Poet Laureate Trethewey At Sunken Garden

Natasha Trethewey, who has won a Pulitzer Prize for her work and was recently chosen to be the next U.S. Poet Laureate, will headline the Sunken Garden Poetry Festival series event Wednesday, July 11, at the Hill-Stead Museum, 35 Mountain Road, Farmington.

Trethewey, who will succeed Philip Levine as poet laureate, has published three poetry collections and teaches creative writing at Emory University. She also is the author of “Beyond Katrina: A Meditation on the Mississippi Gulf Coast,” a nonfiction book.

At 7:30 p.m., she will read from her work, joined by the the second-place 2012 Sunken Garden Poetry Prize winner, Sue Burton. The program will begin with a 5 p.m. Poetry Prelude with Connecticut poet John Stanizzi and music at 6:15 p.m. by Rani Arbo and his band, daisy mayhem.

The museum and the Hartford Public Library will provide free bus transportation and admission to the Trethewey event from two Hartford sites. The bus will leave at 5 p.m. from the Arch Street entrance of the library, 500 Main St., and at 5:15 p.m. from the Albany branch, 1250 Albany Ave. They will return to the Hartford sites at about 9 p.m.

Festival events are held rain or shine. Guests should bring seating and a picnic supper or can purchase food and beverages there from Epicurean Caterers. Grounds open at 4:30 p.m. Parking is free and admission is $5 (free for children 12 or younger.) Registration and information: 860-677-4787 ext.134 (cq) or poetry@hillstead.org.

Circus Fire Stories

On July 6, the 68th anniversary of the tragic 1944 Hartford circus fire, author, English professor at Towson University and former Courant sportswriter Michael Downs, who was born in Hartford, will give a talk about his new collection inspired the historic disaster, “The Greatest Show” (Louisiana State University Press, $23).

The 10 stories that comprise the book are set in Hartford and linked in novel-like fashion as they explore the immediate and lingering effects of the fire over several decades.

Downs will speak at 5:30 p.m. at the Mark Twain House & Museum, 351 Farmington Ave., Hartford, following a 5 p.m. reception that will open the program, and he will sign books following his talk. The event is free.

Information: 860-247-0998 or http://www.marktwainhouse.org .

Authors At R.J. Julia

R.J. Julia Booksellers, 768 Boston Post Road, Madison, will present talks by several authors this week.

On Monday, July 9, at 7 p.m., Nichole Bernier, author of “The Unfinished Work of Elizabeth D” (Crown, $24) will give a free talk. Her novel tells how a woman mourning the death of a close friend organizes her private papers and comes to learn shocking truths about her.

On Tuesday, July 10, at noon at the Pine Orchard Country Club, 2 Club Parkway, Branford, author Chris Cleave will discuss his new novel, “Gold” (Simon & Schuster, $27). The book is about friendship and rivalry, as two women who are track cycling racers — one with a daughter battling leukemia and the other a ruthless competitor — prepare for the 2012 Olympics. Tickets are $55 and include the luncheon, talk and a copy of the book.

On Wednesday, July 11, at 7 p.m. at the bookstore, Christopher Pagliuco, Town of Essex historian, teacher and author of “The Great Escape of Edward Whalley and William Goffe: Smuggled Through Connecticut” (History Press, $19.99), will give a free talk.

His book examines the lives of English Civil War revolutionary fugitives Edward Whalley and William Goffe, who fled England and sought refuge in New Haven, where streets are now named for them.

All events require registration: 203-245-3959 or http://www.rjjulia.com.

“A Watershed Year”

Susan Schoenberger, of West Hartford, whose first novel, “A Watershed Year,” (Guideposts, $14.99) won the gold medal in the 2006 William Faulkner-William Wisdom Creative Writing Competition, will speak at the Berlin-Peck Memorial Library, 234 Kensington Rd., Berlin, on Tuesday, July 10, at 6:30 p.m. The book is the story of a single woman who changes her life by adopting a child from Russia.

Reservations and information: 860-828-7125.

“Sleeping With the Beast”

Dale Ryan will sign copies of “Sleeping with the Beast” (Breeze Hill, $34.95) at The Hickory Stick Bookshop, 2 Green Hill Rd. Washington Depot, on Saturday, July 7, at 2 p.m.

The illustrated nonfiction book is abouta couple with two sons and five dogs, who all live in a large Connecticut farmhouse. It offers a guide to keeping humans and dogs living happily together.

Ryan is an art educator and dog lover who lives in Litchfield County.

Information: 860-868-0525 or http://www.hickorystickbookshop.com .

Readings In The Park

On Wednesday, July 11, at 6 p.m., the second of four free poetry readings will be held in the Perennial Garden at Elizabeth Park, West Hartford.

Contributors to “Where Flowers Bloom” (Grayson Books, $15), a collection inspired by the park and edited by poet Ginny Lowe Connors of West Hartford, will read. (Programs will continue July 25 and Aug.1, but will not be held if it is raining.) Information: http://www.elizabethpark.org.

Bradbury Tribute

William Morrow will publish a Ray Bradbury tribute book on Tuesday, July 10, that will honor the great science fiction and fantasy author, who died on June 5.

The collection of short stories from 26 authors is titled “Shadow Show: All-New Stories in Celebration of Ray Bradbury,” (Morrow, $15.99). Stories by Margaret Atwood, Neil Gaiman, Dave Eggers, Harlan Ellison, Alice Hoffman, Jacquelyn Mitchard, Audrey Niffenegger, Bonnie Jo Campbell and others are included.

The book is co-edited by Sam Weller and Mort Castle. Weller is Bradbury’s authorized biographer and a two-time Bram Stoker Award finalist. He is the author of “The Bradbury Chronicles: The Life of Ray Bradbury” and “Listen to the Echoes: The Ray Bradbury Interviews. Castle writes horror fiction and teaches writing. He has published more than 500 short stories and has twice won Black Quill awards.

Connecticut Authors Trail

The Fourth Annual Connecticut Authors Trail, a series of free readings by local authors at libraries in the eastern part of the state, kicks off Tuesday, July 10, when David Handler appears at 6:30 p.m. at the Calvert Library, 5 Tyler Drive, Franklin.

Handler, a former journalist who lives in Old Lyme, now writes mystery novels about celebrity ghostwriter Stewart Hoag and his basset hound, Lulu, including the Edgar and American Mystery Award-winning “The Man Who Would Be F. Scott Fitzgerald,” and is the author of another series that features New York film critic Mitch Berger and Connecticut State trooper Desiree Mitry.

The Authors Trail will continue once or twice a week until Sept. 13, when author and UConn professor Regina Barreca gives the final reading at the Mohegan Sun Casino.

Free “passports” will be stamped at the events, giving participants a chance to qualify for an exclusive pre-program “Meet & Greet” at the Mohegan Sun before Barreca’s talk.

Information: http://connecticutauthorstrail.wordpress.com/.

Post Your Comment Below