Dr. Beverly Daniel Tatum, who wrote the acclaimed “Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria?” in 1997 will be the featured speaker for the Michael Rion Lecture at Hartford Seminary Thursday, Dec. 7 at 7 p.m. Tatum, president emerita of Spelman College and a clinical psychologist and racial identity expert, earned a MA from Hartford Seminary in 2000 and returns to speak about “Listening to the Still, Small Voice: The Call To Lead.” hartsem.edu/event
Hickory Stick Bookshop
The Hickory Stick Bookshop, 2 Green Hill Road, Washington Depot, will host a free talk by dancer, choreographer, movement educator and author Paula Josa-Jones on Sunday, Dec. 3 at 2 p.m. about “Our Horses, Ourselves,” which explores through stories, strategies and meditations how humans can use their bodies and powers of intent to communicate with horses.
On Saturday, Dec. 9, at 2 p.m., magazine illustrator Barry Blitt will sign copies of “Blitt,” a collection of his award-winning drawings for The New Yorker, The New York Times, Vanity Fair, and other publications, as well as some provocative rejected works. Blitt is known for his more than 100 New Yorker covers, satirical political cartoons and books for children. 860-868-0525 or hickorystickbookshop.com.
Bank Square Books
On Sunday, Dec. 3, from 6:30 to 9 p.m. at Oyster Club, 13 Water St., Mystic, Bank Square Books will co-host a dinner with Alex Prud’homme, grandnephew of Julia Child’s husband, Paul Child, and author of “The French Chef in America: Julia Child’s Second Act.” Tickets are $80 plus tax and tip, for a multicourse dinner, drink pairing and a copy of the book.
At the bookstore, 53 W. Main St., Mystic, Holiday Gift Guide book signings will take place from 5 to 7 p.m. On Monday, Dec. 4, Katherine Hauswirth, author of “The Book of Noticing,” will sign copies. On Tuesday, Dec. 5, Susan Kietzman, author of “Every Other Wednesday” will sign. On Friday, Dec 8, Mark Shasha will sign “Night of the Moonjellies.”
On Saturday, Dec. 9, from 1 to 3 p.m., Mystic author Bette MacGregor Collins will sign copies of “Meditations on the Stained Glasses of Calvary,” based on her photography and documentation of the stained and painted glasses of Calvary Episcopal Church in Stonington.
banksquarebooks.com or 860-536-3795.
Authors At R.J. Julia
Authors of a book about yoga and novels for young readers will give free talks at R.J. Julia Booksellers, 768 Boston Post Road, Madison. Reservations are required: 203-245-3959 or rjjulia.com.
On Tuesday, Dec. 5 at 7 p.m., Julie Rosenberg, M.D., will discuss “Beyond the Mat,” about bringing yoga’s philosophy into personal and professional life.
On Wednesday, Dec. 6, at noon, at a Books on the Menu talk, the bookstore’s Lori Fazio and Andrew Brennan will describe hidden gems worth gifting, books for the holiday season and games and gift options for the family. Tickets are $15 and include a sandwich lunch.
On Thursday, Dec. 7, at 4:30 p.m., Mystic author Debbi Michiko Florence will discuss her children’s book, “Jasmine Toguchi: Mochi Queen” about an 8-year-old Japanese-American girl who plans to outdo her older sister.
On Saturday, Dec. 9, at 6 p.m., Cat Jordan, author of “The Leaving Season,” will discuss her new novel, “Eight Days on Planet Earth,” about a teenage boy who falls in love with a young woman who claims she has traveled 20 light years to reach the spot where a spaceship landed 50 years earlier.
At Wesleyan R.J. Julia Bookstore, 413 Main St., Middletown, on Thursday, Dec. 7, at 7 p.m., Caryn Davis will discuss her book, “A Connecticut Christmas: Celebrating the Holidays in Classic New England Style.” 860-685-3939 or wesleyanrjjulia.com.
Book Club Bookstore
Book Club Bookstore, 869 Sullivan Ave., South Windsor, will honor famed author Willa Cather with a free birthday party and book group launch on Thursday, Dec. 7, from 2 to 3 p.m. The Willa Cather Book Club, led by Chris Wolak, host of the Book Cougars podcast and blogger at WildmooBooks.com, will meet quarterly, beginning Jan. 18, at 2 p.m. with a discussion of Cather’s classic novel, “My Antonia,” which celebrates its 100th anniversary in 2018.
On Saturday, Dec. 9, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., three Connecticut authors will sign copies of their books. They are Connie Bombaci and her service dog (“Hogan’s Hope”) Shawn Flynn (“The Kitty”) and Penny Goetjen (“The Empty Chair”).
860-432-7411 or bookclubct.com.
Mann In Middletown
William J. Mann, a Middletown native known for his best-selling and award-winning biographies of such figures as Katharine Hepburn and Elizabeth Taylor, will give a free talk at Russell Library, 123 Broad St., Middletown, Wednesday, Dec. 6, at 6:30 p.m. His latest, “The Wars of the Roosevelts,” will be released in paperback that day. The book is a fresh look at the secrets and rivalries in one of the most influential families in American politics. russelllibrary.org or 860-347-2528, ext. 132.
Smith Reading Series
The free Smith Reading Series, held in Smith Houses’ Reese Room on the Trinity College campus, 300 Summit St., Hartford, will host poet Afaa Michael Weaver on Thursday, Dec. 7, at 4:30 p.m. Weaver, the first “elder” of the Cave Canem arts organization, has won many fellowships and awards, published poetry collections and has worked extensively with Chinese poets. bit.ly/2xVXO5d or 860-297-2036.
Charter Oak Readings
On Sunday Dec. 3, at 3 p.m., Connecticut poets Julie Choffel and Sarah Nichols will give a free reading at Charter Oak Cultural Center, 21 Charter Oak Ave. Hartford.
Choffel, who teaches writing at UConn and Tunxis Community College, has published several collections and is poet laureate of West Hartford. Nichols is the author of five chapbooks. The program will begin with an open mike. charteroakreadings.blogspot.com/ or 860-508-2810.
Poets In Clinton
Poets Carol Altieri, Pat Barone, Suellyn Callaghan, Carol Chaput, Greg Coleman, Nancy Correa, Silvia Ducach, Thomasina Levy, Lorraine Reiss, and Barbara Stuart and their workshop leaders, Greg Coleman and Edwina Trentham, will give a free Love, Loss, and Taking Chances reading at Clinton Art Gallery, 20 E. Main St., Clinton on Thursday, Dec. 7, at 6 p.m. trentham@comcast.net or 860-873-1472.
Metres At Westminster
Poet Philip Metres will read at Westminster School, 995 Hopmeadow St., Simsbury on Friday, Dec. 8, at 7 p.m. for the free Friday Nights at Westminster series in Gund Reading Room, Armour Academic Center. Ian Dardani, who won the school’s This I Believe Essay Contest, will be the student reader. Metres is an award-winning and widely published poet and translator. 860-408-3053 or westminster-school.org.
Tapping Into Happy
Connecticut author Mimi Stevens will read from and sign copies of “Maven & the Magic Buttons; How Tapping into Happy Helps Tears Disappear” on Thursday, Dec. 7, at 7 p.m. at Avon Free Public Library, 281 Country Club Road, Avon. The book is for children but offers information for parents and educators on techniques for relaxation, stress reduction and improving behavior and health. Reservations: at the library or 860-673-9712, ext. 240.
Mystery Book Discussion
Carole Shmurak, of Farmington, who writes the Susan Lombardi mystery novels, will lead a free discussion on Wednesday, Dec. 6, at 3 p.m., for the Wallingford Mystery Group: “Kill All the Lawyers” Part 4,” at Wallingford Public Library, 200 N. Main St., Wallingford. The book is “The Lincoln Lawyer by Michael Connolly. 203-265-6754.
Writing Dialogue
Steve Liskow, the award-winning Connecticut author of mystery novels and short stories and a former English teacher, will lead a workshop on writing dialogue to make characters distinct, strengthen plot and create a mood on Saturday, Dec. 9 at 2 p.m. at The Storyteller’s Cottage, 750 Hopmeadow St., Simsbury. The cost is $30.StorytellersCottage.com/book-online.
