On a rainy morning in July 2009, Ed Merck was having breakfast on his boat in Lake Tashmoo. He had just completed a 12-and-a-half day sail up the east coast from Florida. Now, moored in a quiet corner of the pond, he was struck by loneliness.

Congratulations to Island libraries. The Library Journal is out with its annual ratings and both the Vineyard Haven and West Tisbury libraries are ranked among the best in the country.

At a Harvard Law School event a few weeks ago that honored Alan Dershowitz’s career, Larry David sent a video. “Look, the world is divided into two groups of people,” Mr. Dershowitz said, quoting Mr. David, an actor and fellow seasonal Vineyarder. “There are people who don’t know Alan and hate him. People who know Alan and love him. I’m in a third category. I know Alan really well and I hate his guts.”

On Tuesday, Nov. 5, the Howes House Tuesday discussion group ponders problems shared between the U.S. and India.

West Tisbury Library hosts its semi-annual Community Poetry Reading with emcee West Tisbury poet laureate Justen Ahren on Sunday, Nov. 17 from 4 to 5 p.m. at Bunch of Grapes bookstore in Vineyard Haven.

The Vineyard has a long history of being dog-centric. There are dogs on boats, dogs on beaches, dogs at offices. At the top of Circuit avenue there’s a shop dedicated to all things dog. And, of course, there’s the Island’s most well-known canine — the Black Dog.