The Parrott Unbound

In the last installment of Portsmouth Public Library's quarantine recordings series, a discussion of stories set in familiar worlds with a magical twist.

Welcome back to Blanket Fort Broadcasts, a series of book talks recorded in our homes during quarantine! This discussion centers on the genre of magical realism and includes books (and some TV and films) for all ages.   Featuring: Andrew (Youth Services Library Assistant), Gretyl (Supervisor of Youth Services) Katharine (Youth Services Librarian), and Michaela (Emerging Technologies Librarian).   In other news, this is the last episode of The Parrott Unbound podcast that Portsmouth Public Library plans on releasing for the moment. Going forward, all episodes in the Blanket Fort Broadcasts series, as well as previous episodes of The Parrott Unbound, will continue to be available on Audioboom, PPL’s website, and your favorite podcast apps. We’d like to extend a huge thank you to all our listeners, as well as the library staff and members of the larger community who contributed their time and voices to the podcast. Happy reading to all!   Titles discussed in this recording:   ·         Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling, read by Jim Dale (Overdrive/Libby)  ·         Akata Witch and Akata Warrior by Nnedi Okorafor (Hoopla & Overdrive/Libby)   ·         The Magicians series by Lev Grossman (Overdrive/Libby)   ·         Buffy the Vampire Slayer comics created by Joss Whedon (Hoopla)   ·         The Rivers of London novels and comics written by Ben Aaronovitch (Hoopla)   ·         I Am Not Okay With This by Charles Forsman (Hoopla) by   ·         The Backstagers novels and comics, written by James Tynion IV and illustrated by Rian Sygh (Hoopla)  ·         The Invisible Library series by Genevieve Cogman (Overdrive/Libby)   ·         Dr. Greta Helsing series by Vivian Shaw   ·         The Parasol Protectorate series by Gail Carriger (Overdrive/Libby)   ·         The Raven Cycle and Call Down the Hawk by Maggie Stiefvater (Hoopla & Overdrive/Libby)   ·         One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel García Márquez and translated by Gregory Rabassa (Overdrive/Libby)   ·         All the Answers  by Kate Messner ·         The Seventh Wish by Kate Messner (Overdrive/Libby)   ·         The Whispers by Greg Howard  ·         The BFG by Roald Dahl (Overdrive/Libby)   ·         The Magic Finger by Roald Dahl  ·         The Witches by Roald Dahl   ·         The Witches film adaptation, directed by Nicolas Roeg   ·         Percy Jackson and the Olympians series by Rick Riordan (Hoopla & Overdrive/Libby)   ·        Aru Shaw and the End of Time (Pandava Series book 1) by Roshani Chokshi (Hoopla  & Overdrive/Libby)   ·       Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky by Kwame Mbalia (Hoopla &       Overdrive/Libby)  ·         A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness (Overdrive)  ·         With Fire on High by Elizabeth Acevedo (Hoopla & Overdrive/Libby)   ·         Bone Gap by Laura Ruby   ·         Things in Jars by Jess Kid  ·         Carry On by Rainbow Rowell (Hoopla & Overdrive/Libby)     A Statement from Portsmouth Public Library Regarding Harry Potter  We strive to make the library a welcoming place for all. We are aware of recent harmful statements made by the author of Harry Potter. In discussing these book titles, we celebrate the world of Harry Potter and the characters, rather than their creator. Harry Potter is a story of magic and acceptance that teaches us to find power in believing in our true selves. We will continue to discuss them in that spirit. 

Welcome back to the penultimate installment of our Blanket Fort Broadcasts series! For listeners just now tuning in, this episode is one of Portsmouth Public Library’s book talks recorded during quarantine. You’ll hear librarians who serve adults and teens share some of their favorite YA books with adult reader appeal. They include novels in verse, historical fiction, graphic-format memoirs, and all manner of audiobooks. There’s even a quick digression into anime!  Featuring:  Andrew (Youth Services Library Assistant), Katharine (Youth Services Librarian), MaryJo (Circulation Library Assistant), and Poleena (Reference and Special Collections Library Assistant).  Titles discussed in this recording:  Refugee by Alan Gratz (Hoopla and Overdrive/Libby) Escape from Syria by Samya Kullab, Jackie Roche & Mike Freiheit Lovely War by Julie Berry (Overdrive/Libby) Salt to the Sea, Out of the Easy, and The Fountains of Silence by Ruta Sepetys (Overdrive/Libby) Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds Anything by Kwame Alexander (many available on Overdrive/Libby) They Called Us Enemy by George Takei (Hoopla and Overdrive/Libby) Hey Kiddo by Jarrett Krosoczka (Hoopla and Overdrive/Libby) Witchy by Ariel Slamet Ries (Hoopla) Zodiac Starforce by Kevin Panetta and Paulina Ganucheau The Wicked + The Divine by Kieron Gillen (Hoopla) I’ll Give You the Sun and The Sky is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson (Overdrive/Libby) Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo (Overdrive/Libby) One of Us is Lying and One of Us is Next by Karen M. McManus (Overdrive/Libby) A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson (Overdrive/Libby) The Poet X and With the Fire on High by Elizabeth Acevedo (Hoopla and Overdrive/Libby)

Welcome back to the penultimate installment of our Blanket Fort Broadcasts series! For listeners just now tuning in, this episode is one of Portsmouth Public Library’s book talks recorded during quarantine. You’ll hear librarians who serve adults and teens share some of their favorite YA books with adult reader appeal. They include novels in verse, historical fiction, graphic-format memoirs, and all manner of audiobooks. There’s even a quick digression into anime!    Featuring:  Andrew (Youth Services Library Assistant), Katharine (Youth Services Librarian), MaryJo (Circulation Library Assistant), and Poleena (Reference and Special Collections Library Assistant).  Titles discussed in this recording:  Refugee by Alan Gratz (Hoopla and Overdrive/Libby) Escape from Syria by Samya Kullab, Jackie Roche & Mike Freiheit Lovely War by Julie Berry (Overdrive/Libby) Salt to the Sea, Out of the Easy, and The Fountains of Silence by Ruta Sepetys (Overdrive/Libby) Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds Anything by Kwame Alexander (many available on Overdrive/Libby) They Called Us Enemy by George Takei (Hoopla and Overdrive/Libby) Hey Kiddo by Jarrett Krosoczka (Hoopla and Overdrive/Libby) Witchy by Ariel Slamet Ries (Hoopla) Zodiac Starforce by Kevin Panetta and Paulina Ganucheau The Wicked + The Divine by Kieron Gillen (Hoopla) I’ll Give You the Sun and The Sky is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson (Overdrive/Libby) Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo (Overdrive/Libby) One of Us is Lying and One of Us is Next by Karen M. McManus (Overdrive/Libby) A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson (Overdrive/Libby) The Poet X and With the Fire on High by Elizabeth Acevedo (Hoopla and Overdrive/Libby)

Welcome back to our Blanket Fort Broadcasts quarantine recordings! This episode is a discussion of craft projects including knitting, sewing, and mending. Three of PPL’s favorite makers share multimedia crafting resources, as well as how they approach learning daunting new skills.  Featuring: MaryJo (Circulation Assistant), and Michaela (Emerging Technologies Librarian) and Jean Frances, who has recently left her Youth Services Library Assistant position to concentrate on another passion: farming.  Resources discussed in this recording:  Purl Soho patterns and tutorials  Creativebug tutorials (Portsmouth Public Library digital resource)  CraftPassion patterns and tutorials  Mending Matters by Katrina Rodabaugh (Hoopla)

Welcome back to Blanket Fort Broadcasts, recorded in our homes during quarantine! This conversation follows from part one of Books That Changed Our Lives.  Featuring: Andrew (Youth Services Library Assistant), Katharine (Youth Services Librarian), Laura (Public Programming and Community Relations Librarian), and Poleena (Reference and Special Collections Library Assistant).  Titles discussed in this recording:  Howl by Alan Ginsberg (Hoopla) Eunoia by Christian Bök Matilda by Roald Dahl (Overdrive/Libby) The Magic Tree House series  Beezus and Ramona by Beverly Cleary (Hoopla and Overdrive/Libby) Ms. Marvel (Hoopla) Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi Maus by Art Spiegelman How To Do Nothing by Jenny Odell (Hoopla and Overdrive/Libby) The Wild Trees by Richard Preston (Overdrive/Libby) The Overstory by Richard Powers (Overdrive/Libby) The Stand by Stephen King (Overdrive/Libby) Wild Magic by Tamora Pierce (Hoopla and Overdrive/Libby) The Secret of Platform 13 (Hoopla) The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks by E. Lockhart (Overdrive/Libby) The Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys The Compassionate Mind by Paul Gilbert First We Make the Beast Beautiful by Sarah Wilson Lanark by Alasdair Gray The Dispossessed by Ursula K. Le Guin The Tombs of Atuan by Ursula K. Le Guin Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds (Overdrive/Libby)

Welcome back to Blanket Fort Broadcasts, recorded in our homes during quarantine! This conversation follows from part one of Books That Changed Our Lives.  Featuring: Andrew (Youth Services Library Assistant), Katharine (Youth Services Librarian), Laura (Public Programming and Community Relations Librarian), and Poleena (Reference and Special Collections Library Assistant).  Titles discussed in this recording:  Howl by Alan Ginsberg (Hoopla) Eunoia by Christian Bök Matilda by Roald Dahl (Overdrive/Libby) The Magic Tree House series  Beezus and Ramona by Beverly Cleary (Hoopla and Overdrive/Libby) Ms. Marvel (Hoopla) Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi Maus by Art Spiegelman How To Do Nothing by Jenny Odell (Hoopla and Overdrive/Libby) The Wild Trees by Richard Preston (Overdrive/Libby) The Overstory by Richard Powers (Overdrive/Libby) The Stand by Stephen King (Overdrive/Libby) Wild Magic by Tamora Pierce (Hoopla and Overdrive/Libby) The Secret of Platform 13 (Hoopla) The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks by E. Lockhart (Overdrive/Libby) The Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys The Compassionate Mind by Paul Gilbert First We Make the Beast Beautiful by Sarah Wilson Lanark by Alasdair Gray The Dispossessed by Ursula K. Le Guin The Tombs of Atuan by Ursula K. Le Guin Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds (Overdrive/Libby)

​Welcome back to Blanket Fort Broadcasts, recorded in our homes during quarantine! In this installment, library staff are discussing books that shaped their perspectives, validated their experiences, connected them to others, and influenced their literary tastes. Stay tuned for the second part of the conversation.  Featuring:  Andrew (Youth Services Library Assistant), Katharine (Youth Services Librarian), Laura (Public Programming and Community Relations Librarian), and Poleena (Reference and Special Collections Library Assistant) Books discussed in this recording:·       Redwall series by Brian Jacques (Overdrive/Libby)·       The Black Cauldron by Lloyd Alexander (Overdrive/Libby)·       Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling (Overdrive/Libby)·       His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman (Overdrive/Libby)·       The Ruby Oliver series (The Boyfriend List) by E. Lockhart   (Overdrive/Libby)·       The Confessions of Georgia Nicolson series by Louise Rennison (Hoopla)·       Weetzie Bat series (Hoopla)·       A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith (Overdrive/Libby and Hoopla)·       My Brilliant Friend (and the rest of the Neapolitan novels) by Elena Ferrante (Overdrive/Libby and Hoopla)​ A Statement from Portsmouth Public Library Regarding Harry Potter We strive to make the library a welcoming place for all. We are aware of recent harmful statements made by the author of Harry Potter. In discussing these book titles, we celebrate the world of Harry Potter and the characters, rather than their creator. Harry Potter is a story of magic and acceptance that teaches us to find power in believing in our true selves. We will continue to discuss them in that spirit.

Welcome back to Blanket Fort Broadcasts, recorded in our homes during quarantine! In this installment, we’re bringing you some of our favorite recipes and baking-centric reads available for free online and through Portsmouth Public Library’s digital collection. Items marked with asterisks are available in hard-copy form through our curbside pickup service. Featuring:  Andrew (Youth Services Library Assistant), Gretyl (Supervisor of Youth Services), MaryJo (Circulation Library Assistant), Michaela (Emerging Technologies Librarian), and Poleena (Reference Library Assistant)  The Complete Baking Book for Young Chefs, edited by Molly Birnbaum*   Check, Please! by Ngozi Ukazi*    Bloom by Kevin Panetta and Savanna Ganucheau    It’s Alive with Brad from Bon Appetit   The Great British Baking Show from PBS (seasons 1-5 on Hoopla)    Meal by Blue Delliquanti with Soleil Ho*    Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat by Samin Nosrat, read by the author (Overdrive/Libby)    Home Cooking podcast from Samin Nosrat and Hrishikesh Hirway   No Kimchi for Me! By Aram Kim    Bilal Cooks Daal by Aisha Saeed and Anoosha Syed   Relish by Lucy Knisley*    Pretend Soup and Other Real Recipes: A Cookbook for Preschoolers by Mollie Katzen and Ann Henderson*  *Available from Portsmouth Public Library through our curbside pickup service.

Welcome back to Blanket Fort Broadcasts, recorded in our homes during quarantine! In this installment, we’re bringing you some of our favorite recipes and baking-centric reads available for free online and through Portsmouth Public Library’s digital collection. Items marked with asterisks are available in hard-copy form through our curbside pickup service.   Featuring:  Andrew (Youth Services Library Assistant), Gretyl (Supervisor of Youth Services), MaryJo (Circulation Library Assistant), Michaela (Emerging Technologies Librarian), and Poleena (Reference Library Assistant)   The Complete Baking Book for Young Chefs, edited by Molly Birnbaum*   Check, Please! by Ngozi Ukazi*    Bloom by Kevin Panetta and Savanna Ganucheau    It’s Alive with Brad from Bon Appetit   The Great British Baking Show from PBS (seasons 1-5 on Hoopla)    Meal by Blue Delliquanti with Soleil Ho*    Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat by Samin Nosrat, read by the author (Overdrive/Libby)    Home Cooking podcast from Samin Nosrat and Hrishikesh Hirway   No Kimchi for Me! By Aram Kim    Bilal Cooks Daal by Aisha Saeed and Anoosha Syed   Relish by Lucy Knisley*    Pretend Soup and Other Real Recipes: A Cookbook for Preschoolers by Mollie Katzen and Ann Henderson*   *Available from Portsmouth Public Library through our curbside pickup service.

Welcome to The Parrott Unbound’s new series Blanket Fort Broadcasts, recorded in our homes during quarantine! In this installment, we’re bringing you riveting audiobook recommendations available through Portsmouth Public Library’s digital collection. Featuring:  Katharine (Youth Services Librarian, Michaela (Emerging Technologies Librarian), MaryJo (Circulation Library Assistant), and Poleena (Reference Library Assistant) Audiobooks listed in this recording: ·         Yes, Please  by Amy Poehler, read by the author (Hoopla & Overdrive/Libby)·         The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows, read by Paul Boehmer, Susan Duerden, Rosalyn Landor, John Lee, and Juliet Mills (Overdrive/Libby)·         How to Be a Woman and How to Build a Girl by Caitlin Moran, read the author and by Louise Brealey (Hoopla & Overdrive/Libby)·         The Raven Cycle by Maggie Stiefvater, read by Will Patton (Hoopla & Overdrive/Libby)·         Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys, read by Jorjeana Marie, Will Damron, Cassandra Morris, and Michael Crouch(Overdrive/Libby)·         The Poet X  by Elizabeth Acevedo, read by the author (Hoopla)·         Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling, read by Jim Dale (Overdrive/Libby)·         The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater, read by Steve West and Fiona Hardingham (Hoopla)·         Born to Run by Bruce Springsteen, read by the author (Overdrive/Libby)·         The Secret History by Donna Tartt (Hoopla)·         Sadie by Courtney Summers, read by Dan Bittner, Fred Berman, Gabra Zackman, and Rebecca Soler (Hoopla)·         Red, White and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston, read by Ramon De Ocampo (Overdrive/Libby)·         I Have the Right To by Chessy Prout with Jenn Abelson, read by Chessy Prout (Overdrive/Libby)

Welcome to The Parrott Unbound’s new series Blanket Fort Broadcasts, recorded in our homes during quarantine! In this installment, we’re bringing you riveting audiobook recommendations available through Portsmouth Public Library’s digital collection.  Featuring:  Katharine (Youth Services Librarian, Michaela (Emerging Technologies Librarian), MaryJo (Circulation Library Assistant), and Poleena (Reference Library Assistant)  Audiobooks listed in this recording:  ·         Yes, Please  by Amy Poehler, read by the author (Hoopla & Overdrive/Libby) ·         The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows, read by Paul Boehmer, Susan Duerden, Rosalyn Landor, John Lee, and Juliet Mills (Overdrive/Libby) ·         How to Be a Woman and How to Build a Girl by Caitlin Moran, read the author and by Louise Brealey (Hoopla & Overdrive/Libby) ·         The Raven Cycle by Maggie Stiefvater, read by Will Patton (Hoopla & Overdrive/Libby) ·         Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys, read by Jorjeana Marie, Will Damron, Cassandra Morris, and Michael Crouch(Overdrive/Libby) ·         The Poet X  by Elizabeth Acevedo, read by the author (Hoopla) ·         Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling, read by Jim Dale (Overdrive/Libby) ·         The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater, read by Steve West and Fiona Hardingham (Hoopla) ·         Born to Run by Bruce Springsteen, read by the author (Overdrive/Libby) ·         The Secret History by Donna Tartt (Hoopla) ·         Sadie by Courtney Summers, read by Dan Bittner, Fred Berman, Gabra Zackman, and Rebecca Soler (Hoopla) ·         Red, White and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston, read by Ramon De Ocampo (Overdrive/Libby) ·         I Have the Right To by Chessy Prout with Jenn Abelson, read by Chessy Prout (Overdrive/Libby)

In this installment of The Parrott Unbound, experience a scene from Portsmouth Public Library’s Shakespearean Bootcamp program, which took place in February. We’re dropping you right in the middle of the action with a reading from Act 5, Scene 1 of Hamlet. This scene and accompanying analysis is the culmination of a month-long intensive workshop that gave players a chance to perform dramatic readings from Hamlet and to learn more about the material and Shakespeare’s influences.  This program was made possible by direction from Katrina Feraco, whom you’ll hear on this recording, as well as library assistant Tori Simpson-Tucker, who presented on Shakespeare and the history behind Hamlet.  The full text of the play, film adaptations, and more are available on Hoopla, one of the library’s digital services.  Katrina Feraco has a background in music and education, with past experience directing theatrical productions. She has performed in Shakespearean products, including, most recently, As You Like It as Lord Amiens, and Henry Purcell’s The Fairy Queen, performed in tandem with A Midsummer Night’s Dream. 

In this installment of The Parrott Unbound, experience a scene from Portsmouth Public Library’s Shakespearean Bootcamp program, which took place in February. We’re dropping you right in the middle of the action with a reading from Act 5, Scene 1 of Hamlet. This scene and accompanying analysis is the culmination of a month-long intensive workshop that gave players a chance to perform dramatic readings from Hamlet and to learn more about the material and Shakespeare’s influences.  This program was made possible by direction from Katrina Feraco, whom you’ll hear on this recording, as well as library assistant Tori Simpson-Tucker, who presented on Shakespeare and the history behind Hamlet.  The full text of the play, film adaptations, and more are available on Hoopla, one of the library’s digital services.  Katrina Feraco has a background in music and education, with past experience directing theatrical productions. She has performed in Shakespearean products, including, most recently, As You Like It as Lord Amiens, and Henry Purcell’s The Fairy Queen, performed in tandem with A Midsummer Night’s Dream. 

On February 15, author, funeral reform advocate, and speaker Lee Webster brought her insights into planning natural, affordable, and meaningful funerals to the library. Topics explored during the talk include: legal rights and responsibilities, problems with cremation, and green alternatives that are not green at all.  Portsmouth Public Library, New Hampshire Funeral Resources, Education & Advocacy, the Hospice Help Foundation, and Seacoast Permaculture cosponsored this presentation.  Lee Webster is the director of New Hampshire Funeral Resources, Education & Advocacy, emeritus President of the National Home Funeral Alliance, and emeritus Board of Directors and educational consultant and development for the Green Burial Council. 

On February 15, author, funeral reform advocate, and speaker Lee Webster brought her insights into planning natural, affordable, and meaningful funerals to the library. Topics explored during the talk include: legal rights and responsibilities, problems with cremation, and green alternatives that are not green at all.  Portsmouth Public Library, New Hampshire Funeral Resources, Education & Advocacy, the Hospice Help Foundation, and Seacoast Permaculture cosponsored this presentation.  Lee Webster is the director of New Hampshire Funeral Resources, Education & Advocacy, emeritus President of the National Home Funeral Alliance, and emeritus Board of Directors and educational consultant and development for the Green Burial Council. 

This summer, Piper Bartlett-Browne, a science teacher at St. Thomas Aquinas High School in Dover, traveled to the Arctic to conduct long-term climate change research aboard the U.S. Coast Guard vessel Healy. Piper’s research was part of the PolarTREC Program, a National Science Foundation funded program which invites just 12 teachers each year from the United States to partner with polar scientists and go on 3-6 week expeditions in the Arctic or Antarctic. On October 16, Piper came to the library to share highlights from her PolarTREC experience, along with some thoughts on how the research applies to her teaching and the Seacoast community. To learn more about her work, check out her Instagram, @polarpipernh. This talk has been adapted for podcast format, with some references to videos and other visual aids edited out. To view a video Piper showed during the talk about local sea level rise and its impact on historic structures, visit Strawbery Banke Museum’s YouTube channel. 

This summer, Piper Bartlett-Browne, a science teacher at St. Thomas Aquinas High School in Dover, traveled to the Arctic to conduct long-term climate change research aboard the U.S. Coast Guard vessel Healy. Piper’s research was part of the PolarTREC Program, a National Science Foundation funded program which invites just 12 teachers each year from the United States to partner with polar scientists and go on 3-6 week expeditions in the Arctic or Antarctic. On October 16, Piper came to the library to share highlights from her PolarTREC experience, along with some thoughts on how the research applies to her teaching and the Seacoast community. To learn more about her work, check out her Instagram, @polarpipernh. This talk has been adapted for podcast format, with some references to videos and other visual aids edited out. To view a video Piper showed during the talk about local sea level rise and its impact on historic structures, visit Strawbery Banke Museum’s YouTube channel. 

On August 7, Professors Nicole Gugliucci  (Physics) and Joshua Tepley (Philosophy) of Saint Anselm College led a discussion on the search for extraterrestrial intelligence. How likely is the existence of alien sentience? How profound would it be to discover the existence of aliens? Would it fundamentally change human culture? Or would life go on more or less the same as it was before the discovery?  

On August 7, Professors Nicole Gugliucci  (Physics) and Joshua Tepley (Philosophy) of Saint Anselm College led a discussion on the search for extraterrestrial intelligence. How likely is the existence of alien sentience? How profound would it be to discover the existence of aliens? Would it fundamentally change human culture? Or would life go on more or less the same as it was before the discovery?