Richard Blanco, historic US Presidential Inaugural Poet, to make keynote address
Mark your calendars! The Norman WilliamsPublic Library (NWPL) announced today that Sunday, April 28th will be the date of its 2019 Ex Libris Gala, to be held at the Woodstock Inn. For the 18th consecutive year, the NWPL Board of Trustees will welcome patrons and friends from across greater Woodstock to the highly anticipated, early-Spring, dress-up tradition that is dedicated to both celebrate and support the community’s treasured home-town library. The gala will begin with a reception at 5:30pm; dinner will be served at 6:30pm.
Adding to the evening of camaraderie and fine dining, the event will also feature a keynote address by historic US Presidential Inaugural Poet Richard Blanco. Blanco is one of only five poets in the nation’s history – and also the youngest – to fill such a role, joining the likes of Robert Frost and Maya Angelou.
In his remarks, Blanco will read from his latest book of poetry – the first he has published in seven years – called How to Love a Country. In a recent review of this timely and compelling collection, Blanco is said to “dig deep into the very marrow of our nation through poems that interrogateour past and present, grieve our injustices,and note our flaws, but also remember to celebrate our ideals and cling to our hopes.”
During the gala, Woodstock’s Yankee Bookshop will offer a collection of Blanco’s books for sale to guests, with all profits to benefit the library.
Over the years, the gala has served as a fundraiser that has proved delightfully productive, generating revenues that have materially augmented the library’s annual operating budgets. Simultaneously, the funds infused have increased NWPL’s abilities to serve the public, meet its life-long learning mission, and also protect its investments for the future.
“The gala gives residents of the Woodstock area an opportunity to support and learn more about the important, community-building activities your non-profit library provides. NWPL enhances the attractiveness of Woodstock as a place to live, work, and visit, and so supports the well-being of our business community,” said Ron Miller, Co-President of the NWPL Board of Trustees. “Since all our services are free of charge and less than 40 percent of our funding comes from municipal taxes, attendees at our annual Ex Libris Gala make a vital contribution to our success.”
The gala’s organizing committee recommends that attendees reserve their places early, since the availability of full-table reservations is limited. Those interested in hosting or coordinating a table of 10 to 12 are encouraged to contact Michael Ricci at michael@normanwilliams.org at their earliest convenience for best availability.
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