Submitted by Elizabeth Reinhart, Essex Library Association
(March 26, 2026) — The following programs and events will take place at Essex Library, 33 West Avenue in Essex during the month of April 2026.
Monday, April 13 at 1:00 p.m. Yale Science: “Hearts, Minds, and Monkey Business: Engaging with a Visual, Social and Stressful World”
Yale Science in the News returns to Essex Library with a talk on the way brains perceive and respond to the world around them. Bringing together neuroscience, biology, and social science, the talk examines how the brain recognizes visual information, responds to stress and emotion, and shapes behavior. This program is free and open to the public. Register online at www.youressexlibrary.org or by calling the library at 860-767-1560.
Tuesday, April 14, 2026 at 7:00 p.m. “On Writing Action-Packed and Suspenseful Spycraft,” with Brad Taylor (Virtual Author Talk)
Join us in conversation with acclaimed author Brad Taylor on his latest work, Shadow Strike, book 20 (yes, you read that right!) of the bestselling Pike Logan series. This program is free and open to the public at Essex Library, 33 West Avenue, Essex, CT. Registration is required for all virtual author talks. Register online at www.youressexlibrary.org or by calling the library at 860-767-1560.
Thursday, April 16, 2026 at 2:00 p.m. “How Exploration, Uncertainty, and Risk Help Us Find Meaning,” with Author Alex Hutchinson (Virtual Author Talk)
In The Explorer’s Gene: Why We Seek Big Challenges, New Flavors, and the Blank Spots on the Map, Alex Hutchinson dives headfirst into a fascinating and provocative new field of research, examining how exploration is a fundamental part of what makes us human. Registration is required for all virtual author talks. Register online at www.youressexlibrary.org or by calling the library at 860-767-1560.
Saturday, April 18, 2026 at 11:00 a.m. “Puccini: The People’s Composer,” with Alan Mann
Alan Mann, artistic director of Opera Theater of Connecticut, will provide an illustrated talk on Italian composer Giacomo Puccini (December 22, 1858 – November 29, 1924) at Essex Library. In the talk, Mann reveals the human and artistic sides of this magnificent artist, from his early failures and frustrations to his international fame and untimely death. This program is free and open to the public. Seating is limited. Registration is required. Register online at www.youressexlibrary.org or by calling the library at 860-767-1560.
The Essex Library Association is a center for free, reliable information. We stimulate curiosity, nurture creativity and enable discovery. We are a window into the world. The Essex Library has been a vital community institution since 1889. Since that time, the Library has grown to become a modern, professionally staffed organization with a collection of nearly 50,000 items in a beautiful, 9,500 square foot facility. All of the Library’s programs are free and open to the public. www.youressexlibrary.org.
