Dear Friends… THE FRIENDS OF THE Since becoming president of the Friends of the Newburyport Public Library, I have NEWBURYP RT found myself paying greater attention to the many and varied programs that the library offers. In June, I had the pleasure of PUBLIC LIBRARY visiting Melanie Bennett’s Library Babies class, which the library has been offer- ing since 2010. Intended for pre-walking babies up to age 1 and their parents, this FOOTNOTES class is designed to share books, lap games, singing, music and dance with babies. The September 2015 Volume 25 Number 1 program allows parents to experience the joys and benefits of being in the moment with babies and witness just how bright 2015 Annual Meeting Marks 75th Anniversary they are. of Friends’ Founding On the day I visited Library Babies, Join us Thursday, September 17, for a approximately 15 children and their parents were sitting in the Children’s Room activity program honoring John P. Marquand, area. The children all had pieces of colorful, Pulitzer Prize–winning Newburyport sheer fabric that they were using to keep author time to age-appropriate music. Clearly everyone was having a great time and, as might be expected, over time the energy in The fiscal-year2015 annual meeting of the the room increased. What totally amazed Friends of the Newburyport Public Library me was the way Melanie brought the class will take place Thursday, September 17, 2015, to a conclusion. As she sang the song “Tree, at 7:00 p.m. in the library’s Program Room. All 900-plus members Tree, Tree,” the entire room simply became are cordially invited to get an update on the group’s work and hear calm. I have never seen anything like it. recollections of Newburyport’s own John P. Marquand. Melanie told me the song was by Fred After a brief business meeting, board President Rogers, better known as “Mr. Rogers” on Nancy Peace will welcome the Honorable Richard E. PBS. She added that when parents sing this Welch III of Newburyport, who will offer a special song to their children, they become calm reminiscence of his grandfather, John P. Marquand, right along with the children. Amazing and whose many novels made his a “household name.” well worth knowing! The board sees it as particularly fitting for the Yankee Homecoming offered another Friends to honor Marquand this year, because it is the opportunity to observe and work with anniversary of the first annual meeting of the group staff from the Children’s Department. that today, some 75 years later, has become the Friends On Wednesday, July 29, Allison Driscoll of the Library. Marquand was the guest speaker at that Hon. Richard E. Welch III and Diane Oxton participated in Kids’ first meeting in October1940 , Day in the Park at Atkinson Common. In December 1939, three months after outbreak of World War They each read stories, and two musicians II in Europe, Irving Cole, head librarian of the Newburyport Public engaged the children in music making and Library, joined with about 30 other city residents to form what they song. This event highlighted the library’s called the Association of Library Friends. Their first regular meeting was held in the Reading Room of the original library building (formerly (continued on page 6) (continued on page 3) Brain Teaser October Means It’s Time for the by Al Lavender Great Old Book Sale! We got a good response from cryptograms in the last It’s been happening in October (and March) for so many issue of “Footnotes,” so we’ll do another set. Remember, years now that for some people, when they see October on substitute one letter for another to solve the following: the calendar, their minds immediately turn to thoughts of 1. q tujjte teqxbubs uo q rqbsexlf o jmubs, the Friends of the Newburyport Public Library’s Great Old pfj q tlj li usblxqbze uo hfoj qo pqr. Book Sale. — jmlgqo q. eruolb. Mark Your Calendar Now 2. jp zyg kyh’s iaz ahzsujhe, zyg tyh’s on Do you follow a routine to prepare for the sale? If so, it marrnk gdyh sy qndnas js. probably starts with marking your calendar, so here are the — marvjh myyrjken. dates for this year’s fall sale: 3. do ebmejb rma’q isaq qm lmhb mvq qm Book donations accepted at the library—Saturday, October qzb csjj esuf, amcmrt’w gmdag qm wqme 17, at 9:00 AM, to Wednesday, October 21 at noon sharp). qzbh. — tmgd cbuus. Members-Only Preview Night—Wednesday, October 21, 4. zrtowcg xc iy jwcm kxiitcz xj 6:30–8:30 PM ntcgutgm’w etwz cxfhwcg. Opening Day—Thursday, October 22, 9 :00 AM–8:30 PM — rxqmrf qmckhnmy. 5. yqe rpemjcro aegafe vgo’y lks agfjyjcrf Great Old Book Sale continues—Friday, October 23, zgklfe-yrft ugmebem. 9:00 AM–6:30 PM. Although the selection is now more limited, — xemrfz ugmz tons of books still remain, and prices are reduced by half. Entries, limited to one per member, must be sent to Al Great Old Book Sale Discount Day—Saturday October 24, Lavender, 10 Rawson Hill Road, Newburyport, MA 01950 9:00 am–3:00 pm. We provide the bag, you fill it—for 3$ .00 or e-mail to: [email protected]. Deadline for receipt Meet Ms. Paige Turner of entries is October 1, 2015. Paige is a Friend with a ritual of preparing for the sale: Contest Results “First I bring out the box with books I’ve been collecting The answers to the cryptograms in the last issue are: since the last sale,” she says. “I like to have my donations ready beforehand so I don’t miss the dates set aside for 1. Once you eliminate the impossible, whatever remains, no matter how improbable, must be the truth. donations. Now where is that box?” — Sherlock Holmes Upon finding the box in a closet, she pulls it out for 2. If everything seems under control, you’re just not inspection. “Oh dear, I have to remove these videotapes? Ah going fast enough. well, they’re no longer accepted for the sale, but everything — Mario Andretti else looks good. I simply have to jot down these dates! Now 3. Success usually comes to those who are too busy to be where’s my calendar? Of course, it’s on my phone! I’m ready looking for it. — Henry David Thoreau for the fall 2016 Great Old Book Sale. 4. You got to be careful if you don’t know where you’re “I’ve noticed the people who volunteer to help are going, because you might not get there. — Yogi Berra friendly, and they look like they’re having fun. I’ve been 5. The man who does not read good books has no hoping to find a new way to meet people, so this year, I think advantage over the man who cannot read them. I’ll offer my help,” Ms. Turner decides. — Mark Twain Paige Turner has the right idea. Find your donations Sheila Johnson, winner of this contest, was chosen at and mark your calendar for the October Great Old Book random from among the five correct answers received. Sale. Starting early in October, a binder with volunteer sign- up sheets will be available in the library lobby beneath the bulletin board by the foot of the stairs. Hillary Hawkins Online events calendar: WWW.NEWBURYPORTPL.ORG/EVENTS John P. Marquand—A Brief Chronlogy 1916 As member of Battery A of the Massachusetts National Guard, which is activated for duty, JPM is Marquand was born into a sent to the Mexican border. Newburyport family with a 1922 JPM’s first novel, The Unspeakable Gentleman, is proud heritage of shipbuilders published; he marries Christina Sedgwick, with whom and mariners, and was a great- he will have a son and a daughter nephew of Margaret Fuller and cousin of Buckminster 1925 JPM’s first important book is published: Lord Fuller. He considered his early Timothy Dexter, a work of nonfiction. years in Newburyport as for- 1935 Publication of Your Turn, Mr. Moto—first of mative for his writing career the series that will bring JPM great fame; JPM and and success. Following is a brief synopsis of some of the Christina are divorced highpoints of his life. 1936 JPM marries Adelaide Ferry november 10, 1893 John Phillips Marquand is born in Hooker; the couple will have two sons Wilmington, Delaware; shortly after, the family moves and a daughter to Rye, New York, a wealthy suburb of New York City 1938 JPM wins Pulizer Prize for his novel 1907 The Crash of 1907 devastates the family The Late George Apley, published in 1937 financially, and JPM’s parents send their son to live 1940 JPM addresses first meeting of with two aunts and a great-aunt at Curzon’s Mill; he the Association of Library Friends, attends Newburyport High School Newburyport 1911 JPM graduates Newburyport High; he enrolls at 1942 H. M. Pulham, Esquire Harvard College, which awarded him a scholarship published; like many of JPM’s novels, 1915 JPM graduates Harvard; the Boston Evening it becomes a well-received movie (in Transcript hires him as a reporter this instance, one directed by King Vidor and starring Hedy Lamarr and Robert Young) 1949 Publication of Point of No Return, JPM’s Marquand Honored at Annual Meeting satirical novel about W. Lloyd (continued from page 1) Warner’s Yankee City project (a sociological examination of the Tracy Mansion), and at that meeting guest speaker John Newburyport) P.