WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 27, 2021 6:30PM

Book your ticket at Eventbrite: https://www.eventbrite.ie/e/the-word-in-january-featuring-eileen-myles-sligo-library-free-zoom-tickets-136598418547

Online event.

THE WORD, a reading series hosted by Sligo Library Service and the Writing + Literature BA course at IT Sligo, is back for 2021

Featuring: Eileen Myles, poet, subsequently novelist, public talker and art journalist.

Eileen Myles (they/them) came to New York from Boston in 1974 to be a poet, subsequently novelist, public talker and art journalist.

A Sagittarius, their 22 books include For Now, evolution, Afterglow, I Must Be Living Twice/new & selected poems, and Chelsea Girls.

In 2019 they wrote and directed an 18-minute super 8 film, The Trip, a puppet road film. Eileen is the recipient of a Guggenheim, a Warhol/Creative Capital Arts Writers grant, 4 Lambda Book Awards, the Shelley Prize, and a poetry award from the Foundation for Contemporary Arts.

In 2016, they received a Creative Capital grant and the Clark Prize for excellence in art writing. In 2019 Myles received a poetry award from the American Academy of Arts & Letters. In 2020 they got the Bill Whitehead Award for Lifetime Achievement from the Publishing Triangle. They live in New York and Marfa, TX.

ALONGSIDE Eileen Myles, is Poet, Oilibhéar Diarmuid.

Oilibhéar Diarmuid began writing poetry at the age of 19 and has written some 400 poems in the three years since then. He is a final year student in IT Sligo’s Writing and Literature programme, where he is working on a portfolio containing a fictionalised dream diary and a poetry collection. He has been published twice in The Cormorant, a Sligo broadsheet, and has had six of his poems published on Poethead. He and classmate Jessamine O’Connor won first prize in Comórtas Filíochta Chultúrlann McAdam Ó Fiaich for his Irish translation of her poem Fáilte. He writes in both Irish and English and translates his own poems. His poetry focuses mostly around the idea of “arthouse love” – the study of communication through wordlessness in relationships, particularly queer ones. He currently lives in Ventry, Co. Kerry.

Jessamine O’Connor, a student in IT Sligo’s Writing and Literature final year, will be moderating the Word. Jessamine has recently had her first poetry collection, Silver Spoon, published by Salmon Poetry.

There will be a discussion following the reading. The popular open mic session will follow the post-reading interview.

Open Mic

The Open Mic will be Limited to eight attendees of the ZOOM event, with three minutes per person.

If you are interested in performing in the Open Mic, please email mibrennan@sligococo.ie, NO LATER THAN TUESDAY, 26TH OF JANUARY.

The first eight people who express an interest, will be notified in advance of the event.

This event will be Streamed on Facebook on the night.

The Word is a collaboration between Sligo Central Library and the BA in Writing & Literature at IT Sligo. There is no charge for this event.

sligolib@sligococo.ie/ 0719111675

Sligo Libraries, as part of the Healthy Ireland at Your Libraries programme, are delighted to present a Free Online Webinar series with Shane Martin, Psychologist C.Psychol.Ps.S.I. beginning tomorrow and every Thursday in January.

7:00pm Thursday 7^th, 14^th, 21^st and 28^th January 2021, via Zoom

Simply click on the link on the evening to join. Links can also be found on our Facebook and Instagram pages. No registration needed.

Week 1

Your Precious Life – How to Live it Well with Shane Martin

7^th January 2021 7:00 pm

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83738197871?pwd=Rzk3U3o2Nk1wQXA1U2UwUHl5TVhxUT09

This seminar will outline simple, practical, and most importantly, evidence-based strategies linked to a better quality of life. The hope is that it will uplift and inspire change in the lives of those who attend but even more importantly inspire participants to incorporate it into their homes, workplaces and communities.

Over many decades science has made a wonderful contribution in helping us understand negative emotion. The emphasis on deficits, disorders and disease has allowed for effective interventions to be developed in order to help and support people who are unwell or unhappy.

But why wait until we are unwell to learn about becoming healthier? Why wait until we are unhappy to explore happiness?

In recent years psychologists have started to examine positive emotion. This research has focused on what makes people happier, what gives them more meaning and purpose in life, and what measures they can take to lead to overall greater health.

Week 2

Minding Ourselves with Shane Martin

14^th January 2021 7:00 pm

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85187387229?pwd=OU1qdUlSbjBNNUQ3U0FMVVdHWE8wdz09

At the root to a lot of unhealthy stress is irrational thinking. We are all thinking beings and we have an ‘internal dialogue’ going on in our minds, almost as if we are talking to ourselves. However, we only ever express a fraction of this thinking. These private thoughts directly impact on our feelings and consequently how we interact with others. When emotionally distressed we can make conclusions about ourselves, others and the world without recourse to the ‘voice’ of reason. This is why we do not all make the same sense of the same things. The very best of us are vulnerable to illogical, irrational and unhelpful thinking, particularly when emotional or under pressure. In a climate of increasing stress due to changes within the work environment we need to make the best possible sense of changes and challenges.

How thinking affects how we feel and behave will be demonstrated. Staff will learn about unhelpful thinking and belief systems. They will learn how to become more rational and compassionate in their approach to work and life in general. Evidence- based strategies that are linked to positive mental health and help keep us positive during challenging times will be taught.

Week 3

The Science of ‘Bouncibility’ (Resilience) with Shane Martin

21^st January 7:00 pm

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82862078256?pwd=dkZQWG1ZbFl1M05oazNUWVlVck1TQT09

Life is an imperfect journey and crisis is guaranteed. There will always be setbacks and misfortunes. Resilience is the ability to adapt to the challenges of life. It’s about bouncing back rather than falling apart. If you are strong in resilience you have this ‘bouncibility’ and can harness your inner strengths and coping mechanisms. Others need to learn the skills at the heart of resiliency. If life is full of challenges then we need to know how to not only withstand the pressure but to thrive in adversity.

If you are low in resilience, you will focus too much on your problems and deficits and be overwhelmed during challenges. You will be drawn towards unhealthy conclusions and become more vulnerable instead of stronger. Becoming more resilient will not mean that problems disappear. It does not mean that you have to become ‘as hard as nails’. Resilience is more about learning how to cope – tapping into our own resources and fostering inner-strengths in order to stay ‘standing’ during and after crisis.

Science has uncovered specific traits/factors that can be utilised at work and in our lives in general. This seminar outlines evidence-based strategies linked to greater outcomes during challenge and change.

Week 4

Fostering Creativity for the sake of our health and happiness with Shane Martin

28^th January 7:00 pm

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82191336024?pwd=RVBVVHhsdXZZb0pxMm55Wjdkak1kZz09

Many people assume that creativity is something we had as a child but lost, or something gifted to specific individuals that are naturally ‘talented’. But science has shown that, in many ways, we are all wired to create. Creativity is multifaceted—on the level of the brain, personality, and the creative process. It can be displayed in many different ways. New studies suggests that small acts of creativity in everyday life increase our overall sense of well-being. By cultivating some creativity in our lives we can potentially reduce our vulnerability to stress and enhance our levels of life satisfaction.

As we enter into Level 5 restrictions, we have plenty of options for you to access.

E-Services: https://sligolibrary.ie/digitalservices/

eBooks and eAudiobooks: https://sligolibrary.ie/ebooks/

Magazines and Language Courses: https://sligolibrary.ie/emagazines-and-enewspapers/

Online Newspaper Access: https://sligolibrary.ie/emagazines-and-enewspapers/

Online Learning Courses: https://sligolibrary.ie/elearning/

We have a selection of video’s to keep your little ones entertained, with story time and puppet making, plus many more, featuring Niall De Burca plus our own staff, these are all available on the Sligo Library Youtube Channel.

If you have an interest in Sligo History, we have a selection of video’s as part of the Decade of Centenaries commemorations, 1918-1923. These include:

You can also watch back episodes of The Word

There is a lot more content available for you to view any time on our YouTube channel. We hope you get a chance to watch and enjoy them

We look forward to 2021 for another packed schedule. See you then.

Needle felt Christmas decoration crafting with Susan Basler, textile artist. (Workshop for Adults)

Free online workshop via Zoom

Packs for all participants sent out in advance

Tuesday 15^th December 2020 8:00pm

**Limited places**

Email susanbasler@gmail.com to register

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Paper Craft Wreath Making with Jen (Craft workshop for Children)

Join us online for a children’s craft.

We will be making fun and festive holiday wreaths. Packs containing all the materials that you’ll need (except for your own scissors and glue!) will be available in Central, Ballymote and Enniscrone libraries on December 11th and 12th.

An online instructional video will follow on December 18th.

**Supplies are limited**

Email jemery@sligococo.ie