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In a delicious blend of cultural criticism and personal narrative that explores our cognitive biases and the power, disadvantages, and highlights of magical thinking, Amanda Montell now turns her erudite eye to the inner workings of the human mind and its biases in her most personal and electrifying work yet.
“Magical thinking” can be broadly defined as the belief that one’s internal thoughts can affect unrelated events in the external world: think of the conviction that one can manifest their way out of poverty, stave off cancer with positive vibes, thwart the apocalypse by learning to can their own peaches, or transform an unhealthy relationship to a glorious one with loyalty alone. In all its forms, magical thinking works in service of restoring agency amid chaos, but in The Age of Magical Overthinking, Montell argues that in the modern information age, our brain’s coping mechanisms have been overloaded, and our irrationality turned up to an eleven.
In a series of razor sharp, deeply funny chapters, Montell delves into a cornucopia of the cognitive biases that run rampant in our brains, from how the “halo effect” cultivates worship (and hatred) of larger-than-life celebrities, to how the “sunk cost fallacy” can keep us in detrimental relationships long after we’ve realized they’re not serving us. As she illuminates these concepts with her signature brilliance and wit, Montell’s prevailing message is one of hope, empathy, and ultimately forgiveness for our anxiety-addled human selves. If you have all but lost faith in our ability to reason, Montell aims to make some sense of the senseless. To crack open a window in our minds, and let a warm breeze in. To help quiet the cacophony for a while, or even hear a melody in it.
About the Author: Amanda Montell is a writer and linguist from Baltimore. She is the author of the acclaimed books Wordslut, Cultish, and The Age of Magical Overthinking. Along with hosting the podcast Sounds Like a Cult, her writing has also appeared in The New York Times, Marie Claire, Cosmopolitan, and more. She holds a degree in linguistics from NYU and lives in Los Angeles with her partner, plants, and pets. Find her on Instagram @Amanda_Montell.
Click HERE to view the author event after January 23.
Click HERE to view the book in the Library's catalog.
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The Gernert Company represents more than 500 authors and is a full-service literary agency with offices in New York and Los Angeles. Their client list is as broad as the market and they represent fiction, both literary and commercial (such as Liz Moore, John Grisham, Louise Penny, Cixin Liu), as well as general nonfiction and practical nonfiction genres.
In this presentation, Fishman will deep dive into what happens after you’ve signed with a literary agent. He will cover many topics, including but not limited to:
- What agents are and are not looking for,
- How to submit your work to an agent and when,
- What to expect after you've both said "yes!" to working together,
- What you can look forward to as you ready your work with an eye towards submitting to publishers, including the revision process and so much more.
About the Author: Head of the Los Angeles office, Seth is a Vice President and agent at The Gernert Company, which he joined in 2010 after beginning his career as an agent at Sterling Lord Literistic, Inc. Born in Midland, Texas, he graduated from Princeton University and earned an MFA in Creative Writing from the University of East Anglia in Norwich, England. His interests are wide-ranging, but in particular he's looking for the new voice, the original idea, the entirely breathtaking creative angle in both fiction and nonfiction. He lives in Los Angeles with his wife and children, and is the author of the award-winning picture book, A Hundred Billion Trillion Stars, along with Power Up and The Ocean In Your Bathtub, as well as two YA books.
Click HERE to view the author event after January 28.
This story time will take place every Tuesday morning. Join us!
No registration required.
Due to space, Please choose 1 session to attend.
This story time will take place every Tuesday morning. Join us!
No registration required.
Due to space, Please choose 1 session to attend.
Program for kids ages 8-12, kiddos 5-7 welcome with parent attendance.
Note: Due to state statute, kids under the age of 12 must have a parent present inside the building for the duration of the program.
It’s a day off from school – come spend it at the library! Level up your afternoon at our Video Game Day! Join us for two hours of gaming fun with four Nintendo Switch systems, an Xbox Series One, and a Meta Quest VR headset, featuring a variety of age-appropriate games.
When you’re ready to take a break from the screen, dive into cool gaming-themed crafts. Whether you’re a gaming pro or just looking to hang out, there’s something for everyone. Bring your friends and get ready to play, create, and have a blast!
Essex Library programs are free and open to the public.
Registration is required, space is limited.
Visit the Essex Library this month to play an adult board game and meet new people! Games will include Ticket to Ride, where players compete to claim railway routes and connect cities by playing matching train cards, or Wingspan, where players compete to score the most points by playing various bird cards, collecting eggs and gathering food, among other selections. All meetings will take place in the Library's conference room.
This program is FREE and open to the public at 33 West Avenue, Essex, CT. No registration is necessary, drop-in!
Meet up with other beginner to intermediate French speakers to practice conversation in a friendly environment.
If you need time and a place to focus on your writing, the library has set aside a block of time just for you with a new interest group for writers. Come meet fellow writers to socialize for half an hour, followed by an hour of writing time. No prompts. No critique. Just write! All levels and all genres welcome.
Stay & Play is a pop-in social time for children and their caregivers. Come for a few minutes, or stay for a couple hours! This is your time to socialize, and make memories with your child.
Essex Library programs are free and open to the public. No registration required. Pop in!
Come create your own character and join the adventure where we will fight monsters and explore new lands. Both new and experienced players are welcome. These sessions are for teen players.
Advance registration is required as seating is limited.
Reading to a therapy dog has been proven to improve reading skills, self-esteem, and confidence in public speaking sessions. Sign up to spend time with and read to Louie the Labrador, a local, licensed therapy dog and his handler, Rebecca Russell. Time slots will be a private 15 minutes to read to and interact with Louie.
This free event is open to all kids & teens who wish to practice reading, or spend time, with a therapy dog.
Reading to a therapy dog has been proven to improve reading skills, self-esteem, and confidence in public speaking sessions. Sign up to spend time with and read to Louie the Labrador, a local, licensed therapy dog and his handler, Rebecca Russell. Time slots will be a private 15 minutes to read to and interact with Louie.
This free event is open to all kids & teens who wish to practice reading, or spend time, with a therapy dog.
Reading to a therapy dog has been proven to improve reading skills, self-esteem, and confidence in public speaking sessions. Sign up to spend time with and read to Louie the Labrador, a local, licensed therapy dog and his handler, Rebecca Russell. Time slots will be a private 15 minutes to read to and interact with Louie.
This free event is open to all kids & teens who wish to practice reading, or spend time, with a therapy dog.
Reading to a therapy dog has been proven to improve reading skills, self-esteem, and confidence in public speaking sessions. Sign up to spend time with and read to Louie the Labrador, a local, licensed therapy dog and his handler, Rebecca Russell. Time slots will be a private 15 minutes to read to and interact with Louie.
This free event is open to all kids & teens who wish to practice reading, or spend time, with a therapy dog.
Join us at Essex Library for a talk with Dr. Mikel Maria Delgado on why cats play and how interactive play can give your cat an outlet for one of their instincts, hunting! She'll address cats who might be more challenging to play with, including "lazy cats," senior cats, and cats in multi-cat homes. Learn about some of her favorite toys and tools for playtime and get ready to have more fun with your cat! This virtual program is FREE and available to the public. Register HERE or by calling the Library at 860-767-1560.
About Dr. Mikel Maria Delgado
Dr. Mikel Maria Delgado is a Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist and Certified Cat Behavior Consultant who has been working with cats professionally for over 20 years. She worked as a cat behavior specialist at the San Francisco SPCA for eight years before co-founding Feline Minds, where she offers assistance to cat owners, animal shelters, and corporations.
Mikel completed her PhD in animal behavior and cognition at UC Berkeley and was a postdoc at the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine, where she researched the social and feeding behaviors of cats and the health and behavior of orphaned neonatal kittens. She is the author of the book “Play with Your Cat!” and co-authored the 2017 book “Total Cat Mojo,” with Jackson Galaxy. Mikel lives in Sacramento, CA with her boyfriend and their three cats: Ruby, Coriander, and Professor Scribbles.
Program for kids ages 2-5.
Step into a world of enchantment with our Fairy Tale Storytime, featuring magical stories, whimsical songs, and imaginative fun!
Join us for themed stories, songs, rhymes, and crafts! We’ll learn early literacy concepts like colors, shapes, opposites, the ABCs and much more, to prepare our pre-school age children for kindergarten.
Essex Library programs are free and open to the public.
Registration is encouraged to ensure enough crafts are prepared.
Program for families with kids of all ages who enjoy stories, songs, and movement.
Looking for a lively Saturday activity the whole family can enjoy? Join us for a play-based music and movement story time designed with families in mind! Perfect for parents who work during the week, this story time is packed with songs, dances, and stories that encourage kids (and parents!) to get moving, laugh, and learn together. It’s a wonderful way to kick off the weekend, meet other families, and make lasting memories together!
Essex Library programs are free and open to the public.
No registration, just drop in!
Program for kids ages 4-8 & teens ages 13-18.
Spend an hour with a Teen Buddy! Build fluency, confidence, and social skills with a teen buddy here at the Essex Library. Each teen volunteer mentor (ages 13-18) is paired with a younger buddy (ages 4-8) for a relaxed hour of literacy fun.
Essex Library programs are free and open to the public.
Registration is required to ensure that each buddy is matched with a mentor.
Note: Due to state statute, kids under the age of 12 must have a parent present inside the building for the duration of the program.
Spend the morning with a Reading Buddy! Earn community service hours and share friendship, fluency, and confidence with an elementary aged book buddy here at the Essex Library. Each teen volunteer (aged 13-18) is paired with a younger reader (aged 4-8) for a relaxed hour of literacy fun. Ms. Jess and Ms. Nicole will provide the supplies, activities, and environment, but most of your time will be spent reading aloud with a younger student. Registration is required to ensure that each reader is matched with a mentor.