July Events

Hard as it is to believe, today's the last day of June. I know it's a cliche, but time sure does fly! Cheryl always says that when you get to the 4th of July, summer is basically over. I'm not ready to concede that yet, but I know the second half of the summer will go just as quickly as these first six weeks--and I want to be sure YOU don't let our upcoming events sneak up on you and fly past before you even knew they were coming.

Our Summer Camp will begin in the middle of next week, with an event for grown ups. On July 9 we're teaming with the Cafe on the Square to see if there's interest in an afternoon book club or writing group here in Seward. At 2:00 that afternoon, anyone interested in forming a writers' group--not a critique group, just a group of writers who want to meet regularly to affirm each other, keep each other committed to the writing process, and maybe engage in some creativity or writing exercises such as those Lucy Adkins and Becky Breed describe in their inspiring book Writing in Community--is invited to join us at the Cafe for an informational session. Then, at 3:00 we'll host a similar organizational meeting for anyone interested in forming a book club. For both groups, the Cafe will provide (for a small fee) snacks and coffee and a place to meet, so no one has to clean their house or bake. Chapters will help with book selection and give members a 20% discount on books purchased for discussions.

A highlight of our camp will be the Type Rider II Tandem Poetry Tour Stop on Saturday, July 12 at 10 a.m. at the Olde Glory Theatre and Community Hall. This event, cosponsored with the Seward Arts Council, features New Jersey poets Maya Stein and Amy Tingle, who will ride a tandem bicycle and tow two manual typewriters 1400 miles from Boulder, Colorado, to Beloit, Wisconsin, building "Little Free Libraries" and promoting poetry, community, a love of reading, and a spirit of collaboration along the way. Their Seward stop will also feature Lincoln poets Marge Saiser and Lucy Adkins, as well as Nebraska author and Little Free Library expert Charlotte Endorf. Participants will help construct a wooden library box for a local community, learn about the Little Free Library project, receive personalized poems by Maya and Amy, participate in a bike rodeo, and read and write poetry with Lucy Adkins and Marge Saiser. We'll have snacks, too, of course. All ages are welcome, and activities will be appropriate for both kids and adults. We're hoping families will come to enjoy the event together.

Then, the actual "Camp" activities will be Monday-Wednesday, July 14-16. From 10-11:30 a.m. 4-6 year olds will enjoy activities with favorite characters doing funny stuff--Pigeon takes a bath, Pete the Cat wears sunglasses, and kids have lots of fun. We may even throw a 10th birthday party for Chapters! Ages 6-10 meet in the afternoons from 1-2:30 p.m. to eat bugs, make Star Wars characters from old books, do some calf roping, build with Legos, and spend time together having fun, based on our most popular camp activities from past years. Preregistration is required, and space is limited, so call 402-643-2282, email, or visit our website at www.sewardchapters.com to register now.

Camp week ends with a joint venture with the Seward Memorial Library as we bring author James Kimble to town to discuss his book Prairie Forge: The Extraordinary Story of the Nebraska Scrap Metal Drive of World War II.  He will talk about Nebraska's role in organizing the scrap metal drive that spread across the nation and yielded five million tons of metal for the war effort. Learn more at 7:00 p.m. on July 17. Books will be available for purchase and autographing.