A free “Trouble Begins at 5:30” talk at the Mark Twain House & Museum, 351 Farmington Ave., Hartford, will take place Thursday, Nov. 10, at 5:30 p.m., following a reception at 5 p.m. The talk will highlight Twain’s acerbic and amusing opinions about American presidents during the Gilded Age.
The speakers are Mallory Howard, assistant curator at The Twain House, and Jason Scappaticci, director of New Students and First Year Programs at Manchester Community College. Information and reservations: 860-247-0998 or marktwainhouse.org.
Authors At R.J. Julia
A new book about Katharine Hepburn, novels for kids and adults and books about veterans will be discussed at free talks at R.J. Julia Booksellers, 768 Boston Post Road, Madison. All require reservations: 203-245-3959 or rjjulia.com.
Ann Nyberg, the WTNV-TV anchor/reporter and author, will discuss “Remembering Katharine Hepburn: Stories of Wit and Wisdom About America’s Leading Lady” (Globe Pequot, $16.95) on Sunday, Nov. 6, at 2 p.m. Nyberg’s book contains many anecdotes about Hepburn, who grew up in Hartford and became one of America’s most acclaimed and admired actresses.
Two authors of books published by Algonqin Young Readers for $16.95 each will speak on Wednesday, Nov. 9, at 5 p.m.. Connecticut author Adam Shaughnessy’ latest is “The Unbelievable Fib 2: Over the Underworld,” the second book about two seventh-graders who join the Fantasy Investigation Bureau to save their hometown from invading Viking gods and giants. Tania Unsworth will talk about “Brightwood,” the story of a teenage girl who lives in a secluded mansion and whose best friends are a talking rat and a ghost, and who must fight to save her home from a menacing stranger.
Chris Grabenstein will discuss his humorous book, “Welcome to Wonderland #1: Home Sweet Motel” (Random House Books for Young Readers, $13.99), on Thursday, Nov. 10, at 6 p.m. It’s about an 11-year-old who lives in a motel that needs customers to stay in business and the plan he concocts with his pal Gloria to save the place. Grabenstein is the best-selling author of “Escape from Mr. Lemoncello’s Library” and co-author with James Patterson of several other books.
A Local & Independent Author Event honoring Veterans Day will present talks by three authors on Thursday, Nov. 10, at 7 p.m. Isabella Green will discuss her book, “Solitary Odyssey Of a Female Kind” (Amala, $18.95), about a woman soldier who suffers emotional turmoil after her service in the Persian Gulf war at age 18 and decides to heal herself by backpacking around the world. Marc Youngquist, will talk about “The 143rd in Iraq” (Green Frog Publishing, $16), a historical account of a Connecticut National Guard Military Police Company’s attempt to recruit, train and prepare an Iraqi Police Force in 2003-2004, despite many obstacles. Youngquist has more than 40 years of experience in the military, law enforcement and investigative work. He will donate all royalties from the sale of his paperbacks and e-books to FIDELCO Guide Dog Foundation, which gives guide dogs to disabled veterans. Peter Lion will discuss “American St. Nick — A True Story” (Plain Sight, $12.99), which tells how American soldiers in World War II gave children in Luxembourg a beautiful Christmas celebration and started a tradition that continues. Lion, who lives in Connecticut, is a Emmy award-winning producer and director.
More ‘American St. Nick’
Peter Lion also will speak at Book Club Bookstore & More, 100 Main St., in the Broad Brook section of East Windsor, on Saturday, Nov. 12, from 10:30 to noon. His talk about the American soldiers who created a Christmas celebration in war-torn Luxembourg during World War II is presented to honor Veterans Day. Information: 860-623-5100 or bookclubct.com.
The Vietnam Experience
Kent Memorial Library, 61 Ffyler Place, Suffield, will host a free talk on Saturday, Nov. 12, at 1 p.m. by Samuel K. Beamon Sr. about his book, “Flying Death: The Vietnam Experience” (AuthorHouse, $24.99). Beamon enlisted in the Marine Corps in 1965 and flew more than 320 combat missions. He was awarded 16 Air Medals and other honors. His book is about the Vietnam War and his battle for equality. He is the first Waterbury resident and African American to receive UNICO National’s John Basilone Freedom Award. Information: 860-668-3896 or suffield-library.org.
Forgotten Colonial Drinks
Visitors to Phelps-Hatheway House, 55 S. Main St., Suffield, on Sunday, Nov. 6, at 2 p.m., can sample favorite drinks of the Colonial period in American history and hear a free talk by Corin Hirsch, author of “Forgotten Drinks of Colonial New England” (The History Press, $19.99), about the ales, beers, wines, cider and spirits popular at the time. Hirsch is an award-winning writer about food and drinks. Registration is required: 860-668-3896 or suffield-library.org.
Poetry Workshop
Riverwood Poetry Series will present a poetry writing workshop, “I am not the Poet of Goodness Only: How to Praise,” led by Massachusetts poet Alan Feldman on Thursday, Nov. 10, at 7 p.m. at Universalist Church of West Hartford, 433 Fern St., West Hartford. Doors will open at 6:30 p.m. The workshop is free, but a $5 donation is suggested.
The workshop will present strategies for writing about important topics without sanctimony. Feldman’s poetry has been published in The New Yorker, The Atlantic, Poetry and Yale Review, and he is the author of prize-winning poetry collections. A professor and chair of English at Framingham State University, for 22 years he taught advanced creative writing at Harvard’s Radcliffe Seminars. Information: riverwoodpoetry.org.
History And Poetry
The Wintonbury Historical Society will present a free History and Poetry Reading on Sunday Nov. 6, at 3 p.m. at Prosser Public Library, 1 Tunxis Avenue, Bloomfield.
The program is called “Dear Neighbor, Dear Julia: Two Bloomfield Poets Born 150 Years Apart.” Poet Marilyn Johnston, who lives near Bloomfield’s 1834 Filley house, will speak about the 19th-century farmer’s wife, Julia Filley, who also wrote poetry and journals, exploring how she and Filley both wrote about childhood, nature, women’s roles, war, loss, grief and faith. Information: 860-243-1531 or bloomfieldcthistory.org.
‘Blue Madonna’
Author James R. Benn will give a free talk about his 11th Billy Boyle mystery, “Blue Madonna” (Soho Crime, $26.95), on Thursday, Nov. 10, at 7 p.m., at Welles-Turner Memorial Library, 2407 Main St., Glastonbury.
Boyle is a U.S. Army detective and ex-Boston cop, and in this novel, he fights an unfair court-martial and demotion by going behind enemy lines in France during the Normandy invasion to solve two murders and rescue an Allied soldier. Benn, a retired Connecticut librarian, has won multiple awards for his Billy Boyle World War II mysteries series. Information: 860-652-7720 or wtmlib.info.
The Wright Stuff
Avon Public Library, 281 Country Club Road, Avon, continues its free Avon Reads One Book community reading project centering on “The Wright Brothers” by David McCullough (Simon & Schuster, $17.99). To obtain a copy from the library, call 860-673-9712.
Igor Sikorsky Jr. will show photos and tell stories from his father’s life on Wednesday, Nov. 9, at 2 p.m. Igor Sikorsky (1889 – 1972) was an aviation pioneer and founder of Sikorsky Aviation Corp.
David Herlihy, author of “Bicycle: A History” (Yale University Press, $19.99), will give a free talk on Saturday, Nov. 12, at 2 p.m., on “The Invention & Early Development of the Bicycle.” Information on these and related events: avonctlibrary.info.
Mystery Discussion
Carole Shmurak, of Farmington, who writes the Susan Lombardi mystery novels, will lead a free discussion on Thursday, Nov. 10, of “A Sleeping Life” by Ruth Rendell for the Southington Mystery Group: An Inspector Calls series, Part 3, at Southington Public Library, 255 Main St., Southington. Information: 860-628-0947.
