Dolores Public Library aims to liven up your weeknights this winter with the return of its outdoor and travel-themed lecture series Winter Tales, slated for every other Thursday night beginning in January.
Dolores resident Carolyn Gunn starts the series on Jan. 10 by taking attendees on a vicarious journey to Northern India. The trip, which Gunn took earlier this year, included a stop at the Dalai Lama’s residence in exile in Dharamsala, as well as the Golden Temple of the Sikhs in Amritsar, among other sites.
On Jan. 24, Crow Canyon archaeologist Kristin Kuckelman will share stories of recent hominin excavations she participated in while camping on the Serengeti in Tanzania. Kuckelman will share stories and photos from a trip to Lake Turkana in Kenya, where she toured sites of key hominin finds, visited vaults of recently recovered hominin remains and viewed the oldest stone tools ever recovered.
On Feb. 7, Dolores resident Dr. Julie Orr will discuss her book “Scotland, Darien and the Atlantic World, 1698-1700,” published in 2018 by Oxford University Press. Orr’s book — which took her to archives and libraries all over the world to research — uncovers a true but little-known tale of espionage, contraband trade, shipwreck, religious conflict, the indigenous Cuna, and the story of Scotland´s failed 17th-century colony in Panama.
Closing out the series is Fort Lewis College professor and Dolores resident Dr. Janneli Miller’s presentation on the Mediterranean city of Alicante, Spain. Miller’s presentation recounts the colorful, boisterous and pyrotechnic summer solstice celebrations she enjoyed during her time in the city while teaching at the University of Alicante.
The library is at 1002 Railroad Ave.
For more information, visit Doloreslibrary.org or call the library at 882-4127.
The scheduleJan. 10: “Northern India Up Close,” with Carolyn GunnTake a journey through Old Delhi’s ancient bazaar and monuments, Agra’s treasured Taj Mahal, the British Raj’s summer residence at Shimla, the Dalai Lama’s residence-in-exile in Dharamsala, the Golden Temple of the Sikhs in Amritsar and points in between. Dolores resident Carolyn Gunn made this journey by taxi, bus, train (and elephant), in 2018.
Jan. 24: “Archaeology in Tanzania & Kenya,” with Kristin KuckelmanThe upcoming presentation by Kristin A. Kuckelman will address recent travels in which she participated in hominin excavations at Olduvai Gorge while camping on the Serengeti in Tanzania (2016). She also studied paleoanthropology at Lake Turkana, Kenya with the Leakey family (2017), which included touring sites of key hominin finds, visiting vaults of recently recovered hominin remains, and viewing the oldest stone tools ever recovered. Fringe benefits included safaris to Ngorongoro Crater in Tanzania and the Masai Mara wildlife reserve in Kenya.
Feb. 7: “Scotland, Darien & the Atlantic World,” with Julie OrrEncompassing espionage, contraband trade, shipwreck, religious conflict and the vital role of the indigenous Cuna, the story of Scotland´s failed seventeenth-century colony in Panama provides one of history´s cautionary tales. Exemplifying unanticipated consequences resulting from pursuit of economic advantage, the “Darien Disaster” echoes across the centuries and underscores the critical role of historical perspective in international relations. Dr. Julie Orr is the author of “Scotland, Darien and the Atlantic World, 1698-1700,” published in 2018 by Edinburgh University Press.
Feb. 21: “Summer Solstice in Alicante,” with Janneli MillerIn Alicante, Spain, the month of June is devoted to summer solstice celebrations. The festival in the Mediterranean city of roughly 300,000 includes hourlong parades, music and dancing in the streets, firework displays, pyrotechnic explosions, food and beer booths, and culminates on June 24 – the feast day of St. John – with the burning of giant statues all over the city. Miller taught a course in Gender and Health at the University of Alicante in summer 2018, and will share some of her photos of the festival. Learn why she calls it a “pagan festival gone industrial-world wild.”
Jessica Gonzalez is a library assistant at the Dolores Public Library.