The Friends of the Millicent Library welcomes John Nelson, noted author and birder, who will present “Funny Bird Sex: Stories Birds Tell about Birds and People” on Wednesday, October 6, in the library auditorium. His slide show presentation begins at 6:30 and blends science, literature, and personal observation to explore the distinctive

lives of twelve bird species--in Massachusetts and beyond--and the stories they tell us about sex, family life, song, dance, mimicry, migration, and adaptability in birds and humans. 

John Nelson is the author of the essay collection Flight Calls: Exploring Massachusetts through Birds and Cultivating Judgment: A Sourcebook for Teaching Critical Thinking Across the Curriculum. His essay “Funny Bird Sex” in the Antioch Review was awarded a 2018 Pushcart Prize, and his narrative “Coming of Old Age in Samoa” in The Missouri

Review was nominated for a Pushcart Prize. A professor emeritus at North Shore Community College, John was the 2021 Visiting Writer at the college. He founded and chairs the Association of Massachusetts Bird Clubs, and he chairs the Conservation and Education Committee of the Brookline Bird Club. He lives with his wife Mary, to whom Flight Calls is dedicated, on a hilltop in the woods in Gloucester.

The mission of the Friends of the Millicent Library 

• To foster public interest for the library through knowledge of its services 
• To support the Millicent Library with active volunteerism and creative fundraising. 
• To foster public interest in new and innovative ways which will enrich the minds of our community.
• To underwrite enriching, cultural, and specially focused educational opportunities. 
• To enrich the cultural life of the community through inclusive library activities.

Registration is required for this event, so don't delay is your RSVP. As always, masks are strongly encouraged.