Book Arts

This month's selection is "Empire of the Summer Moon: Quanah Parker and the Rise and Fall of the Comanches, the Most Powerful Indian Tribe in American History"! If you're new, welcome! Don't worry if you can't finish or don't like the book, we're here for good casual conversation...

**The Arts of Life with Nancy Burbridge - Discover Yourself through Art!** **You're Invited to 'Arts of Life'** A meditative journey through art with local artist Nancy Burbridge. Join us every third Monday of the month at the Meditation Museum from 1:00 PM - 3:00 PM for an afternoon of creativity, relaxation, and self-discovery. In this interactive session, you will learn how to draw, paint, and explore the beauty within, cultivating the best version of yourself in a serene and supportive environment. Come experience the magic of art and meditation as tools for self-expression and inner growth. All materials are provided, and no prior experience is necessary. Just bring your curiosity and a willingness to explore! We can't wait to see you there! Mon., Mar. 16th, 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm. Held at Meditation Museum, 9525 Georgia Ave., Silver Spring, MD 20910. Free Event – Register at: [https://shorturl.at/ofyK5](https://shorturl.at/ofyK5)

[Profs and Pints DC](https://www.profsandpints.com/washingtondc) presents: **“Terrors of Irish Fairylore,”** an introduction to Ireland’s strange and unsettling folkloric “Good People,” with Brittany Warman, former instructor at Ohio State University, co-founder of The Carterhaugh School of Folklore and the Fantastic, and co-author of the new book *Fairylore: A Compendium of the Fae Folk.* [Advance tickets: $13.50 plus sales tax and processing fees. Available at[ https://events.ticketleap.com/tickets/profsandpints/dc-irish-fairlylore]( https://events.ticketleap.com/tickets/profsandpints/dc-irish-fairlylore) .] Today it is common to think of fairies as small, childlike, sparkly creatures with glittering wings and dresses made from flower petals. But the fae of traditional Irish folklore were no such things. Amoral, capricious, even malicious when they chose to be, the too-frequently forgotten fairies of times long past would, more often than not, haunt nightmares. Join Brittany Warman, a folklorist who has earned a devoted following among Profs and Pints fans, as she explores the darker side of Irish fairylore. The figures she'll discuss include: The Leanan-Sidhe, a vampiric fairy who gives artistic inspiration in exchange for your mortal spirit. The Dullahan, a fairy with a human spine for a whip and a habit of hurtling across fields in a death coach made from human skin. The Banshee, a mournful fairy whose cry signals a death in the family to which she's attached herself. Dr. Warman also will examine the surprising impact of fairy folklore on two classics of Irish Gothic literature, Oscar Wilde's *The Picture of Dorian Gray* and Bram Stoker's *Dracula.* It’s a talk that will remind you that the relationship between the Irish and the spooky stretches well beyond Halloween. (Doors: $17, or $15 with a student ID. Listed time is for doors. Talk starts 30 minutes later.) Image: “The Banshee Appears,” an 1862 illustration by Robert Prowse (Wicklow Heritage / Public domain).

📚 Do you love reading, but wish you had a structure and a community to share your insights with? Join our small circle of curious minds (just 4 members per gathering) as we come together for an hour of focused reading—in the calm setting of a library or the cozy atmosphere of a café. Here’s how it works: First part: Quiet reading on your own—bring a book you’re exploring, whether it’s philosophy, history, psychology, literature, or anything meaningful to you. Second part: We regroup and each person shares key takeaways, insights, or questions sparked by their reading. This sparks a structured yet free-flowing conversation around ideas, perspectives, and personal reflections. Why join? Add structure to your reading habit. Discover new books, authors, and ideas through others’ choices. Build real connections by sharing and listening deeply. Socialize around something meaningful instead of small talk.

\*\* Tickets are $71.50 ($65 + tax) and can be purchased [here.](https://www.exploretock.com/barcelona-wine-bar-14th-street/event/594770/terroir-uncorked) \*\* UNCORKED is a walk-around tasting where we open 30 different bottles from our list—a chance to try the cellar of our award-winning wine program. The wines are paired with seasonal paella and passed tapas. Each time we host, we dive into a different theme. This time, we’re uncorking terroir. Terroir is a French term that refers to the natural environment in which a wine is made. This includes everything– but most often focuses on soil, topography and climate, ultimately producing a bottled sense of place. Our 400+ bottle program deeply focuses on terroir, becoming a collection of places that can be experienced through a pour. For this UNCORKED, we’re opening 30 wines that we think are some of the clearest expressions of place out there. We can’t wait to share these truly transportive bottles with you.

Join us for a writing workshop! Please submit your pieces to our Google Drive folder here: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1Fs6SX-XO5kRk6uPAJzvgDY3PpmvHPtyE?usp=drive_link When entering submissions, please consider the following guidelines: 1\. Keep submissions to approximately 2\,000 words\, maximum 2\. Consider adding a brief Author's Note to introduce your work and let us know what kind of feedback you are looking for 3\. Please ensure that your submission is appropriate for a general audience and include trigger warnings as necessary 4\. Try to post your submission by Saturday or Sunday at the latest so that people have time to read it before the event\. If you are coming to participate in Workshop, please read the submissions in the folder by Monday evening and prepare your feedback! We will aim to discuss each piece in the submission folder, although some pieces may be pushed to the following workshop if time runs short. Feel free to add your notes as comments on the document itself, write them up in a separate file, or jot them down so that you can provide them to the writer.

**Hi everyone!** Join us in March to discss Margo’s Got Money Troubles 💵 Whether you finish the book or are still working through it, we’d love to have you there. Happy Reading !

Artistic Artifacts hosts **Open Stitch sessions EVERY Thursday evenings** from 5:30 - 7:30 pm — join us! This is a drop-in, bring your own hand stitching project and the necessary supplies (or you can knit, crochet... whatever needle arts you like). There’s no fee to attend, no instruction nor agenda — just a time to spend with other creatives! Visit our website for all our class & event information: **[https://artisticartifacts.com/collections/wk](https://artisticartifacts.com/collections/wk)**

Artistic Artifacts will celebrate National Quilting Day with a full slate of quilting inspiration & demonstrations! We’ll be showcasing the power and precision of our BERNINA machines throughout the day with ongoing demonstrations! Whether you’re curious about longarm quilting, mastering free motion, or exploring quilting in the hoop, there’s something for every quilter. **Bring a friend, tell your guild members and celebrate National Quilting Day at our shop, 4750 Eisenhower Avenue** in Alexandria, VA. **[Visit our website for a list of ongoing demonstrations](https://artisticartifacts.com/products/march-21-national-quilting-day)** you can enjoy!

SOLD OUT: Learn to needlefelt an adorable owl sculpture of your own! Becca Woodford is a self taught & experienced needle felt artist, who happens to work in our shop! In this class you’ll learn the basics of needle felting, including tools and techniques. Starting with how to felt the basic sphere shape, you’ll move on to learn how to add details to make an owl with your own personal twist. You’ll leave class with a finished wool sculpture of an adorable owl — or if not completed, the tools and confidence to finish at home. Your registration fee includes a complete **[Owl Needle Felting Kit by Woolbuddy](https://artisticartifacts.com/products/owl-needle-felting-kit-by-woolbuddy)**, which contains all the premium natural merino wool needed and two felting needles. Learn more about this class, download your student supply list and pay for your registration via Artistic Artifacts' secure online website: [https://artisticartifacts.com/products/intro-to-needle-felting-with-becca-woodford](https://artisticartifacts.com/products/intro-to-needle-felting-with-becca-woodford) \*\*\* Registrations for all Artistic Artifacts classes MUST be paid for [through our website](https://artisticartifacts.com/collections/wk), or via a visit to our shop at 4750 Eisenhower Avenue. We encourage you to RSVP here, but to ensure your seat you MUST follow through via our website. [View our complete class policies »](https://artisticartifacts.com/pages/class-policies)

Join DC Metro Crafts for our mid-month meetup. Bring your own cross stitch, knitting, crochet, or other portable craft. The Southwest Library is half a block from the Waterfront Metro. We're upstairs in Conference Room 2 at 5:30pm. Take the elevator to the second floor and the room is on your left. If you take the stairs, take two rights and the room is on your left.

Come Craft with us at either the MLK Library or the Kogod atrium of the Portrait Gallery. There are generally knitters/crocheters/needle workers in both places. Our success has made us a fairly large group so we are meeting in both places on Saturdays. Don't let the lack of RSVPs stop you, they aren't required, nor is membership to our group. Bring your project and join a boisterous group of crafters in first floor of either building.

This will be the first ever Book Club Meet up for this group! * We will be discussing Dating After the End of the World by Jeneva Rose (if you would like a free EPUB copy of this book to read on kindle, message me & I can send you the ebook) * ***Changed the book from Daggermouth due to it being independently published and hard to find in print**** * Feel free to attend even if you haven't started or finished the book ◡̈ ! * Small snacks will be provided. You’re welcome to bring your own snacks & drinks too! * Even if the meetup event shows full, you are welcome to come. If you can no longer attend the event, no worries, just please try to update your status on meetup for it.

**Our March pick is *God of the Woods* by Liz Moore.** **This month’s novel is an award-winning literary mystery that blends family drama with psychological suspense. It explores women’s voices and relationships while delivering an exciting, eerie, and deeply suspenseful story. The book is 576 pages in print or 14 hours and 35 minutes on audiobook.** Early morning, August 1975: a camp counselor discovers an empty bunk. Its occupant, Barbara Van Laar, has gone missing. Barbara isn’t just any thirteen-year-old: she’s the daughter of the family that owns the summer camp and employs most of the region’s residents. And this isn’t the first time a Van Laar child has disappeared. Barbara’s older brother similarly vanished fourteen years ago, never to be found. As a panicked search begins, a thrilling drama unfolds. Chasing down the layered secrets of the Van Laar family and the blue-collar community working in its shadow, Moore’s multi-threaded story invites readers into a rich and gripping dynasty of secrets and second chances. It is Liz Moore’s most ambitious and wide-reaching novel yet.

Welcome, readers! Our March read is **_The Bean Trees by Barbara Kingsolver._** The story follows Taylor Greer, a young woman from rural Kentucky who leaves home for the West, only to find herself unexpectedly becoming the guardian of an abused Native American toddler named Turtle. In Tucson, Arizona, they form a makeshift family with a diverse group of people, including Guatemalan refugees and a single mother, exploring themes of motherhood, community, belonging, and finding hope in hardship. The story blends humor with serious issues, creating a story about finding family in unexpected places. Looking forward to discussing with everyone! We will meet at Zaftig Brewing Co in their event room in the back. We are welcome to bring in our own food, but **drinks must be purchased at the bar.** Happy reading! 📖

Join us for our March Book Club gathering where we will come together to discuss *The Manor of Dreams* by Christina Li in a safe and welcoming environment. Make new friends who share your passion for books and connect with fellow LGBTQ book enthusiasts.

This month we’ll be ready The Fifth Season by NK Jemisin. Feel free to come even if you don’t finish the bookk!

5:45-7:45 in Conference Room B, Library lower level. Bring your yarn projects, meet new friends. If you plan to attend, please RSVP yes. If you can’t attend, please change your RSVP to no. This helps anyone who is waitlisted and it allows me to have an accurate count of attendees as our space is quite limited. Plenty of parking in the lot, in the overflow lot across the street, and on the street. See you there! Winter Note: If the weather is bad and I have to cancel the Meetup, i will issue the cancellation not later than 3 p.m. of that day.

Join us for an hour of writing! We’ve discovered that it’s strikingly helpful to write with other writers. See if it’s true for you at 7:00pm on Wednesday, March 25 at Streetlight Guild. Be it a book, blog, script, essay, dissertation, resume, melody, poem or just plain work stuff, you are invited to write it with us. No one will see what you've written or give you unsolicited advice. Instead of just thinking about writing, come and get some real writing done. **SCHEDULE:** 6:45ish - Quick introductions 7:00 - Timer starts: write for 1 hour 8:00 - The End **OPTIONAL SOCIALIZING** happens before and after the writing hour. Writing is very solitary. Connecting (and sometimes even commiserating) with other writers is a cool thing. **BEING LATE IS OKAY:** just show up and get settled! If you were on time, please be willing to make room for the friendly latecomer. Happy writing & I look forward to seeing you at Streetlight Guild! **WHAT SHOULD I BRING?** Whatever you need to be able to write! You're welcome to bring earplugs/headphones if noise will bother you! **OTHER IMPORTANT DETAILS:** * **RSVP:** Please RSVP by 6:00pm the evening of the meeting. This helps me know how many to expect, and if we'll need additional space! * **COVID:** While masks are not required, please be mindful of the other writers around you and their comfort levels. * **WIFI/OUTLETS:** Outlets are limited, so please ensure your devices are charged when you come! But Streetlight Guild does have free WiFi! Yay! * **PARKING:** There is free public parking at Streetlight Guild.