author:

Lucky Diaz is a GRAMMY Award-winning, multi–Latin GRAMMY Award-winning artist,acclaimed author, and a leading voice in contemporary children’s literature. A six-time Emmy-nominated songwriter and Berklee College of Music alumnus, Diaz made history as the first North American children’s artist to win a Latin GRAMMY. His work bridges music and storytelling, creating a distinct body of bilingual work rooted in the cultural life of Mexican American communities in Los Angeles.

As an author, Diaz has earned some of the highest honors in publishing. His books have received starred reviews from Kirkus Reviews, School Library Journal, Publishers Weekly, and Booklist, placing him among a rare group of creators recognized across every major literary journal. His breakout title Paletero Man received a Kirkus star and audiobook distinction and was awarded the 2024 Alma Flor Ada Award for its lasting contribution to Latino-centered storytelling. He is also a recipient of the Parent’s Choice Gold Award and a NAPPA Award, further recognizing his impact on family audiences. His latest book, Fix-It Familia, continues to build national recognition, with a Spanish edition arriving this summer, expanding access to bilingual readers and classrooms across the country.

Diaz’s work has been featured and praised by NPR, Billboard, The New York Times,and People Magazine, positioning him as a trusted creative voice at the intersection of culture, music, and literature.

Through his books, recordings, and performances with Lucky Diaz and the Family Jam Band, Diaz continues to expand the possibilities of American storytelling. He is not only contributing to the field, he is helping define it.

Movies held every Wednesday night at 5:30 PM in the Marc Jacobs Reading Room.

September 23: The Cider House Rules (1999, 2h 6m)- During World War II, an orphan grows up under the tutelage of a doctor who runs an orphanage. However, he yearns for freedom and soon decides to leave in order to make a life for himself. Tobey Maguire, Charlize Theron

September 30: City of Angels (1998, 1h 54m)- An angel considers becoming human after falling in love with a Los Angeles surgeon. Nicholas Cage, Meg Ryan

This event is CANCELED.

Join the Provincetown Public Library in a reading from author Kai Maristed from her new novella The Age of Migration.

The Age of Migration, a novella and stories, winner of the 2024 inaugural Kevin McIlvoy Book Prize, is forthcoming July 21st from WTAW Press.

With her forthcoming book, the award-winning collection titled The Age of Migration, Kai Maristed turns a lifetime of experience in being "the other" into an array of stories that speak directly to urgent issues of our times: migration across borders and cultures, polarization, bewilderment, and the struggle we all feel, even if we're not physically dislocated, in the midst of overwhelming change.

These are "people... yearning to comprehend their place in the world fully. Kai Maristed evokes the universal and the unique in characters who are traveling unknown territories, both geographically and personally. These stories are full of discoveries, a book meant for the explorer in all of us mapping the familiar in new ways."

—Nina McConigley, author of Cowboys and East Indians, winner of the PEN Open Book Award

Maristed navigated her own life of constant change by reading—her Japanese teacher loaned the school's one precious English book, Macbeth—and by writing young. She is the author of three novels: Broken Ground (2003), Fall (1996) and Out After Dark (1993). A previous collection of stories, Belong to Me (1997), was starred by Publishers Weekly. Her shorter work has appeared in The American Scholar, The Kenyon Review, StoryQuarterly, Zoetrope, The American Voice, Ploughshares, AGNI, The Iowa Review and elsewhere.

Maristed has taught writing at the MFA level at Harvard, Emerson College and the Warren Wilson Program. A frequent book reviewer for print and online, playwright, and occasional translator from German and French, she lives in Paris, France and on Cape Cod, when not on the move.

CANCELED

Magic the Gathering : Commander

Tuesdays in September from 1:30-3:30 PM in the Bowsprit Room on the second floor.

Are you a new or veteran player looking to play Magic? Join us for our weekly game days at the library.

Commander will be our go to format! Bring your own custom or pre-constructed deck!

We aim to create a fun and casual atmosphere for new and veteran players.