07/15/2026
You are cordially invited to the Fifth Annual Clinton Old Fashioned Chautauqua Series -- a co-production of the Henry Carter Hull Library and the CHRC - Clinton Human Rights Committee. The 2026 series will be held on four Wednesday evenings this summer beginning July 8th. Please join us as we revive this community tradition through a series of fascinating presentations on topics related to Human Rights.
Popular in late 19th and early 20th century America—and now nearly forgotten—the Chautauqua (Shaw-taw-kwa) was a series of community programs featuring noted speakers, music, poetry and storytelling. They were often held under tents and brought civic-minded dialogue to rural towns. The name comes from the Iroquois word describing the lake in upstate New York where the movement began.
Our WEEK 2 Program July 15, 2026 features our Main Speaker, Peggy Adler Author and Historian
Peggy Adler is a Clinton resident who has served on various town Boards and Commissions since moving here in 1994. Peggy grew up in New York City where her father, Irving Adler, a high school mathematics teacher, lost his job during the McCarthy era. She will tell us what it was like growing up as in the shadow of SCOTUS’ “Adler vs the Board of Education of the City of New York.”.
Opening the night, we are pleased to have Singer/Songwriter and Guitarist Mike Corcoran back again this summer accompanied by Mark Koschwit on harmonica as our musical guests. Also on our program is the prize-winning storyteller and humorist Jennifer Munro, to share one of her funny and thoughtful stories.
Chautauqua WEEK 2 flyer 2026 WEB.jpg
Registration recommended. The Series is "Drop-In Friendly."
Participants are not required to attend each program in this series
For further information and updates please visit: https://events.hchlibrary.org/event/chautauqua-50015
Be sure to join us for the other programs throughout the rest of July on a variety of interesting topics and featured musicians, poets, and storytellers:
Wed. 7/22 @ 6:30 PM: "Witchcraft in Colonial America"
Dr. Rebecca Tannenbaum, Senior Lecturer in History, Yale University
When we think of colonial era witch trials, we usually think of Salem in 1692, but there were also multiple witchcraft cases in Connecticut. Learn about the wealthy widow and the fortune teller who were accused—as well as the Stamford witch hunt of 1692. Rebecca teaches a popular course on the history of witchcraft at Yale. She has published two books on colonial era history: The Healer’s Calling: Women and Medicine in Early New England and Health and Wellness in Colonial America. Her research reveals the surprising dangers women faced in this era and relevance to women’s rights today.
Musical Guest: Allison Farrell, Singer/Songwriter/Guitarist
Poet: Bethany Howard, Poet Laureate, Town of Clinton
Wed. 7/29 @ 6:30 PM: "The Fictions that Shape Men’s Lives"
Dr. Chris Kilmartin Professor, Emeritus of Psychology, University of Mary Washington
Cultural masculine expectations strongly influence many men’s behavior, sometimes in destructive ways. Based on Chris’ book The Fictions that Rule Men’s Lives his is a storytelling/lecture/multimedia hybrid presentation that addresses in humorous and engaging manner the ways that men are encouraged to behave and experience themselves. It is very difficult to resist a pressure that one cannot name, but once these fictions are exposed and understood, men are in better position to resist gendered cultural pressure when it conflicts with other life goals and/or hurts another person.
Brian will be presenting on the topic of literary censorship and its impact within the library community. “The HCH Library strives to provide information and stories from all perspectives; however, censorship directly opposes the library’s mission and can have harmful consequences. As libraries face a range of opposition, it is another means of limiting what services the library can offer to its community."
Musical Guest: Paul Neri, Guitar and Banjo Master
Poet: Stephen Watson, Poet and Martial Arts Master
