More murder, mayhem at the library

Published 1:14 pm Monday, October 22, 2018

On Thursday, Clark County Public Library’s monthly Local History Potluck Dinner Program presents another chapter of its most popular series of lectures, Bluegrass Murder and Mayhem chapter XI.

In time for Halloween season, reference librarians Jennifer Mattern and Angela Turner will narrate the details of shocking but forgotten crimes committed in the Bluegrass region.

It will be their Night of the Dead celebration, and after all, isn’t that what this time of year is all about?

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A time when the veil between the contingent and spirit realm thins and the departed return.

These returns traditionally occur during mealtime making the potluck dinner that precedes the program all the more appropriate.

So, throw a dishtowel over some hot dish — perhaps a stuffed jack-o’-lantern or spooky calzone snake — and join your friends, neighbors and fellow fans of horrific history for another splendid chapter of Bluegrass Murder and Mayhem.

This program is free and open to the public. The potluck dinner begins at 6:15 p.m.

If you only want to enjoy the presentation, please arrive about 6:50 p.m. In either case, please make a reservation to attend by calling the library at 859-744-5661, or use the online Evanced registration system on the library’s homepage, www.clarkbooks.org.

No need to register haints. They usually hover.

Before the Local History Potluck or any time you come to the library during the rest of October, take a moment to look at the Halloween exhibit in the Reference section.

There are some fantastic classic Halloween images on display.

One on the left-hand side of the reference reading area is so horrifying we have to keep it covered. If you do look at it, please recover it when you recover from your fright.

On the table at the front of the display are images of library staff in past Halloween costumes. See if you can see through their disguises.

Need good Halloween decoration or costume ideas? Talk to circulation manager, Lynn Wills. She can teach Tim Burton a thing or two.

Other programs include:

— At 11 a.m. Monday, the All Over the Page Reading Group discusses The Girl Who Knew Too Much, by Amanda Quick. Discovering the body of a beautiful actress at the bottom of a pool at an exclusive California hotel, rookie reporter Irene Glasson investigates the victim’s secret about an up-and-coming man and becomes drawn to a once-famous master magician whose career was mysteriously cut short. Books are available at the Circulation Desk.

— At 2 p.m. Wednesday, Kentucky Picture Show presents a 2016 film that chronicles the summer 1989 afternoon when the future President of the United States, Barack Obama, wooed his future First Lady, Michelle Obama, on a first date across Chicago’s South Side. It is rated PG-13.

— At 7 p.m. Wednesday, Jeff Gurnee proves there’s no infomaniac like a reference librarian as he befuddles patrons of the Engine House Pizza Pub with mind-twisting Trivia Challenges.

— At 10 a.m. Friday, local writers meet at Write Local to carry forward the great American tradition of shopping cart stories.

Earlene Conner has canceled her book signing scheduled for Oct. 27 because the book’s publisher made a printing error. Conner is having that problem rectified, and as soon as the corrected copies are available, she will reschedule the autographing.

Be sure to read next week’s column.

It will be an eerie Halloween story written by Kentucky Horror author and CCPL librarian, James Gardner. It concerns a librarian who checks out ghoulish books.

John Maruskin is director of adult services at the Clark County Public Library. He can be reached at john.clarkbooks@gmail.com.