News from the EVPL Foundation and CYPRESS

This is Home Now: Kentucky’s Holocaust Survivors Speak author Arwen Donahue to speak, lead educator workshop at EVPL

Evansville – EVPL and CYPRESS (The Committee to Promote Respect in Schools) will host Kentucky author, historian, illustrator, and farmer Arwen Donahue for two free events at EVPL Central next month.

Donahue’s book, “This is Home Now,” features interviews of nine Holocaust survivors who immigrated to and established new lives in Kentucky. Many survivors who arrived in America post-World War II settled in major metropolitan areas, typically in Jewish communities. Those who settled in rural areas and smaller cities often encountered different circumstances. The book also includes photographer Rebecca Gayle Howell’s portraits of the interviewees.

Donahue will speak about her book on Wednesday, September 16 from 6-7:30 p.m. at EVPL Central in the Browning Meeting Rooms.

On Thursday, September 17 from 8 – 11 a.m., Donahue will lead an Educator Workshop, exploring topics related to Holocaust education, oral histories, writing prompts for students, and more. The workshop, which will also be held in the Browning Meeting Rooms, is designed for middle and high school educators but is open to all educators. Registration is required, and participants can register at cypressevansville.org.

Donahue has served as program coordinator in the department of oral history at the United States Holocaust Museum and managed its Post-Holocaust Interview Project. Her illustrated memoir Landings chronicles a year on her family’s farm, exploring the conflicts and symbioses between art and land stewardship. She has been awarded fellowships and residencies from Yaddo, MacDowell, the Center for Cartoon Studies, the Kentucky Arts Council, the Sustainable Arts Foundation, the Xeric Foundation, and the Kentucky Foundation for Women, among others. Donahue lives on a farm in Nicholas County, Kentucky, where her family has raised produce for local markets for over 20 years.

This Literary Arts Experience is sponsored by CYPRESS and the EVPL Foundation.

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The Arts at EVPL Series, funded by the EVPL Foundation, supports and encourages art experiences in four areas: Visual Arts, Literary Arts, Performing Arts, and Culinary Arts. More information about The Arts at EVPL is available at evpl.org/arts.

The Committee to Promote Respect in Schools (CYPRESS) was founded in Evansville in 1999, and since its inception, its mission has been to build respect and appreciation for diversity in our schools and our community. The committee is comprised of current and retired educators and community volunteers. More information about CYPRESS is available at cypressevansville.org.

The Evansville Vanderburgh Public Library Foundation is a 501(c)3 organization established to support EVPL. Foundation Board Members are engaged and activated community members. Working in partnership with Library Leadership and Library Trustees, Foundation Board Members support EVPL through fundraising, volunteering, and advocacy. More information about the Foundation is available at evpl.org/foundation.