Library seminar focuses on ‘Adventures of Huckleberry Finn’

ESSEX >> “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” by Mark Twain is the quintessentially American novel. It has also become one of the most controversial works in the American literary canon. Indeed, many, many schools do not assign it any longer.

In this seminar with Professor Chuck Timlin, guests will do a close reading of the novel over five meetings on Tuesdays beginning Jan. 10 at 6:30 p.m. and continuing Jan. 17, 24 and 31 and Feb. 7.

The group will discuss its many themes, enjoy its humor and biting social criticism, and face head on the problems many Americans have with reading it today.

Chuck Timlin, a University of New Haven, SCSU, faculty member and former English teacher at Choate Rosemary Hall, has already brought his excellent teaching skills to the Essex Library community on topics such as Chaucer’s “Canterbury Tales,” “Beowulf,” American poets and short story writers. Now, back by popular demand, he turns his talents to an examination of “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.”

This program is free and open to the public.

Call the Essex Library at 860-767-1560 for more information or to register in advance. The Essex Library is at 33 West Ave. in Essex. MIDDLETOWN >> Faith Lutheran Church has teamed up with St. Pauly Textile Inc., a used clothing collection company that was founded 20 years ago in Rochester, NY, and is an A+ rated member of the Better Business Bureau.

The company works with nonprofit organizations to set up used clothing drop-off sheds designed to give community members a clean, attractive and well-monitored place to donate gently used textile items, which are then distributed both here in the U.S. and worldwide to people who need them.

Accepted items include clothing, shoes, sneakers, belts, purses, blankets, sheets, drapes, linens, pillowcases and stuffed animals.

Donors are asked to donate items in a plastic bag to protect against dirt and the elements.

There is a small box on the shed that contains receipts to help donors take a tax deduction.

Faith Lutheran Church, 300 Washington St., Middletown, receives funding for clothing collected, and has the option to use any of this clothing to serve community needs.

St. Pauly Textile Inc. collects more than 80,000 pounds of clothing every day and estimates that this clothing ends up in 44 different countries (including the United States) yearly.

In 2015, the company was able to help keep more than 15 million articles of clothing out of landfills.