Local History/Local Novelists Reading and Lecture Series
The Connecticut River Valley is rich in both novelists and history. Forbes Library is a place where novelists come to research and write alongside others interested in local history and literature. The Local History/Local Novelists series invites the community to enjoy and join in the conversation between history and fiction that both engages and creates our changing cultures. The series is curated by Forbes Writer in Residence, Susan Stinson.
"The premise is that the depth, complexity, courage and joy with which we engage with history is, in large part, determined by the depth, complexity, courage and joy with which we engage with story. Fiction of all kinds sharpens those skills like nothing else." -- Susan Stinson
2012-2013 | 2011-2012 | 2010-2011
logo by Julieta Vasquez Mansilla
2012 - 2013
| October 7 | Sunday, 1pm: Jonathan Edwards Walking Tour of Bridge Street Cemetery. Also: Sally Maminash & Sylvester Graham. Forbes Writer in Residence Susan Stinson. |
| November 7 | Henry James Michael Gorra, author, Portrait of A Novel: Henry James and the Making of an American Masterpiece Carole DeSanti, novelist, The Unruly Passions of Eugenie R. Elise Bernier-Feeley, Hampshire Room for Local History and Special Collections, Forbes |
| December 5 | The Common : Writers and Modern Sense of Place. Panel Discussion Jennifer Acker, editor, The Common Amity Gaige, novelist, The Folded World Victoria Redel, novelist and poet, The Border of Truth, Woman Without Umbrella Claire Messud, novelist, The Emperor's Children |
| January 2 | James Baldwin Ekwueme Michael Thelwell, Professor Emeritus, Afro-American Studies, Literature and Writing, University of Massachusetts. Author, The Harder They Come Lenelle Moïse; playwright, poet, and performance artist; Expatriate, Ache What Make Mistinguette Smith, executive director, The Black/Land Project |
| February 6 | Celebration of Local Novelists Zane Kotker, White Rising Joann Kobin, Woman Made of Sand Corinne Demas, The Writing Circle |
| March 6 | Three Houses Lu Stone, local historian/author, A House. A Street. A City. The Story of 17 Summer. Tzivia Gover, author, Learning in Mrs. Towne's House: A Teacher, Her Students, And the Woman who Inspired Them lê thi diem thúy, novelist and performance artist, The Gangster We Are All Looking For |
| April 10 | Jewish Writers, History and New England Richard Michelson, Northampton Poet Laureate, Battles & Lullabies Michael Hoberman, historian, New Israel New England Jane Yolen, novelist and poet, Ekaterinoslav |
| May 1 | Celebration of Local Novelists Marianne Banks, Growing up Delicious Michele Barker, A Difficult Boy Suzanne Strempek Shea, Hoopi Shoopi Donna Karen V. Williams, My Enemy's Tears: The Witch of Northampton |
2011 - 2012
| October 5 | The Vietnam War* Doug Anderson, poet and memoirist, THE MOON REFLECTED FIRE; KEEP YOUR HEAD DOWN Tom Weiner, CALLED TO SERVE: Stories of Men & Women Confronted by the Vietnam War Draft lê thi diem thúy, novelist and performance artist, THE GANGSTER WE ARE ALL LOOKING FOR *In conjunction with On the Same Page, Northampton reads The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien |
| October 9 | Sunday, 1pm: Jonathan Edwards Walking Tour of Bridge Street Cemetery. Also featuring Sally Maminash and Sylvester Graham. With Forbes Writer in Residence Susan Stinson. |
| November 21 | Sally Maminash Marge Bruchac, scholar, performer, and historical consultant, author, MALIAN'S SONG Neal Salisbury, professor emeritus, history, Smith College; co-author, THE PEOPLE: A HISTORY OF NATIVE AMERICA Cheryl Savageau, poet; MOTHER/LAND and DIRT ROAD HOME |
| December 7 | Ralph Waldo Emerson F. Jay Deacon, minister, Unitarian Universalist Church of Manchester, NH Tracy Kidder, author, STRENGTH IN WHAT REMAINS, MOUNTAINS BEYOND MOUNTAINS |
| January 4 | Grace Coolidge Julie Bartlett, Archivist, Calvin Coolidge Presidential Library Museum, Hampshire Room for Local History, Forbes Library Valija Evalds, Art History, Quinnipiac University, Grace Coolidge's Clothing Rita Bleiman, author, DIRTY TRICKS |
| February 1 | Celebration of Local Novelists Jedediah Berry, author, THE MANUAL OF DETECTION John Crowley, author, ÆGYPT and FOUR FREEDOMS Ellen Meeropol, author, HOUSE ARREST Sabina Murray, author, TALES OF THE NEW WORLD |
| March 7 | Dominic Daley and James Halligan James Cahillane, author, ON HISTORY'S FRONT STEPS Eric Sawyer, composer, THE GARDEN OF MARTYRS (opera) Michael White, author, THE GARDEN OF MARTYRS |
| May 2 | Sylvester Graham Stephen Nissenbaum, author, SEX, DIET & DEBILITY IN JACKSONIAN AMERICA: Sylvester Graham & Health Reform Lynne Gerber, author, SEEKING THE STRAIGHT & NARROW Susan Stinson, Forbes Writer in Residence, author, VENUS OF CHALK |
2010 - 2011
| October 6 | Jonathan Edwards Kenneth Minkema, Jonathan Edwards Center and Online Archive, Yale Elise Bernier-Feeley, Hampshire Room for Local History and Special Collections, Forbes Susan Stinson, author of SPIDER IN A TREE Plus, special event: Bridge Street Cemetery Tour with Writer in Residence Susan Stinson: Sunday, October 3, 1 pm |
| November 3 | Lydia Maria Child Julie Bartlett, Archivist, Calvin Coolidge Presidential Library & Museum, Hampshire Room for Local History, Forbes Patricia Holland, editor, The Collected Correspondence of Lydia Maria Child, 1817-1880 Pamela Thompson, author of EVERY PAST THING |
| December 1 | David Ruggles Steve Strimer, David Ruggles Center Andrea Hairston, author of REDWOOD AND WILDFIRE Jacqueline Sheehan, author of TRUTH |
| January 5 | Celebration of Local Novelists: Part 1 Emily Arsenault, author of THE BROKEN TEAGLASS Bob Flaherty, author of PUFF Judith Frank, author of CRYBABY BUTCH Dori Ostermiller, author of OUTSIDE THE ORDINARY WORLD |
| February 2 | French Canadians in Western Massachusetts Elise Bernier-Feeley, Hampshire Room for Local History, Forbes Sally Bellerose, author of THE GIRLS CLUB Ellen LaFleche, author of ESTELLA, WITH ONE LUNG |
| March 16 | Brian Kiteley, author of THE RIVER GODS |
| April 13 | Sylvia Plath Cornelia Pearsall, Professor of English, Smith College Karen Kukil, Associate Curator of Special Collections, Smith College Nancy K. Pearson, author of TWO MINUTES OF LIGHT |
| May 4 | Celebration of Local Novelists: Part 2 Anthony Giardina, author of RECENT HISTORY Cathi Hanuaer, author of SWEET RUIN Frederick Reiken, author of DAY FOR NIGHT |