campus news and events

Colby-Sawyer College to Host Storytelling Series with Support of New Hampshire Humanities Council

NEW LONDON, N.H., March 23, 2011 – Colby-Sawyer College will host three events of a five-part literary series, “Story Tellers,” to highlight 2011 National Library Week's theme of “Create your own story @ your library.” Made possible by a grant from the New Hampshire Humanities Council, the series will feature local children's author Jennifer Carson; Lloyd Littlefield and Jim Perkins' presentation of historical stories about well-known former residents of New London; and a showcase of Colby-Sawyer students' stories of their experiences with family, friends and local residents.

The first three one-hour sessions of “Story Tellers” will take place on campus in Hicks Alumni Lounge at the Ware Campus Center as part of the college's Books Sandwiched In series sponsored by Friends of the Library. The final two events, with author and historian Jack Noon and Rebecca Courser of the Warner Historical Society, will be held in Sutton Mills and North Sutton respectively. Admission to the events is free.

The first event of “Story Tellers” with children's author Jennifer Carson will take place on Wednesday, April 6, at noon. Carson, who goes beyond the written word in her storytelling style, uses detailed puppets and props to engage the audience. She will discuss what inspires her to create children's stories and offer a peek inside her unique experience honing the art of storytelling. Her most recent work, To Find a Wonder, will be available for sale.

The second event of the series will take place on Wednesday, April 13, at noon and will feature a presentation by New London Historical Society members Lloyd Littlefield and Jim Perkins. Their collaborative session, “In Their Words: Selections from the New London Archives,” is accompanied by a slide show and music, and focuses on the reflections of famous former residents of the area. The presentation provides an intimate look at the Seamans family letters and the memoirs and biographies of Maria Burpee and Paul Gay. Other historical documents to be discussed are “Happenings from Home,” a World War II newsletter sent to local servicemen overseas, and the Littlefield family history, which includes one of the first female doctors in New Hampshire.

The third installment of the “Story Tellers” series at Colby-Sawyer features the work of the college's students and highlights the importance of memoir. This multimedia presentation created by the Local Time and Audio Recording classes will take place on Wednesday, April 20, at 5 p.m. The students recorded interviews with family, friends, fellow students and local residents with the intent of showcasing the value of the personal story.

The “Story Tellers” program will continue with two more community events in Sutton. On Thursday, April 28, author and historian Jack Noon will discuss Sutton history and his most recent book, History of Sutton Volume III, Sutton's Seven Villages, and will be available to sign copies. The event will take place at the Sutton Town Hall in Sutton Mills from 7 to 8:30 p.m.

The final event in the series, sponsored by the Sutton Historical Society, will feature a partial film screening of “This Morning Broke Clear,” followed by discussion with the film's co-creator, Rebecca Courser of the Warner Historical Society. The presentation will focus on the making of the film and stories of 19th-century Warner townspeople. This event will take place on Thursday, May 19, from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Free Will Baptist Church in North Sutton.

For other upcoming events at Colby-Sawyer, visit www.colby-sawyer.edu/events

Colby-Sawyer College is a comprehensive college that integrates the liberal arts and sciences with professional preparation. Founded in 1837, Colby-Sawyer is located in the scenic Lake Sunapee Region of central New Hampshire.