Iola Public Library will kick off the new year with programs on soup, William Inge, the Allen County vegetarian colony, and more.
First up is the monthly Intrepid Readers book discussion program at 2 p.m. Thursday. The book selection is Four Plays by William Inge.
A week later, the program William Inge: the Life and Work of the Kansas Playwright follows, at 7 p.m. Jan. 10. Sarah Owen, Independence Community College librarian, discusses the life of this talented and troubled native son of Independence who committed suicide at the age of 56. The William Inge Collection at Independence Community College includes his personal papers, typewriter, movie posters and more. Selected items from the collection are on display in the lobby at Iola Public Library.
Inge is known for his portrayal of everyday Midwesterners. He won a Pulitzer for Picnic. It and Bus Stop, Come Back, Little Sheba and The Dark at the Top of the Stairs were all made into popular movies after a run on Broadway. Inge himself won an Academy Award for his screenplay Splendor in the Grass. His works were shaped on stage and screen by such talents as Elia Kazan, Paul Newman, Marilyn Monroe and Warren Beatty.
Attendees of Hearty Soups for Winter will help make and sample two recipes from Roger Carswell: Sausage Lentil Soup and Cheeseburger Soup. If they dont eat it all, they can even take some home (but should bring a container). Pre-registration and a fee of $2 are required by Friday. The program will be in the Flewharty-Powell Annex to Iola Public Library, 211 East St. at 6 p.m., Jan. 7.
The second in the A Message of Hope series is A Story of Survival at 3 p.m. Jan. 12.
Tracy Call-Keagle will present a first-hand account from a woman who survived sexual abuse at a very young age. The program is in the Flewharty-Powell Annex.
Blue Hawk Trading Post will be presented at 6 p.m., Jan. 17. Belinda and Mike Adams will talk about the work they do at Blue Hawk. They are devoted to the accurate reproduction of fur trade gear, leather work and clothing, sometimes called Mountain Man gear.
The monthly Pinterest Party is a surprise craft for Valentines Day at 6 p.m., Jan. 21. The class is limited to 25 people. Pre-registration and fee of $3 are required by Jan. 18.
Vegetopia, a Humanities Kansas Speakers Bureau presentation on the 1856 vegetarian and octagon society colony in Allen County, rounds out the month. More controversial than this bands abolitionist stance was the meatless diet promoted by leader Henry Clubb. The colony never thrived, and Clubb eventually recovered from his first failure to become the father of American vegetarianism. This program about the uniquely American tradition of utopian thinking will spur lively discussion on the practicality of chasing dreams. Diane Eickhoff and Aaron Barnhart are the presenters. The program is at 7 p.m. Jan. 29, with a snow date of Feb. 4, if necessary.
