HPL Blogs

We thought it was a fitting time this Hispanic Heritage Month, which runs from September 15 to October 15, to call attention to the work of Latina poets, whose contributions have long been overshadowed by the better known Latino giant of the poetry world, Pablo Neruda.

Here’s a list of Latina poets assembled by Graciela Rivera, branch manager of the Park Street Library and curator of HPL’s Spanish-language collection. It represents a small sampling of works both in our collection and beyond. We hope it provides a starting point to explore less familiar Latin American voices that are as rich and varied as the individual poets and the time and place in which they lived.

Julia Alvarez

Julia Alvarez is a Dominican-American poet, novelist, and essayist who may be best known for her novel, How the Garcia Girls Lost their Accents and In the Time of the Butterflies, which was made into a movie produced by and starring Salma Hayek.

The theme of being caught between two cultures runs through both her poetry and fiction. Born in 1950 in New York City, Alvarez was raised in the Dominican Republic, but had to leave the country

when she was 10 years old when her family supported an unsuccessful attempt to overthrow Dictator Rafael Trujillo and had to flee to Brooklyn. Her other works of fiction include Saving the World. Alvarez also has several children’s books to her credit. Her latest volume of poetry, The Woman I Kept to Myself, was published in 2004.

Carmen Boullosa

The writing of this Mexican poet and novelist deals largely with feminism, the gender roles of Latin American women, social and political injustices, and sexuality. Both her poetry and novels celebrate the tradition of magical realism. Boullosa’s poetry has been anthologized in numerous collections.

Leaving Tabasco, a coming-of-age story about a charming and imaginative girl raised in a home filled with magical women, is one of her better known works of prose.

Julia de Burgos

This Puerto Rican poet, who got her own postage stamp, is credited with being one of the only writers of her generation to weave together themes of romance and political activism

in her work. She bucked the norms of her time, wearing pants and refusing to get married. Her work primarily focused on feminism and social justice. In addition to being a poet, De Burgos was also an activist for both women and African/Afro-Caribbean writers. Recommended read: Song of the Simple Truth: The Complete Poems of Julia de Burgos, translated by Jack Agueros.

Gabriela Mistral

This early 20th century Chilean, feminist poet whose real name is Lucila Gody y Alcayaga, was a one-time teacher of Pablo Neruda and the first Latin American woman to receive the Nobel Prize in Literature. Writing under the pseudonym Gabriela Mistral, she is best known for her work advocating the rights of women, exploring motherhood and sexuality, and her critiques of the homogenization of

North America. Considered by many to be the greatest female Chilean poet of all time, Mistral’s face was even featured on Chilean banknotes. A good work to start with: Madwomen: The “Locas mujeres” Poems of Gabriela Mistral, a bilingual collection translated by Randall Couch.

Excilia Saldana

This Afro-Cuban writer and poet is best known for her experimental writing that blurred the boundaries between poetry and prose. Her work drew heavily from mythology and folklore, but above all she was a poet who strove to convey truths about the lives of Carribbean women, from domestic violence and female friendships to their dual roles as mothers and romantic partners. Try reading: In the Vortex of the Cyclone: Selected Poems by Excilia Saldana.

Alfonsina Storni

Born in Switzerland and raised in Argentina, Alfonsina Storni is considered one of the most important

modernist poets of Latin America. She spent her life writing from Coronda, Buenas Aires, and later Uruguay. Her work features both feminist and erotic themes considered progressive when she wrote them in the early 1900s. Check out My Heart Flooded with Water, a selection of poems from seven of Storni’s collections, translated by Orlando Ricardo Menes.

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HARTFORD – In October 1920, with the passage of the 19^th Amendment, thousands of Hartford women queued up to register for the newly acquired right to vote in the upcoming presidential election. Their voter registration card, along with thousands of other city residents’ cards, are preserved and made accessible in Hartford Public Library’s Hartford History Center (HHC).

October 1920, a new online exhibition that focuses on the Hartford women who registered to vote for the first time, goes live September 14, 2020, the 100^th anniversary of the day when the state of Connecticut ratified the 19^th Amendment to the Constitution, giving women the right to vote. Through these historical public records, we are introduced to a diverse contingent of civic-minded women – whether single, married, or widowed; black or white; Jewish or Christian; housewives, stenographers, undertakers; native born or foreign born – who took advantage of this long-fought opportunity to register to vote.

“The Hartford History Center at HPL houses a remarkable record of Hartford’s public history including the Town and City Clerk Archives from 1639 through 1970, the records of the Hartford City Parks Commission from the 1850s through the present, and Hartford’s voter registration records from the 1840s through the 2000s.  Taken together these three huge collections contain a wealth of information about Hartford and its citizens.  They reflect the city’s rapid growth and prosperity and its increasing diversity,” said Brenda Miller, the Library’s Executive Director, Culture and Communications.

The spine of the October 1920 project comes from a collection of voter registration cards from that landmark year, a trove of demographic and biographic information about who came to the polls in that historic election.

In the early 1900s, voter registration was only open twice a year, March and October, and only every two years.  Only a few hundred people would apply. In 1920, somewhere between 15,000 and 17,000 women registered to vote out of 19,000 women eligible. Hartford’s overall population was about 138,000 people.

“We started thinking about this this past Fall. We really wanted to do something that would highlight what we have in the collection. The voter registration cards are very unique,” said Jennifer Sharp, HHC Archivist.

“We wanted to release it on the 100^th anniversary of the 19^th amendment. It was too monumental an anniversary not to recognize it,” said Maureen Heher, HHC Historical Research Specialist.

In the lead up to the election, women lined up to practice what to do at the polls. They caught up on the issues at stake and in the positions of the people on the ballot. “They were very engaged. There was a real push to make sure that women understood what they were doing,” Heher said.

Sharp and Heher said that while doing research they were struck by the patriotism of the people of that time period. The women who fought long odds to get the vote believed in government’s ability to help people and in their own

“The biggest takeaway for me was how many people wanted this,” Sharp said. “These were people who wanted to participate in the process.”

“When these women were given the right to vote, it was treated as a sacred duty. It was an obligation – now that we have it, it is our duty to do this, they felt,” Heher said.

Sharp said it’s hard to look at the time period, where over 90 percent voter turnout was not uncommon, and to not feel a level of concern about the current state of our democracy where turnout is low and some people feel as if their vote is meaningless. “We have this right and we have to use it,” Sharp said.

The digitization of the Hartford Voter Registration Collection held in the Library’s Hartford History Center, and the subsequent transcription of the cards and making the cards’ digital images accessible online through the Connecticut Digital Archive was made possible through the generous support of Abraham Ford Jr., Hartford Foundation for Public Giving, Michael Howser, Janice Mathews, Anne E. McAloon, B. Miller and Pradeep Bajaj, Pomeroy-Brace Fund, Brenda Roggeveen, Gilda and David Roncari, and Stephen and Amy Saunders. 

To see the exhibit, visit hplct.libguides.com/October1920.

For more information about the Hartford History Center, visit its webpage.

For more information about Hartford Public Library, visit hplct.org.

By Steven Scarpa, Manager of Communications and Public Relations

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Hartford Public Library (HPL) is presenting Hartford’s L.I.T. (Literary Integrated Trailblazers) virtual programming event, “All Things Lit Live!” – festivities of literary bliss on September 19, 2020, from 10:00am until 5:00pm. Zoom events will  stream on Hartford Public Library’s Facebook page.

Register free on Eventbrite and follow HLIT on Facebook.

HLIT’s virtual programming is a culmination of the literary community, celebrating the craft of writing, the business of books and the beauty of literature. This event will contain workshops, literary discussions and readings, a panel discussion where writers and publishers meet, Griot storyteller, local author highlights, featured poets, Bookstore highlights, literary intellectuals, words and thoughts turned into a patented Conscious Conversation card game by Alphonso McGriff III, as well as a poetry writing workshop led by the Hartford Poet Laureate, Frederick Douglass Knowles.

Hartford’s L.I.T. (Literary Integrated Trailblazers), is a group of local authors, artists, and entrepreneurs. Their mission is to establish presence and awareness of Greater Hartford’s local authors, diverse artists and entrepreneurs to revitalize literary arts and communication. H.L.I.T. focuses on literacy, literary productions, entrepreneurial building and networking within Hartford communities, including the underserved and non-traditional communities.

Virtual Event Program
September 19, 2020 10:00am-5pm

HLIT Author Highlights The following authors will be featured throughout the day sharing their works and reading excerpts from some of their books. All of which will be available for purchase.

Lyndell Williams is an award-winning writer and bestselling author. She has been published in peer-review journals and presented at national conferences. She is the founder and managing editor of the NbA Muslims blog on Patheos. Her work has been published in peer-reviewed journals and she is a contributor to multiple online publications.

Rosa M. Bailey, aka CEO Boss Lady, is a native of Hartford, CT. She currently resides in Bloomfield, CT. Her love of reading makes the library her favorite place to visit. She is a wife and the proud mother of three adult sons and four grandchildren. Ms. Bailey is the CEO of RMB Management Group, a full-service training and development center for aspiring entrepreneurs and leaders.

Mack Writtens; Prior to being the educator that he is today, when Mack Writtens was a young student he struggled to find stories that he could resonate with and characters that look like him. He heard those same feelings echo throughout the communities he’s experienced. Mack Writtens is dedicated to producing relatable and impactful stories across all sub-genres of fiction that feature black and brown characters.

Mikala Guyton; First-time author Mikala Guyton brings her thrilling perspective to the page with Home Body: Poetry & Prose, a peculiar and refreshingly ambitious collection of poetry and prose. Mikala is an artist and prize-winning writer based in Connecticut. She grew up writing stories about strange characters in familiar places and creating art in whatever medium she could get her hands on. Always having a special love for the written word, she obtained a B.A. in writing and worked as an editor in publishing for a few years before finally giving in to her raison d’être: writing. Home Body: Poetry & Prose is her first book. She currently lives with her head in the clouds, working on many books to come.

Dianne Gill is a Connecticut native raised in the town of Bloomfield.  She is the self-published author of the Cruisin Trilogy. In her early twenties her love of writing led her to entering essay contests and ultimately becoming self-taught writing in the short story format.  Using her maiden name, she created D. James Publishing, LLC in 2012 and focused on making something of all her work. The Cruisin Trilogy is an exciting collection that has something for everyone.

NBS Malay is a published author, singer, spoken word artist, writer, braider, curator of NBS Malay’s Speak N’ Eat bi-weekly open mic in Massachusetts

JV Harvey is an award-winning producer, director, and author of an adult novel “A Step Into The Rain” and the children’s books “Harvey The Little Brown Duck” and “Even Dragons Have To Go To Bed.” What he likes most of all is producing and directing, he has a few short films that have won awards for and a cooking show in the works that he is planning to produce this summer! Are you a behind the scenes person or do you want to be the first one to talk on the film set! We’ll find out!

Lynette Johnson is a poet, a performing artist, a voice actor and an event host. She has published four collections of poetry and her most recent book was also a one-woman show; Supreme.  Using poetry, Lynnette discusses relationships, injustice, God, love and unlove with a little humor and plenty of vulnerability.  She looks forward to continuing to use her art to uplift and connect.

Rell Erwin is a children’s co-author who writes chapter books, middle school books, and YA books with his four youngest children. THE HOWLING HAPPENINGS released in 2015, was the first book in the Kizzy Kloo Mystery Series co-written with his daughter, Evie Erin. The second book in the series THE GOLDEN EGG, was released in 2019 and is currently available on Amazon in paperback and e-book versions as well as it can be purchased directly through the publishing company website at www.hurstonfifth.com.

Darlene Fernandez  aka Dee Truepoetry was born in New York City and presently resides in Waterbury, has been writing since 1996. She began spoken word in 2009, gracing many stages in Connecticut, Massachusetts, New York and New Jersey. Dee Truepoetry mother of three, author of Broken Silence, entrepreneur, State of Connecticut Beat Poet Laureate of 2018-2020, President of Make’Em Believe based in Waterbury. Also, a Curator of many events like Grown and Sexy Poetry and Poetry Matters. Her passion is to make a difference in the community by inspiring others to take action hoping her words of encouragement will live forever through her poetry.

Where Publishers & Writers Meet – Panel Discussion moderated by T’challa Williams

Publisher – Melissa-Sue John, Ph.D. is a wife, mother, social psychologist, university lecturer, grant writer, business consultant, mentor, author, and publisher. She enjoys lecturing, researching, and writing. Her professional roles led her to write and publish diverse children’s literature with her two daughters, Olivia Lauren and Alyssa Simone, where they focus on STEAM education, diversity, inclusion, and universal design. Dr. John currently serves as the Chief Executive Operator and Blogger of Lauren Simone Publishing House. Visit www.laurensimonepubs.com to learn more.

Publisher – Maryam A. Sullivan (Author Umm Juwayriyah), Umm Juwayriyah, MA; 2018 Highlights Foundation Fellow;  #MuslimGirlsReader Founder;  New England Muslim Sisters Association Editor-in-Chief. Her company Sabr Publications offer a list of Best Sellers: The Size of a Mustard Seed * Hind’s Hands * The Princess and The Good Deed* Yaseen’s Big Dream*

Writer – Lyndell Williams is an award-winning writer and bestselling author. She holds a B.A. in Historical Studies and Literature, M.A. in Liberal Studies, and an AC in Women and Gender Studies. She is an adjunct instructor as well as an anti-racism and gender equity advocate.

Writer – Lashawn Henderson Middleton is a published poet and author, Board member of Journey Writers Inc. A nonprofit organization in Hartford, CT and Executive Co-Founder of Hartford’s L.I.T.

Independent Book Store Spotlights
We will hear from three Independent Bookstores that have pushed through these trying times and held onto old customers while garnering new ones! Let’s find out what worked for them and more.

• People Get Ready Bookstore of New Haven Connecticut
• The Key Bookstore of Hartford, Connecticut
• Riverbend Bookstore of Glastonbury, Connecticut

Poetry Writing Workshop
With Hartford Poet Laureate, Frederick-Douglass Knowles II; poet, educator and activist involved in community education. He is the inaugural Poet Laureate for the City of Hartford. His collection of poetry, BlackRoseCity was featured at the 2018 Association of Writers & Writing Programs (AWP). His works have been featured in the Connecticut River Review; Sinkhole Magazine; Poems on the Road to Peace: A Collective Tribute to Dr. King Volume 2 by Yale University Press; Lefoko magazine, and Fingernails Across the Chalkboard: Poetry and Prose on HIV/AIDS from the Black Diaspora by Third World Press. His poem “Mason Freeman Cuts Jenkins Down,” has been nominated for a Pushcart Prize. His sonnet “Sunday School in the 90’s (the way I understood it)” won the 2019 Nutmeg Poetry Award. Frederick-Douglass is an Associate Professor of English at Three Rivers Community College.

Featured Poets & Performers

Naomi D. Williams; Lynette Johnson; Darlene ‘DeeTrue Poetry’ Fernandez

HLIT Dedication Poem – HLIT Team
A reading from Hartford’s L.I.T. dedicated to Black Men

Storytime with Andre Keitt Andre Keitt , The GreatHeart Griot felt a strong connection to the cultural arts from an early age and says that storytelling is “in his blood”. His beloved grandmother Martha Greatheart Thompson, “Mama Thompson,” told him stories that he uses today in his tale telling. Mr. Keitt received a Bachelor’s of Arts in English from the South Carolina State University and worked doing outreach, marketing, writing, teaching and performance arts for such places as the Hartford Public Library, the Dallas Public Library, the Greater Hartford Arts Council, the Bushnell Memorial Performance Hall, the Hartford Stage Company and the Hartford Symphony Orchestra. He will be reading for the youth.

The legendary Life, & Literary Work of  Zora Neal Hurston  A discussion with Professor Marilynn S. Turner, moderated by Nzima Hutchings. Prof. Turner will be leading a conversation on Hitting a Straight Lick with a Crooked Stick, a 2020 publication of the works of Zora Neale Hurston. She will explore the life of Hurston the artist; how her race and gender impacted her work; and her legacy as a writer.

Conscious Conversation Cards with Alphonso McGriff III Alphonso McGriff III is an Executive Founding member of Hartford’s L.I.T., Advisor, Spokesmen, and Stage Manager. As a Public Intellectual, Author, Patented Inventor, a Licensed Cosmetologist, and Speaker. He proposes that when Divine Universal Humans Becoming . . . improve the quality of their consciousness, they will also improve the quality of their decisions, their actions, who they are, their reality, and their lives. He has found his present LIFE purpose in sharing McGriff’s Unique Approach to Harmonious and Productive Communication.

Writing it Out: Healing & Owning Her-Story with Nzima S. Hutchings Nzima Sherylle Hutchings will lead a roundtable candid discussion about writing to heal and expressive truths with contributors from the Every Kinda Lady and Her Sister’s Pages anthology and Poetry Cafe Spiels group.Nzima’s Every Kinda Lady Co. offers free writing to heal workshops for women in the Hartford area and at Mount Holyoke College, Annual Women of Color Trailblazer Leadership Conference; helping women to leave a written legacy, write out their puzzle pieces, heal and tell their story without editing. Nzima facilitated healing through poetry and expressive writing workshops at Saint Francis Hospital, (Greater Hartford Family Advocacy Center), for sexually traumatized young girls. Thus,led her to embark on new projects for teens coming in 2021. The staple used in all her workshops is her book, the Every Kinda Lady Expressive Writing Prompts and Journal. (Write the Hell Out Your Story).

everykindalady@gmail.com  www.everykindalady.com www.bn.com

Black Speculative Fiction with author & editor B. Sharise Moore
B. Sharise Moore is a New Jersey native and graduate of Rutgers University. Moore’s poems and short stories have appeared in several anthologies and journals such as Chosen Realities: Summer 2020 and Fiyah Literary Magazine.
At present, she is a sixth grade English Language Arts teacher, the host of Moore Books with B. Sharise on YouTube, an acquiring editor for Fiyah Literary Magazine, and a graduate student at McDaniel College where she is pursuing a Master of Science degree in Curriculum and Instruction with a concentration in Writing for Children and Young Adults. Her debut YA magical realism novel, Dr. Marvellus Djinn’s Odd Scholars is scheduled for release this fall.

Words, Songs & Books with NBS Malay: singer and published author NBS Malay will discuss the process of writing songs, knowing which songs become music and which become poetry and the excitement of publishing your stories.

From Idea to Production with playwright Dr. Valerie Ingram,  Dr. Ingram Playwright, Drama Therapist, Transformation Coach & Chaplin, Doula, RSS, LCHW, Reiki Master Teacher and owner of Ruby’s Realm Productions will discuss taking an idea into a story that becomes your script and many of the ways you can produce it.

Theatrics; The Art of Delivery with T’challa Williams: Author and actress T’challa Williams will discuss the various ways to deliver lines on stage and how to confidently use your space to present your character and command the audience.

Hartford’s L.I.T. – The TeamNzima Sherylle Hutchings: Founder & Visionary, CEO, Organization Director & Program Designer of Hartford’s L.I.T. Published Author, Poet, Owner & Visionary of Every Kinda Lady Co., Expressive Writing and Literary Wellness Coach; Custom Journal Designer; Community Advocate for the Greater Hartford Family Advocacy Center, and 2020 100 Women of Color Honoree, as well as founder of, I am KNIA Project.

T’challa Williams: Executive Co-Founder, Spokeswoman, Chief Advisor, Director of Organization Affairs, Editor, Project Manager; CEO of Wright Ink Productions, Published Author, Actress, Poet; Community Activist, Chairperson of the School Governance Council for HPHS, Member of Greater Hartford Art Council Artist Advisory Committee

Alphonso McGriff III: Executive Co-Founder, Spokesman, Liaison, Advisor, Stage Manager; Published Author, Poet, Intellectual Speaker, Cosmetologist, Inventor and creator of Conscious Conversation Cards and Alphonso Speaks

Lashawn Henderson-Middleton: is a graduate of Andrew’s University,Founding member,Commemorative Arts Award Official, Owner of Lashawn Bakes, Published Poetess, diversity poet for The Village for Families and Children; Board Member of Journey Writer’s Inc.

Naomi D. Williams: BA English,Wesleyan University 19’, HLIT Member, Collegiate Liaison, Model and a published Poetess

H.L.I.T. has “made it our mission to commit to the awareness and production of literary events within our community. Our stories are being told and we need to ensure that they are heard, discussed, and learned from.”

Hartford’s L.I.T. Staple Virtual programming 

*H.L.I.T Book Chat

*Lit Justice Mic

*Author Highlights

*Kiddie Corner Saturday Storytime

Hartford’s L.I.T. Staple Events

*Brothas Be Heard

*Unfinished and Finished Literary Work

*ChocLit Sundaze

*HLIT Literary Holidays

*Speakeasy – A Banned Books Cafe Hour

*HLIT Annual Hartford Book Festival

Annual Community Outreach

Book Drives

Children Book Giveaways

Food Drives

3-Day Festival 2 Venues

Hartford’s L.I.T. (Literary Integrated Trailblazers)
Annual Hartford Book Festival & Writer’s Conference

May 21st & 22nd, 2021

Hartford Public Library

500 Main St, Hartford, CT 06103

May 23rd, 2021

An Evening of Poetical Musing

Free CNTR

460 New Britain Ave, Hartford, CT 06106

Hartford’s L.I.T. would like to thank all HLIT Red Shirt Volunteers, supporters, and contributors.

For inquiry about Hartford’s L.I.T.

Hartfordslit@gmail.com

Follow us on Facebook and Instagram

www.Hartfordslit.com

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HARTFORD – Hartford Public Library is looking for musical artists to perform as a part of our dynamic concert series.

Hartford Public Library is accepting submissions for in our Baby Grand Jazz series, which runs 16 Sundays from January through April. These popular free concerts have been a staple of Hartford Public Library since 2004. The concert series boasted its highest attendance in 2020.

Ensembles must include a pianist who will play the Library’s grand piano. HPL will livestream the concerts on HPL’s Facebook and YouTube channel. These will be virtual performances, not with an in-person audience.

The library is accepting rolling submissions; deadline for the 2021 series is October 16th 2020. Videos may be submitted through this link:  https://hplct.submittable.com/submit/173766/baby-grand-jazz-virtual-series-2021.

As an anchor institution, the Library plays an important role in the region’s cultural, social and economic development while contributing to the stability, safety and quality of life in Hartford. The Hartford Public Library supports artistic excellence by engaging local communities in new and exciting ways through an array of inspiring artistic programs.

For information about the Baby Grand Jazz series, visit https://www.hplct.org/classes-seminars-exhibits/baby-grand-jazz

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Jose Santiago had only been in Hartford for a couple of weeks when he made the connection that would change his life.

“I had lost my job as a social worker in Ohio and my mom had just moved from Brooklyn to Connecticut. She said that there was a lot of work in Connecticut. Why don’t you come out this way? I said to my wife, OK, let’s see what is out there,” he said.

He quickly found work at the now defunct San Juan Center helping people find jobs. Two weeks into his work an opportunity crossed his desk that caught his attention – a position at Hartford Public Library’s Ropkins branch.

“I thought that this was a nice thing,” he said.

There had to have been a catch, he thought. The position had been open for a while and he knew that the neighborhood was rough. They were looking for someone with a library degree. Santiago wasn’t sure. A colleague, Karen Krukas, encouraged him to move forward.

“She said, ‘Jose at this point, go for it. You never know,’” Santiago said.

She was right. Santiago was hired after a single meeting with then-library director John Burgen, where they hit it off over their shared military service.

“It was meant to be. That was the beginning of a new career at a wonderful place,” he said.

Thirty-six years later, Santiago has decided to retire August 28.

“Everyone is very sad he is leaving” said Julie Styles, manager of public services at the Downtown Library and Santiago’s supervisor. “I think for a lot of people it is hard to imagine the library without him. He’s beloved by his teammates and coworkers.”

“Jose Santiago was one of the first people I had the pleasure of meeting when I first arrived at HPL in 2016. He made a point of greeting me, welcoming me and engaging me in conversation. It was such a pleasure to learn more about him, his work at HPL, and his family,” said Bridget Quinn-Carey, HPL’s president and CEO.

Chatting with Santiago is a walk through library history. He drops the names of long retired or deceased staff members. He talks about the youth he supervised and the customers he helped. He points around the Atrium – there used to be a print shop over here and stacks over there. There was no air-conditioning and it used to get so hot during the summers they’d have to send everyone home at 11 am.

He remembers the really big shift for HPL (and for libraries in general.)

“We got a memo that said ‘The zebras are coming,’ I’m picturing all kinds of animals. But Zebra was the library’s first computer. You know what? I didn’t like it … Technology was taking away what I was dealing with my whole life since I was a kid. It took me a lot to accept that,” he said.

After a year at Ropkins, Santiago was placed in charge of the page and messengers department, a group of high school and college aged workers charged with caring for the collection. It was hot, hard work.

“You had the freedom to laugh, but you had to get the job done. That is what we were there for,” said Nelson Lora, a longtime HPL staffer who Santiago hired 32 years ago.

Lora said Santiago’s work ethic was always readily apparent and an example to young people like himself just coming up in the library. “You always, no matter what the task is, you have to attack and you have to finish it. You have to get it done,” Lora said.

By the early 1990s, it was clear that things needed to change around the library. Under library director Louise Blalock, the library went through a much needed renovation and organizational restructuring. For Santiago, that meant the end of the pages and messengers department and a new position in as caretaker of the collection itself, a role he has held to this day.

“I love it. I love helping people … I wish I could go longer because I love what I am doing,” he said. “It is about the customer. They are everything. I am going to stick with you until you get everything that you need.”

The word everything is not a bit of hyperbole. If there is a customer who doesn’t speak English and needs to navigate the complex bureaucracies of unemployment or other assistance, Santiago steps in, Styles said. “He goes out of his way to help people at a personal level, well beyond what is expected of him. He really relates to our patrons. He knows it can be frustrating when you hit a roadblock and it is important to him to remove these obstacles,” she said.

“His kindness and thoughtfulness show through in all he does – for other coworkers and especially with our customers. He is patient, attentive and makes sure everyone gets the help they need. He is an amazing model of exemplary service, even when faced with challenging people and situations,” Quinn-Carey said.

Santiago came by his love of libraries early. Starting at the age of six, he would go to a library in his hometown of Brooklyn and help the librarians put the books back on the shelves.

“The library was my home growing up,” he said. “It was something I really wanted to do.”

He served in the Marines for six years, advancing to the rank of sergeant and participating in Operation Eagle Pull, the mission at the end of the Vietnam War evacuating American personnel from Phnom Penh.

Library work was, in many ways, his destiny. Like most HPL staff members, Santiago believes in the altruistic aspects of the job. “The satisfaction you get when a person comes in who needs a job, or just a good book to read and you provide them what they need,” he said.

“Jose goes out of his way to help the people of Hartford. I’ve seen it with my own eyes. The people who come here from somewhere else, the library is the first stop because they need help and they don’t have anyone to help them,” said Lora.

Santiago plans to be busy in his retirement. He and his wife of 40 years Maricella will be moving to Ohio in the fall. He also plans to volunteer helping veterans. He hopes that when the pandemic passes they can take a long awaited trip to Rome.

Santiago is a spiritual man and reads his Bible every day. There is a verse he felt was apropos to his retirement, but he didn’t quite remember where from. “There is a time for that, there is a time for this … there is a time for everything,” he said.

The verse is from Ecclesiastes. “To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven …”

By Steven Scarpa, Manager, Communications and Public Relations

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Hartford Public Library will be holding a series of events at each of our community locations to help anyone seeking to fill out the 2020 Census or register to vote.

Librarians will be on hand to offer assistance filling out the 2020 Census mobile questionnaire and voter registration forms. There will be free books and ice cream available at each event.

“Voting and completing the Census are two of the most fundamental – and easy – things a citizen can do to help their communities. It is our goal at HPL to encourage as many people as we can to participate in the civic process,” said Bridget Quinn-Carey, HPL’s president and CEO.

Currently, Hartford’s Census self-response rate is 46.2%, a number that doesn’t include response collected by Census enumerators. The deadline to get a full count for Hartford is September 30.

“We want to help Hartford get to a 100 percent count,” Quinn-Carey said.

The events will take place the following dates:

September 3, Albany Library,

September 8, Camp Field Library, 3-5 pm, 30 Camp Field Avenue

September 14, Dwight Library, 3-5 pm. 7 New Park Avenue

September 15, Camp Field Library, 3-5 pm

September 16, Park Library, 10 am-12 pm 744 Park Street (Art Box across the Street from the branch)

September 18, Downtown Library, 12-2 pm, 500 Main Street

September 23, Park Library, 1:00-3:00 pm, 744 Park Street

For more information, visit hplct.org.

To learn more about the 2020 Census, visit census.gov.

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Hartford Public Library has received $14,810 in funding from Cigna to pilot a new program called ARTLink, a series of community art workshops dedicated to increasing awareness around mental health through the arts.

“We are exceedingly grateful to Cigna for supporting this important initiative. We live in stressful times, which can often exacerbate mental health conditions. We know that participation in the arts has a number of positive social outcomes, not the least of which is an increase in quality of life. Through a range of artistic expression, this project will help combat the stigmas associated with mental health that can prevent people struggling with mental illness from seeking help,” said Bridget Quinn-Carey, HPL’s president and CEO.

“Whether we are creating it or experiencing it, art has the capacity to stir our souls, lift our spirits and help us make sense of the world around us. And now, with funding from Cigna, the ARTLink program will use art to advance mental health awareness and promote healing, which is essential during the unsettling times we’re now experiencing,” said Wendy Sherry, president of Cigna’s Connecticut market.

ARTLink, a mental health wellness art series, will consist of four series of community art workshops – podcasting, keyboarding, pottery and visual arts – all taught by working artists. Each series will host workshops with five participants, in line with COVID19 safety protocols, and each series will offer weekly workshops starting in October for a six-week period.

“Our city is dealing with many compounded challenges under COVID- it’s especially important now to continue carving out spaces for self-discovery, stress relief, wellness, and connecting with others,” said Liz Castle, HPL’s programming and events manager.

Through instruction and highlighting tools and resources for mental health information, ARTLink will work towards decreasing isolation and reducing the stigma and discrimination around mental and behavioral health, and provide participants the opportunity to learn new skills.

“Workshop participants will learn how to express themselves and their own stories in a series of hands-on art forms.  Working artists will teach workshops on how to produce and record your own podcast episode, how to begin playing the piano and record a song on a piano keyboard, how to use a basic pottery wheel and make a simple pot, and how to use visual art such as collage and painting to as a form of self-care,” Castle said.

ARTLink will culminate in an outdoor and online visual exhibition of all art and media created during the project. The locations of the outdoor exhibitions will be identified through collaborations with community partners, bringing public art to underserved communities.

The library will partner with Hartford Behavioral Health, the McKinney Shelter, and two Neighborhood Revitalization Zones to spread a message of education and community building to the streets.

For more information about Hartford Public Library programming, visit hplct.org.

For more information about Cigna, visit www.cigna.com.

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Hartford Public Library (HPL) will be hosting virtual School Choice Information Sessions on Wednesday, September 16 and Tuesday, September 29.

Representatives from the School Choice program will be on hand to answer questions about enrollment for the 2021-22 school year.

Both sessions will take place from 4:30 to 5:30 pm. To register for the event, e-mail schoolchoiceoffice@hplct.org, visit https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZcvd-yhrTgrE9H9i-qDzQ_qhBLsfxjozJjx, or call 860-306-9757 or 860-969-9148.

Participants will be eligible to enter a raffle to win backpacks filled with school supplies and family pizza dinner certificates.

“Parents should attend because it will give them all the information they need to make decisions about the upcoming school year and to learn what they need for the current school year,” said Rajranie Busgith, school choice coordinator.

The process of signing up for schools can be a nuanced one, Busgith said. She encourages parents to explore what school will work best for their child. Once they select a school, school choice coordinators can help them negotiate the application, response and registration processes.

“There is a lot that goes into making the decision,” said Busgith.

Information will be presented on:

• What the school choices are
• Who is eligible to apply
• How families can explore, apply and respond when it comes to school choice
• Where and when families can apply
• Zones and transportation
• The distinctions between Hartford and non-Hartford residents.

The event will conclude with a question and answer period.

For more information about school choice visit HPL’s information page at https://www.hplct.org/library-services/parents/school-choice-assistance or the Regional School Choice Office website at ChoiceEducation.org.

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Murals recognizing the contributions of people of color to Hartford’s rich history will be unveiled at virtual ceremonies taking place August 29 and September 17.

In an effort to update the traditional historical narrative of Hartford, Hartford Public Library worked with city teens, elders, and local artists to create public art celebrating the stories of city change makers from the Black, Latinx, and indigenous communities.

“We are so pleased to recognize people who have made a difference in the community, some who may not yet have been appropriately recognized for their contributions. The Library is here to share their stories, make sure they are remembered by future generations, and also to provide an opportunity for our young people to connect with and be inspired by the legacy and impact of these Hartford changemakers,” said Bridget Quinn-Carey, HPL’s president and CEO.

The murals, created as a result of a series of community workshops, will be at the following locations:

Melanin – Albany Ave & Blue Hills

Mural reveal: August 29, 3-5pm

Art Box, Park Street

Mural reveal: September 17, 5:30-7:30 pm

Viewers can watch both celebrations live streamed on Hartford Public Library’s Facebook page and YouTube channel. These live streamed celebrations will feature an unveiling of the mural celebrating Hartford Changemakers and a showcasing of artwork produced by summer workshop participants.  Tune in for live dance and music performances, as well as a showcase of photography and storytelling.

Nygel White, HPL’s YOUmedia Program Coordinator and one of the organizers of the program, is honored to work on a project that he believes contributes to the empowerment of Hartford’s youth. The project gives them the ability to dream, he said.

“I think the fact that so many people from the community have been able to contribute to the development of the workshops has provided a glimpse of their ability to positively impact our city in ways that weren’t always clear or available. I believe the celebration and culmination of all of the community work that has been taking place in the series of workshops will ultimately make the power of the people evident,” White said.

The workshops, which have included photography, dance, storytelling, and poetry, have brought together people from all walks of life to explore untold aspects of the city’s history through their own talents.

“The mural workshop, an all women group with women representing the North End and South End, Black and Latinx Hartford communities, and ages 13-68, have such an incredible joy to bear witness to. We’ve transferred all of the learning, discussions, and art sharing into designs and mural creations. Mural paint days have also included some of the participants’ children. It’s been a great way to deeply connect across the city, intergenerationally, culturally, and linguistically, in a way that we rarely get to do with site-based physical programming,” said Jasmin Agosto, Education & Community Outreach Manager for the Hartford History Center.

“Participants in the storytellers workshop have focused on the ‘unsung heroes’ in their lives- the people who watched over them and others in their neighborhood, the people who fought for their communities in small and big ways, the people who kept Hartford alive and cared for. We need to keep telling stories of these heroes and sing their praise,” said Liz Castle, HPL’s programming manager.

Artist Instructor Bios

Mural Design & Painting – Lindaluz Carrillo & Mina Elise

Lindaluz Carrillo is an Afro Peruvian artist born in New York and raised in the South End of Hartford. She is an urban artist and graphic designer. Carrillo uses typography, textile patterns and graffiti elements to tell a story about her life experiences and values. Her work reflects topics such as self-love, growth, resilience, and encouraging others to stand in their truth. Her work serves as a message to speak your mind with honesty and without fear, in order to embrace who you are.

Mina Elise is a fine artist and illustrator navigating this world as a queer Black femme from Hartford, CT. Raised by a lineage of artists and healers, she understands that to be black and creative is to be a work of art itself. Her work reflects her identity, while inspiring those to redefine what beauty, intimacy, and love looks like to them.

Documentary Photography – Jasmine Jones

Jasmine Jones is a photographer and filmmaker based in Hartford. Her work focuses on daily life, overlooked moments, and ignored communities. Her goal is to showcase those who should be seen and heard and to use her art as an outlet for them to tell their own stories.

Dance – Ginette Christie

Ginette Christie aka Gin is from Bloomfield, CT. She took her first tap class at the age of 6 with Cheryl Smith at The Artists Collective located on Albany Ave in Hartford CT. She started dancing at The Collective again when she was 14 years old. While she was there she also developed skills in visual/fine arts. She has trained and taught classes in hip hop, West African, and modern dance at Studio 860, Northstar Dance Academy, The Dance Studio, Trinity College, Wellesley College, Connecticut College and more.

Dance – JuS

Justin “JuS” Hughes is a versatile musician from Bloomfield, CT who has made his mark in the industry. JuS has been singing and dancing since the age of 6 starting with genres such as African, Tap, Ballet, Jazz, and Modern. Since the day he knew he had the talent to sing and dance, JuS has involved himself in numerous activities in the Boston, Connecticut, New York and Southern areas. At age 10, JuS began pursuing Hip Hop and found that he was able to excel much higher in this genre of dance. JuS is a self-taught Hip Hop street dancer that has worked his way into becoming one of the most versatile choreographers, hard hitting dancers and performers in the field today. Working and touring with artists such as, Madusa from def Poetry Jam, Pharaoh Monch and Slum village, for the “Beats for Peace Tour”, JuS has also gained exposure to Sony/BMG Music entertainment. As a Choreographer, JuS has choreographed for artists that are breaking into the industry in front of Industry Executives from BET. Being an R&B, Soul, and Hip Hop singer, JuS has been able to utilize his talents and electrify every stage with his versatile performance. Attending Berklee College of Music in the heart of Boston, MA, Now CEO JuS of JuS Move Studios has become a well-known name throughout the East Coast. Currently JuS is working in the school system of Richard J. Kinsella Magnet School for The Performing Arts teaching music and dance to grades 4th – 8th, as well as the Thirman L Milner School teaching basic Keyboarding to grades 3rd-8th in Hartford, and the surrounding areas of CT.

Storytelling – Andre Keitt

“It’s in my blood…” says Andre Keitt Greatheart Griot, a native of Orangeburg, South Carolina, now residing in Connecticut, excelled in the cultural arts at an early age. Inspired by the storytelling of his grandmother, Martha Greatheart Thompson, “Mama Thompson”, Andre has a lore of tales that he will envision forever. He has a B.A. in English from South Carolina State University. For ten years he was one of the host/producers of “Black Perspective” an Emmy award winning public affairs television show aired on WVIT, an NBC affiliate in Connecticut. Some of the subjects broached on this program were: African Folklore, The Spirit of the Native American, Music of the Black Church, and Holiday Traditions. He is a member of the Black Caucus of the American Library Association (ALA) and has performed at library conferences in Columbus, OH, Milwaukee, WI and Winston-Salem, NC. Andre is delighted to be a teaching artist and literacy activity leader for students in Greater Hartford and surrounding regions for the following arts and humanities institutions: Hartford Stage Company, The Bushnell Memorial, Connecticut Humanities Council and Readers as Leaders, CT. He has also performed with the Hartford Symphony Orchestra.

Poetry – Versatile Poetiq

Versatile Poetiq (aka Brittana Tatum) is a spoken word artist and rap poet with a mission to enhance student’s abilities to understand and conceptualize poetry and spoken word. She uses an inclusive style of teaching that values success over a system and people over a plan. This enables her to connect with each student in deep, meaningful ways. A regular performer in the Hartford area hip-hop scene, Versatile graduated from the University of Hartford and teaches spoken word at Hartford Academy for the Arts.

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