Our Community Reads
Sponsored by several chapters of Friends of the Santa Cruz Library
OUR COMMUNITY READS is designed to bring members of the Santa Cruz County community together around one book. The winning book for the 2023 Season was Mary Coin by Marisa Silver, inspired by Dorothea Lange’s iconic photograph “Migrant Mother."
Several Friends groups planned events related to the themes of the book. These included films, panels, musical performances, an author talk, book discussions, hand-on events creating art, flash fiction, poetry and more.
Two evening events happened at our library -- Our Community Writes workshop and The Photographer's Eye -- a photography panel.
Learn about last year’s Community Reads events.
The Photographers Panel from February 9, 2023
As a part of Our Community Reads, Scotts Valley Friends hosted a reception and panel discussion on Thursday, February 9 in The Fireside Room. The show was a hybrid event, with 60 online attendees and another 60 plus on site. Local photographers Shmuel Thaler, Kevin Painchaud, and Mary Altier talked about their work, showed examples, and contrasted their experience with that of earlier photojournalists such as Dorothea Lange. The panel was moderated by photographer and Aptos Friend's volunteer Jim Bourne. Photos taken by Jim Sullivan.
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Click here to see a video recording of the panel discussion.
Scotts Valley Friends sponsored a special writer’s workshop as part of the 2023 Community Reads events. Writers and wannabe writers created flash fiction, mini-essays, and poetry based on historic photos from the world of Mary Coin.
Click here to see a video recording of the presentation.
