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Independent Bookstores In CT Celebrating Small Business Saturday

Aidan Levy, a West Hartford native, will discuss his debut book, "Dirty Blvd. The Life and Music of Lou Reed" on Saturday, Nov. 28, on "Greasy Tracks," a program on Trinity College's WRTC.
Sergio Torres / Associated Press
Aidan Levy, a West Hartford native, will discuss his debut book, “Dirty Blvd. The Life and Music of Lou Reed” on Saturday, Nov. 28, on “Greasy Tracks,” a program on Trinity College’s WRTC.
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Independent bookstores nationwide will take part in the annual “Indies First” Small Business Saturday, which will be held Saturday, Nov. 28. Launched by novelist Sherman Alexis, Indies First events encourage book buyers to support their local bookshops.

At R.J. Julia Booksellers, 768 Boston Post Road, Madison, local authors will be there from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. to chat with customers and help them choose books. Authors planning to take part are James Benn, Donna DiCello, Paul Ferrante, Karen Olson, Clarence Jones, Christine Pakkala, Lucretia Bingham, Kristan Higgins, Bob Steele, Martha Ritter, Sally Allen, Shari Arnold, Cheryl Della Pietra, Anita Sawyer, Susan Strecker, Mike Urban, Jason Marchi, Suzanne Palmieri, Dan Pope and Juliana Gribbins. Information: 203-245-3959 or rjjulia.com.

At The Hickory Stick Bookshop, 2 Green Hill Road, Washington Depot, Marilyn Singer, author of the children’s book, “Tallulah’s Tap Shoes” (Clarion Books, $16.99), will sign copies at 2 p.m. The book is the fifth in Singer’s popular series about Tallulah, and it is illustrated by Alexandra Boiger. Singer, who has homes in Brooklyn, N.Y., and Litchfield, has published more than 90 books for children and young adults, including novels, fantasies, non-fiction, fairy tales, picture books and poetry. Information: 860-868-0525 or hickorystickbookshop.com.

At Book Club Bookstore & More, 100 Main St. in the Broad Brook section of East Windsor, a celebration of the store’s 2nd birthday will take place on Saturday, Nov. 28, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Authors June Hyjek and David Garnes and artist Geoff Houghton will take part, and there will be giveaways and refreshments.

Information: 860-623-5100.

High Times

The Mark Twain House & Museum Center, 351 Farmington Ave., Hartford, will host a free program with Dan Skye, editor of High Times magazine and an accomplished photographer, on Tuesday, Nov. 24, at 7 p.m. WNPR personalty Chion Wolf will be the moderator.

Skye (the pen name of Malcolm MacKinnon), is editor in chief of the New York-based monthly magazine that advocates the legalization of marijuana. He has interviewed and photographed such celebrities as Susan Sarandon, Woody Harrelson, Oliver Stone, Alanis Morissette, Roger Daltrey, Lewis Black, Dennis Hopper, Peter Fonda, Melissa Etheridge, Graham Nash, David Crosby and many others, and he is also known for his photographs that document modern Native American life.

Reservations: 860-247-0998 or marktwainhouse.org.

Student Stowe Prize Competition

The Harriet Beecher Stowe Center in Hartford is now accepting submissions from high school and college students for its 2016 Student Stowe Prize.

Established by the center, the award recognizes outstanding writing on an important social justice issue that affects contemporary society, including, but not limited to, race, class and gender. All entries must have been published or publicly presented before submission and must be postmarked by Jan. 15.

A $1,000 award will go to the high school winner, and a $2,500 award will go to the college winner. They will be presented in June 2016 at the Stowe Center’s Big Tent Jubilee, an annual fundraiser for education programs. The student winners also will speak at a free panel discussion that day and the winning entries will be published in the event program book and on the Stowe Center website.

The student awards are made every other year, alternating with a prize awarded to a U.S. author whose written work makes a demonstrable impact on a critical social justice issue in the tradition of Stowe’s “Uncle Tom’s Cabin.” The prize was established in 2011 to commemorate the 200th anniversary of Stowe’s birth.

Information and entry forms: HarrietBeecherStowe.org.

Lou Reed’s Life And Music

Aidan Levy, a West Hartford native, will discuss his debut book, “Dirty Blvd. The Life and Music of Lou Reed” (Chicago Review Press, $28.95) on Saturday, Nov. 28, on “Greasy Tracks,” a program on Trinity College’s WRTC (89.3 FM, wrtcfm.com).

Hosted by Chris Cowles, this special program will focus on Levy’s book and an in-depth overview of Reed’s career. It will air from 1:30 to 5:30 p.m.

The book is the first biography of the punk poet and rock legend since his death in 2013 at age 71. It chronicles Reed’s career with the Velvet Underground and as a solo artist, as well as his abrasive personality.

Reed released more than 20 solo albums and 44 singles, including “Walk on the Wild Side,” Sweet Jane,” “Rock & Roll,” “Satellite of Love,” “I Love You, Suzanne,” “I’m Waiting for the Man” and “Dirty Blvd.”

Levy, a graduate of Hall High School in West Hartford, has written for The New York Times, The Village Voice and JazzTimes.

Canton Poet Laureate

A free poetry reading to celebrate Joan Hofmann’s appointment as Canton’s poet laureate will take place Sunday, Nov. 22, from 1 to 2 p.m. at Canton Community Center, 40 Dyer Ave. Following an open mike, readers will include Hofmann, current state poet laureate Rennie McQuilken, and several town poets laureate, including Christine Beck of West Hartford, Hugo DeSarro of East Hampton, Charlie Margolis of South Windsor, Julia Paul of Manchester, Alexandrina Sergio of Glastonbury, Davyne Verstandig of Washington and Gordy Whiteman of Guilford.

Information: 860-693-5800.

Poets On Poetry

The free Poets on Poetry series, which runs on the last Saturday of the month from 10:15 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the Hartford Public Library’s Hartford History Center, 500 Main St., continues on Saturday, Nov. 28, with a program on the poetry of Richard Wilbur, moderated by Maria Sassi.

A renowned poet and translator of many classic French plays, Wilbur has won two Pulitzer Prizes for Poetry. He taught at Wesleyan University for two decades, where he was involved in founding the award-winning poetry series of the University Press.

Sassi, a poet and playwright, was the first West Hartford poet laureate.

Information: ctpoetry.net.