Gig Harbor Literary Society May
The meeting will be held on Tuesday, May 7th at 6:00 pm at the Harbor History Museum. The book for our May meeting is What Comes After by JoAnne Tompkins.
After the shocking death of two teenage boys tears apart a community in the Pacific Northwest, a mysterious pregnant girl emerges out of the woods and into the lives of those same boys’ families—a moving and hopeful novel about forgiveness and human connection.
In misty, coastal Washington State, Isaac lives alone with his dog, grieving the recent death of his teenage son, Daniel. Next door, Lorrie, a working single mother, struggles with a heinous act committed by her own teenage son. Separated by only a silvery stretch of trees, the two parents are emotionally stranded, isolated by their great losses—until an unfamiliar sixteen-year-old girl shows up, bridges the gap, and changes everything.
Evangeline’s arrival at first feels like a blessing, but she is also clearly hiding something. When Isaac, who has retreated into his Quaker faith, isn’t equipped to handle her alone, Lorrie forges her own relationship with the girl. Soon all three characters are forced to examine what really happened in their overlapping pasts, and what it all possibly means for a shared future.
With a propulsive mystery at its core, What Comes After offers an unforgettable story of loss and anger, but also of kindness and hope, courage and forgiveness. It is a deeply moving account of strangers and friends not only helping each other forward after tragedy but inspiring a new kind of family.
The book is available from the Gig Harbor branch of Pierce County Public Library. You can get a copy in one of several ways:
1. Call and identify yourself as a Gig Harbor Literary Society member and the staff will put a copy aside for you.
2. Request through the library website.
3. Request an electronic version through the Libby app on your device. (If you don't know how to do this, the library staff may be able to help.)
We look forward to hearing your thoughts. As always, even if you don't have a chance to read or listen to the book, join us.
This event is FREE and open to the public. For questions, please contact Cindy Hackett at cynthia.hale.hackett@gmail.com
The experts say it isn’t “IF a disaster happens” but “WHEN a disaster happens.” A disaster can strike at a moment's notice — are you and your household prepared?
All Hazard Personal Preparedness Talk
Join Katie Arthur of the Pierce County Department of Emergency Management as she shows us how to develop a communication plan to stay connected with loved ones during a crisis, an evacuation plan to ensure swift and safe relocation, and a shelter-in-place strategy for situations that require staying indoors. Furthermore, we will share practical tips on gradually building an emergency kit over the course of a year, highlighting that it can be done at little or no cost. Lastly, she will provide examples of the what looking out for your neighbors and family looks like on a approachable and relevant scale.
Get to know Pierce County's Hazards — earthquake, lahars, wildfire, etc.
Make Plans — a communication plan, an evacuation plan and a reunification plan.
Build-a-Kit —a Go-kit vs. a Shelter-in-Place kit
Help Each Other — neighborhood and community teams
Sign-up for Emergency Alerts free of charge
Learn about real hazards in Pierce Country and the best planning practices to help mitigate the effects of a disaster. Getting prepared for disasters and emergencies is a lot easier than we think! Everyone can do something to get prepared that doesn’t have to cost a lot of money or take a lot of time.
Please RSVP to Robin at operations@harborhistorymuseum.org
Gig Harbor Literary Society June
The meeting will be held on Tuesday, June 4th at 6:00 pm at the Harbor History Museum. The book for our June meeting is The Boy With a Bird in His Chest by Emme Lund.
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Though Owen Tanner has never met anyone else who has a chatty bird in their chest, medical forums would call him a Terror. From the moment Gail emerged between Owen’s ribs, his mother knew that she had to hide him away from the world. After a decade spent in isolation, Owen takes a brazen trip outdoors and his life is upended forever.
Suddenly, he is forced to flee the home that had once felt so confining and hide in plain sight with his uncle and cousin in Washington. There, he feels the joy of finding a family among friends; of sharing the bird in his chest and being embraced fully; of falling in love and feeling the devastating heartbreak of rejection before finding a spark of happiness in the most unexpected place; of living his truth regardless of how hard the thieves of joy may try to tear him down. But the threat of the Army of Acronyms is a constant, looming presence, making Owen wonder if he’ll ever find a way out of the cycle of fear.
“An honest celebration of life and everything we need right now in a book” (Andrew Sean Greer, Pulitzer Prize–winning author), The Boy with a Bird in His Chest grapples with the fear, depression, and feelings of isolation that come with believing that we will never be loved for who we truly are and learning to live fully and openly regardless.
The book is available from the Gig Harbor branch of Pierce County Public Library. You can get a copy in one of several ways:
1. Call and identify yourself as a Gig Harbor Literary Society member and the staff will put a copy aside for you.
2. Request through the library website.
3. Request an electronic version through the Libby app on your device. (If you don't know how to do this, the library staff may be able to help.)
We look forward to hearing your thoughts. As always, even if you don't have a chance to read or listen to the book, join us.
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This event is FREE and open to the public. For questions, please contact Cindy Hackett at cynthia.hale.hackett@gmail.com
That Ribbon of Highway: Woodie Guthrie in the Pacific Northwest
Folksinger and activist Woody Guthrie composed 26 songs in 30 days while riding along the Columbia River and touring the Grand Coulee Dam Project in 1941. With his unique, authentic voice, he chronicled both the grandeur and the perils of what he called “The Greatest Thing That Man Has Ever Done” as an employee of the Bonneville Power Administration. His time here in the Pacific Northwest inspired a swell of patriotism that led Guthrie to enlist in the U.S. Merchant Marine in World War II, after which he returned home to fame and notoriety, but also to tragedy and tremendous personal loss.
Historian, teacher, folksinger, and actor Joel Underwood performs an hour that is part concert, part theatrical drama, and part lecture. Sing along to “Roll on Columbia,” “Pastures of Plenty,” and of course, “This Land is Your Land,” and learn the—sometimes hilarious, sometimes tragic—stories behind the songs.
Joel is an actor, teacher, musician, and historian. After 25 years teaching high school history, Underwood got his master’s degree in American History with a focus on folk and protest music. A recipient of the Woody Guthrie Fellowship, Underwood was granted access to the Woody Guthrie Archives in Tulsa, Oklahoma, to research Woody’s time in the World War II Merchant Marines. Underwood continues to tour as a musician, both solo and with his daughter.
This talk will be IN PERSON at the museum. To save your space, please RSVP to Robin Harrison, Operations and Marketing Manager at Harbor History Museum at operations@harborhistorymuseum.org .
Members: $5
Non-Members: $10
Coming Home: How the Nez Perce Tribe Regained Their Cultural Heritage
Brought to you by Humanities Washington. Harbor History Museum is excited to welcome author Trevor Bond — he is traveling all the way from Pullman, WA to give this talk at our museum!
Belongings deeply important to tribal communities are often housed in museums far away from those communities. In this talk, hear the remarkable story of how the Nez Perce Tribe and their allies purchased the largest and oldest collection of Nez Perce material culture—including dresses, shirts, and other regalia—from a museum over 2,000 miles away from their homeland.
In this hopeful story of cultural resiliency and making amends for past injustices, explore issues surrounding collection and curation, and the changing relationships between museums and Native communities. It’s a story that transcends the efforts of one Northwest tribe to show how many indigenous communities are reuniting with their heritage.
Trevor James Bond is the director of the David G. Pollart Center for Arts and Humanities and the associate dean for digital initiatives and special collections at the Washington State University Libraries. He is the author of Coming Home to Nez Perce Country: The Niimiipuu Campaign to Repatriate Their Exploited Heritage, a finalist for the 2022 Washington State Book Award for non-fiction.
Humanities in the Harbor is held at Harbor History Museum, 4121 Harborview Drive, Gig Harbor, WA 98332 or via Zoom. Admission is FREE thanks to Humanities Washington! Humanities Washington sparks conversation and critical thinking using story as a catalyst, nurturing thoughtful and engaged communities across our state.
This talk is presented in partnership with The Thomas S. Foley Institute for Public Policy and Public Service, which educates citizens across the state about democratic institutions and public affairs, and is based at Washington State University.
This talk will be IN PERSON at the museum. To save your space, please RSVP to Robin Harrison, Operations and Marketing Manager at Harbor History Museum at operations@harborhistorymuseum.org.
https://harborhistorymuseum.org/events
