Several hundred community members gathered at the Gorton Community Center on November 1 to hear Lake Forest College's Davis Schneiderman interview Shelby Van Pelt about her bestselling novel Remarkably Bright Creatures as part of the annual Lake Forest Reads program, organized and planned by the Lake Forest Library, and sponsored by the Friends of Lake Forest Library.

Schneiderman, Executive Director of the Krebs Center for the Humanities and Professor of English at Lake Forest College, set the tone for the evening with a scholarly perspective on the novel's place in literary history. "Never before has an octopus served as such an astute observer of human nature as Marcellus, the remarkably bright creature at the heart of Van Pelt's wonderful novel," Schneiderman noted in his introduction.

The interview showcased the intellectual dialogue that exemplifies the Krebs Center's mission to connect humanities scholarship with the broader community. Van Pelt, whose debut novel has sold over two million copies in the United States, discussed everything from the genesis of the plot to concepts of sentience in the animal kingdom to how our society deals with aging and autonomy.

The evening featured moments of insight and humor. In one exchange, Schneiderman, who co-teaches a course on the Grateful Dead and American culture at Lake Forest College, jokingly asked Van Pelt about a scene involving a rare Grateful Dead concert t-shirt.

"It's a relic of a place you can't ever go again, of an experience you know you won't ever be able to recreate," Van Pelt said.

Asked why she thought the book resonated with audiences, Van Pelt talked about its intergenerational appeal. "I've heard from so many people: a mom and a daughter and a grandfather all read the book together. There aren't that many books, I don't think, that would hold the attention of people across those age ranges. Just from a simple looking at it demographically, that might be one reason."

Van Pelt also discussed how Netflix is developing a film adaptation of Remarkably Bright Creatures, expected to star Sally Field.  

The event, also covered by The Chicago Tribune, concluded with a Q&A session and book signing and represents the type of community engagement that the Krebs Center for the Humanities regularly promotes. "Lake Forest College is committed to the humanities and to continually exploring its value in our world. These conversations allow us to explore how literature helps us understand what it means to be human," observed Schneiderman, Principal Investigator of a Mellon-foundation grant about AI and the humanities.  

For more information visit:  www.lfreads.org. 

This fall's Lake Forest Reads selection, "Remarkably Bright Creatures," is author Shelby Van Pelt's debut novel, published by Harper Collins and first released in 2022.

Kate Buckardt, head of adult services at the Lake Forest Library, coordinates the Lake Forest Reads one book, one community program.

Friday's Meet the Author event, took place at the Gorton Center, where Davis Schneiderman, author and executive director of the Krebs Center for the Humanities at Lake Forest College, led a conversation with Van Pelt, followed by a Q&A session and book signing.

"Our criteria over the years has been to pick a current title once a year with the potential for great discussions, and for great programming on related topics," Buckardt said.

"In ‘Remarkably Bright Creatures,' the friendship between Tova, a widowed aquarium worker, and Marcellus, an octopus living in captivity, has captured the imagination of readers, in a moving story with a strong message about family and community, full of humor and hope," Buckardt added.

"Remarkably Bright Creatures" was an instant New York Times Bestseller and has sold over 2 million copies in the United States alone. In 2023, the book received the Heartland Prize for Fiction and the McLaughlin-Esstman-Stearns First Novel Prize from The Writer's Center, according to the author's bio.

The Lake Forest Reads website describes "Remarkably Bright Creatures" as a book for fans of "A Man Called Ove," a luminous debut novel about a widow's unlikely friendship with a giant Pacific octopus reluctantly residing at the local aquarium — and the truths she finally uncovers about her son's disappearance 30 years ago.

After Tova Sullivan's husband died, she began working the night shift at the Sowell Bay Aquarium, mopping floors and tidying up. Keeping busy has always helped her cope, which she's been doing since her 18-year-old son, Erik, mysteriously vanished on a boat in the Puget Sound over 30 years ago.

As she works, Tova becomes acquainted with curmudgeonly Marcellus, a giant Pacific octopus living at the aquarium. Marcellus knows more than anyone can imagine, but wouldn't dream of lifting one of his eight tentacles for his human captors — until he forms an unlikely friendship with Tova.

Van Pelt says her inspiration for the character of Tova, was based on her grandmother, Anna.

"My grandmother was one of those people whose shell was never cracked, she never wanted to be a burden and this was a guiding principle in her life, the character of Tova, deals with her grief in a solitary way, keeping busy and not wanting to lean on those around her," Van Pelt said.

Born and raised in Tacoma, Washington, Van Pelt now resides in Wheaton, Illinois.

Buckardt says, Lake Forest Reads, was established in 2012, to encourage Lake Foresters to come together each fall to read one book to foster literacy, a culture of reading, and a sense of community.

Schneiderman has partnered with the Lake Forest Library on this community event for the past 12 years.

During his remarks Schneiderman said that Marcellus is more than just an animal narrator, he is an astute observer of human nature, and often understands humans better than they understand themselves.

Buckardt says, a month-long series of library events and activities in October, focused on themes in the novel, before culminating in Friday's Meet the Author event.

Related programming included: four book discussions with leaders including Lake Forest Librarian Judy Levin, and Lake Forest Open Land's Julia Lunn, an octopus wind-chime activity and take-home kit, an underwater-themed watercolor painting class, an octopus paper craft in collaboration with Youth and Adult Services, and an ocean-themed story time in the Children's Library.

Other events included a presentation on octopus intelligence from the University of Chicago Ragsdale Lab and a screening of the film "The Shape of Water" (2017), at the Gorton Center.

According to Buckardt, several community organizations have joined Lake Forest Library this year in presenting Lake Forest Reads, including the Friends of Lake Forest Library, Lake Forest College, Gorton Center, Dickinson Hall and Lake Forest Book Store, the official bookstore of the event.

Lake Forest Library also hosted a 10 a.m. workshop with Van Pelt on Saturday, Nov. 2, for a presentation about her writing process and how she keeps it playful.

Van Pelt says that Netflix is developing the movie adaptation of "Remarkably Bright Creatures," which is expected to star Sally Field.

Margaret McIntire of Lake Bluff attended Friday's event.

"My mother turned me on to this book originally, when she was going through an ‘octopus phase' — I found this story to be a tender exploration of human loneliness and healing," McIntire said.

"Charming, compulsively readable, and full of wit, this is a book for those of us looking for some joy," Buckardt said.

Memory loss among older Americans is a significant issue. According to a recent report released by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in 2022 about 13 percent of those 85 and older in the country suffered from dementia, along with four percent of those 65 and older. About 6.5 million Americans today are afflicted with Alzheimer's Disease, the most common form of dementia.

To help improve the quality of life for those afflicted and to ease the burden on caregivers, Dickinson Hall and the Lake Forest Library have united to unveil a Memory Café this year. For 90 minutes on the third Tuesday of each month at Dickinson Hall in Lake Forest, attendees in the early stages of memory loss can talk about the past and connect with each other in a welcoming environment at no charge.

"We have been talking about introducing it here for quite a while," said Tricia Schwall, senior resources manager at Dickinson Hall.

So had Krista Kosar, adult services librarian at Lake Forest Library.

"As the population ages, it's become more of an interest," Kosar said. Given that part of the library's new strategic plan was to collaborate with other organizations in the community, she reached out to partner with Schwall on the initiative.

Introduced by a Dutch psychiatrist in 1997, Memory Cafés are global now. According to memorycafedirectory.com, they were created as "a way to break through the stigma associated with various forms of dementia. It simply wasn't discussed and those living with the disease – and their caregivers – were suffering as a result."

At the first session in Lake Forest this summer, the session started with people chatting over snacks and coffee. Schwall and Kosar – who are dementia friendly certified, along with their staffs -- explained what a Memory Café is and asked participants what they'd be interested in during future events. That yielded the idea of bringing in old newspaper headlines and articles to the October session.

"I got the impression they enjoyed the first session and that they'll be back," Kosar said. "The bigger it gets, the more exciting it will be. We're flexible on topics and letting the conversation flow." Future sessions will also include mindful yoga, music, creative storytelling and more.

Membership at Dickinson Hall or the library is not required – the only requirement is to register in advance (see registration information below). Caregivers must accompany attendees. Schwall pointed out the experience is important to them.

"It's really a time to give caregivers a respite, and it's a great opportunity to meet individuals in the same situation,” she said. “We're hoping they get to know each other and have camaraderie."

Schwall added that for those with memory loss, holding the event at the same time and place every month (the third Tuesday at Dickinson Hall) is comforting.

"Consistency is one of the key things they need," she said.

To register for the Memory Café, please call Dickinson Hall at 847-234-2209 or email dickinsonhall@cityoflakeforest.com

There is new life for a distinctive part of the Lake Forest Library with the restoration of eight murals dominating the building's rotunda.

Last month, crews finished a months-long refurbishment of the murals painted by Russian-born artist Nicolai Remisoff. Dedicated in 1932, the paintings are depictions of poets and prose writers, including Homer, Virgil, Cicero, Aristotle and Socrates.

"They are the great thinkers of the world from the antiquity," noted Friends of the Lake Forest Library board member Jan Gibson.

Remisoff's murals were installed shortly after the library's opening in 1931. However, when cracks in the building's dome appeared, the murals suffered suffered water damage.

In 2023, a repair to the dome was completed and library officials then moved to breathe fresh life into the murals. In December, board members approved a contract to repair the paintings using funds donated by the Friends of the Lake Forest Library.

Crews cleaned, repainted, varnished and sealed the eight murals over several months, exciting the staff and patrons.

"After the restoration, we rediscovered several unique features in these murals that had been obscured over the passage of time," Library executive director Ishwar Laxminarayan wrote in an email. "The Lake Forest Library is a beloved community institution and visitors now experience a greater sense of awe and grandeur as they gaze up at the amous Greek and Roman authors and poets who are depicted in the restored murals.

"We are the cornerstone of literacy in our community and believe that these restored murals will continue to inspire generations of avid readers readers to pursue a lifelong love for reading and learning," he said.

Upon the completion of the project, Gibson offered a fresh look at the life of Remisoff.

Born in St. Petersburg, Russia, his art career started as a political cartoonist.

"He was a master at drawing faces," Gibson said.

He and his wife fled Russia after the start of the Bolshevik Revolution in 1917, with initial stops in Paris and then New York, before arriving in Chicago in 1925.

He taught for a short time at the Art Institute, but his true love was in design, Gibson noted. In one prominent example, he was the project manager for the Sears pavilion displayed at the 1933 World's Fair in Chicago.

While teaching at the Art Institute of Chicago, Remisoff became friends with Lake Forest Library board president Alfred E. Hamill, who eventually eventually invited him to stay at his home.

"People were enamored with Russians at the time," Gibson said. "They knew his talent."

Remisoff painted a series of murals at the Hamill house and shortly after the library opened in 1931, he was commissioned to do another set of paintings in the rotunda.

Gibson marveled that Remisoff completed the work over several months without assistance.

"He was very good at what he did." she said.

Remisoff dedicated the eight main panels that are in the classical Greek style featuring colorful, rounded faces. Gibson added the depictions are of poets and prose writers of the antiquity, because of their importance in history and literature, with Homer being the most important.

"All of the other poets treated Homer as their mentor, and he inspired them to write," she said.

A few years after the completion of the murals, Remisoff moved to Hollywood, working in design in both movies and television before his death in 1975.

His imprint on Lake Forest continues, and is now refreshed with the murals getting their first major restoration in almost 30 years.

"The library building and the murals are a treasure of a gift bestowed upon Lake Forest and its citizens," Friends president Liz Jacob wrote. "The Friends, as community members and stewards who support and advocate for the library and its mission, take pride in having a share in ownership of this treasure.

"We take pride in maintaining and restoring the murals for future generations to cherish," she said.

Last year during the association visit to Chicago, there was time on Saturday morning and afternoon when Chris and I could drive north to Wisconsin to visit the Livingston family.

We were joined by Sam Babcock and headed up the highway towards the Badger State. Along the way, I was able to take care of one of my bucket list items that I wished to check off.

Since discovering the death of Carl Thorne-Thomsen and the event's leading up to the man who replaced me in Vietnam, I've always wanted to visit his hometown in Illinois to learn more of his history growing up in Lake Forest.

It was a Saturday, and the Lake Forest/Lake Bluff History Center was closed. There is a highly regarded Research Center in that establishment, and I planned on mining that source for whatever I could learn about Thomsen. It wasn’t to be, but luckily, nearby was the Lake Forest Main Library.

We dropped in and I introduced us to the lead Librarian and shared that we were interested in researching any data that the library may have on our fallen brother from A/2/12. She passed us off to the Adult Service Librarian, Krista Kosar. She told us that the library held no specific information on Carl-Thorne Thomsen, but there were archived yearbooks from when he attended Lake Forest High School.
She brought us to a rear room which contained a locked cabinet which contained decades of "FOREST TRAILS" (their title) yearbooks to peruse through.

Knowing the year that he graduated (1964), I reached for that year's yearbook and learned a lot more about the man who left Harvard in 1966 with idealistic beliefs about the men who were then fighting in Vietnam. He felt that the war was inordinately being fought by men who were not as fortunate or connected as he and his Harvard classmates were.

I was able to take quite a few related pictures from that yearbook and I will sprinkle them into the story I prepared for this newsletter.