Author Visits and Lectures in Our Area

Here's where you can go in the area to see an author speak, sign books or both, or for lectures and other events that have some link to reading and writing (for more information about an event, click on a link; this list is continually updated):

Friday, Oct. 18

FAIRFIELD -- "On Friday, Oct. 18 WSHU Public Radio will host the latest event in their 'Join the Conversation' author series with Connecticut native Elizabeth Gilbert. [...] Trevor Crow will interview Gilbert, esteemed author of the international bestseller Eat, Pray, Love. Gilbert's new book, The Signature of All Things." The event starts at 7 p.m. at Sacred Heart University -- from an event listing on New Canaan Patch

WESTPORT -- "Carrie Brown, author of the acclaimed novel The Rope Walk, speaks about The Last First Day, the story of a woman's life in its twilight, as she looks back on both a harrowing childhood and the unaccountable love and happiness that emerged from it." Noon to 1 p.m. -- from an announcement on the Westport Library website.

Saturday, Oct. 19

DARIEN -- "Former Darien resident, Nick Hahn, will be at the store discussing and signing store copies of his first novel, Under the Skin, released in August. The book is an exciting bi-cultural political thriller about two young women from disparate backgrounds who collaborate in a clandestine campaign to unseat a brutal dictator and change the lives of millions in Uganda, East Africa." The event starts at 5 p.m. at Barrett Bookshop, 314 Heights Rd., Darien -- from an event listing on Darien Patch

DARIEN -- Learn how to write that novel in 30 days -- well, at least get a good start on it. Start at a workshop at 2 p.m. Saturday in the Conference Room at Darien Library: "[C]ome learn how to write your novel in a month. You will be joining thousands of writers across the country in this month long sprint. At the end of the month, you will have written 50,000 words -- which is a respectable novella length story! In this session, led by a twice winner of this writing challenge, you will learn: How to write a novel in 30 days; what National Novel Writing Month is; tools to help you write your novel." -- an announcement on the Darien Library website

NEW CANAAN -- "Professional film and television writer, GiGi New, will hold a two-day workshop (Saturday, Oct. 19 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and Sunday, Oct. 20 from 10 a.m. to -2 p.m.) at the Performing Arts Conservatory of New Canaan. The workshop will introduce high school students to the fundamentals of screenwriting." -- from an event listing on New Canaan Patch

STAMFORD -- "Meet the Author: Margaret Peterson Haddix: Meet this critically-acclaimed children’s book author, who has published several popular books, such as Running Out of Time, Just Ella and many exciting series, including her latest, Risked, Book 6 in The Missing series. Book sale and signing to follow. For grades 3 and up and their families." 2 to 3:30 p.m. Sunday in the Main Library Third Floor Auditorium -- an announcement on the Ferguson Library website

Sunday, Oct. 20

NEW CANAAN -- "In this lecture, David Dunlop will look at how our brain makes and finds images, and examine how artists find and build their images in paintings, sculpture and photographs." The lecture takes place at 4:30 p.m. at Silvermine Arts Center, 1037 Silvermine Rd. -- from an event listing on New Canaan Patch

NEW CANAAN -- "Metropolitan Museum of Art curator of the Byzantine collection, Helen C. Evans[...] will speak about 'The Arts of Byzantium and Islam.'" She speaks at 5 p.m. New Canaan Library. -- from the New Canaan Library blog on New Canaan Patch.

STAMFORD -- "Micah Halpern, expert on terrorism, the Middle East and Muslim fundamentalism [...] a featured contributing terrorism analyst on USA Radio Network and CBS Network. [...]" will participate in a "parlor meeting" at a home in Stamford. "No cost to attend • Light breakfast will be served. Space is limited, please RSVP to RSVPNY@jnf.org." -- from an event listing on Stamford Patch

Monday, Oct. 21

RIDGEFIELD -- "Jessica Alexander arrived in Rwanda in the aftermath of the 1994 genocide as an idealistic intern, eager to contribute to the work of the international humanitarian aid community. But the world that she encountered in the field was dramatically different than anything she could have imagined. It was messy, chaotic, and difficult—but she was hooked. In this honest and irreverent memoir, she introduces readers to the realities of life as an aid worker. [...] [C]opies of Chasing Chaos will be available for sale and signing at the program.   Please register as space is limited." The event takes place from 7 to 8 p.m. in the Library Program Room of Ridgefield Library. -- from an announcement on the library website.

DARIEN -- At 7 p.m. in the Writer's Room at Darien Library there's a bi-weekly workshop for playwrights: "All of us have a play inside of us. For writers developing a play or struggling with an idea we have organized a bi-weekly playwrights workshop meeting at the Library every other Monday evening. This is a safe environment to explore new ideas and to receive honest peer reviews of your work. There is no charge. The workshop will be lead by actor/playwright Nicholas Troilo." -- an announcement on the Darien Library website

Tuesday, Oct. 22

DARIEN -- "[A] presentation on 'How Stress Affects Your Body and Behavior' presented by Meg Weissmann, LCSW, [of] Norwalk Hospital. Join us for dinner at 5:30 to 6 p.m. and presentation at 6 to 7 p.m." The event is free and takes place at Maplewood at Darien, 599 Post Rd. -- from an event listing on Darien Patch

GREENWICH -- "Veteran sportswriter and biographer Jack Cavanaugh will speak about his career Tuesday, Oct. 22, from 7-9 p.m. in the Waterman Chapel of Second Congregational Church, at 139 E. Putnam Ave. in Greenwich. Cavanaugh, a Stamford native who currently writes a column for The Stamford Advocate, will discuss experiences[...] He also is the author of five nonfiction books on sports greats in history, such as Tunney, the story of former heavyweight boxer Gene Tunney and his romance with Carnegie heiress Polly Lauder of Greenwich. For reservations, contact Gloria LaDestro, church office manager, at 203-869-9311, ext. 120, or email womensfellowship@2cc.org." -- from an event listing on Greenwich Patch

Wednesday, Oct. 23

STAMFORD -- A panel discussion on public policy and food: "Join us for the morning to learn about the dysfunctional politics of food and such topics as industrial agriculture, genetically modified organisms in food, food delivery systems, and the public policy that undergirds them all." Some of the panelists are Dr. Abby Kinchy, Professor in the Science and Technology Studies Department at Rensselaer Polytechnic University and author of Seeds, Science and Struggle; Dr. Robert Paarlberg of Wellesley College and author of Food Politics: What Everyone Needs to Know; and Dr. Bruce Sherman, Director of the Bureau of Inspection and Regulation in the Connecticut Department of Agriculture. Cost: $40, at the Italian Center, 1620 Newfield Ave. -- from an event listing on Stamford Patch

STAMFORD -- "Jason Stearns, writer and journalist, will speak [on "A Crime Without A Culprit? Understanding Mass Atrocities in the Congo"] at the World Affairs Forum on Oct. 23 at UCONN/Stamford.  The program will begin at 5:45 P.M. with networking and refreshments, followed by the presentation at 6:15 p.m..  The program will conclude at 7:30." The event costs $20 for the general public and takes place at UConn-Stamford, 1 University Pl. -- from an event listing on Stamford Patch

DARIEN -- Patricia Wells, author of The French Kitchen Cookbook: Recipes and Lessons from Paris and Provence, will speak at 7 p.m., Oct. 23 at Darien Library. "Focusing on the fresh, inspiring recipes and lessons from the much-coveted classes held in her beautiful homes in Paris and Provence, Patricia takes you into her life in France, telling the story of how her school began and the many memorable experiences she shared with family, friends, and students." -- from an announcement on the Darien Library website (Patricia Wells was also scheduled to speak the next day at Wilton Library)

Thursday, Oct. 24

NORWALK -- "The [Norwalk Public Library] book sale will begin on Thursday, Oct. 24 at 3 p.m. with a children's only book sale. On Saturday, Oct. 26 the full book sale will begin at 9 a.m. The Friends Cafe will be open with homemade baked goods for sale on Saturday & Sunday." -- from an announcement on the library website. Here's a more detailed announcement.

WESTPORT -- "Travel + Leisure magazine editor Luke Barr explores a singular historic time and place in food culture as he discusses his book Provence 1970: M.F.K. Fisher, Julia Child, James Beard, and the Reinvention of American Taste. The great-nephew of M.F.K. Fisher, Barr captures the personalities and the history of this seminal moment in time when they found themselves together in the South of France and how it influences the way we eat now." Noon to 1 p.m., in the McManus Room -- from an announcement on the Westport Public Library website

WILTON -- "With The French Kitchen Cookbook, culinary legend Patricia Wells invites home cooks into her life in France, making the fresh and delicious recipes from her popular classes available to fans who dream of experiencing their own gastronomic adventure in the world’s culinary capital." 8:30 p.m. Register beforehand. -- from an announcement on the Wilton Library website (Patricia Wells was also scheduled to speak the day before at Darien Library)

Sunday, Oct. 27

GREENWICH -- "Sunday, Oct. 27 at 3:30 p.m., AuthorsLive@GreenwichLibrary and the India Cultural Center of Greenwich will present veteran journalist Anita Raghavan, author of The Billionaire's Apprentice in the Cole Auditorium. The program will be moderated by Greenwich resident, Rob Morris, founder/Managing Partner of the private equity firm, Olympus Partners. The Billionaire's Apprentice was recently short-listed for the Financial Times and Goldman Sachs Business Book of the Year award. See more here." -- from an announcement on the Greenwich Library website

Oct. 28 (Monday)

NEW CANAAN -- "ArtScapades presents a look at Romanticism.   This lecture explains how Romanticism championed spiritualism over science, instinct over deliberation, and nature over industry.  Works by Goya, Friedrich, Constable, Turner and Delacroix will be presented." The lecture starts at 7 p.m., Monday, Oct. 28, at New Canaan Library, 151 Elm St. -- from an event listing on New Canaan Patch

Oct. 29 (Tuesday)

DARIEN -- "The Darien League of Women Voters and Barrett Books features best selling author Jeff Greenfield on Tuesday, October 29th, 7:00PM at the DCA, discussing his new book If Kennedy Lived. Tickets $10, available at Barrett Books, Darien LWV events and at the door. Please RSVP to marthabankslwv.@gmail.com" -- from an announcement on Darien Patch

RIDGEFIELD -- "Ridgefield author Linda Merlino will be at the Library on Tuesday, October 29 to discuss her latest novel, Room of Tears. About Room of Tears: At 9:59 a.m. on September 11, 2001, Diane O'Connor's life as a firefighter's wife changes forever, shattering her faith.  Four decades later, a note still hangs on her kitchen cabinet in Queens, the paper yellowed with age. [...] Please register." The event takes place 7:30 to 8:30 p.m. in the Library Program Room at Ridgefield Library. Please register. -- from an announcement on the library website.

Oct. 30 (Wednesday)

RIDGEFIELD -- "Books on the Common and the Ridgefield Library present Rich Cohen who will join us to discuss his just released book Monsters: The 1985 Chicago Bears and the Wild Heart of Football. [...] Rich Cohen was seventeen years old when the Bears won their first and only Super Bowl; he was in the Super Dome when they defeated the New England Patriots 46-10. In Monsters, he breathlessly recounts the thrilling narrative of their championship season. [...]" 7:30 to 8:30 p.m., Library Program Room, Ridgefield Library. -- from an announcement on the library website

NOVEMBER

WESTPORT -- "National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) is a nonprofit event that encourages kids and adults to tackle the challenge of writing a novel in November. The Westport Library is an official registered location and will have a reserved space in the Great Hall for teens and adults to "Write In." There will also be a reserved area for kids in the Children's Library. We invite you to come to the library in November as we transform novel-writing into an achievable and fun community endeavor. Registered participants are invited to a community event on December 7 at 2 pm to share their experience with others. For more information about NaNOWriMo visit: http://nanowrimo.org/en." -- from an announcement on the Westport Library website

Nov. 1 (Friday) through Nov. 3 (Sunday)

WESTON -- Weston Library's book sale starts FRIDAY at 8 a.m., with a $20 entry fee from 8 to 9 a.m., then continues from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. On SATURDAY, the sale continues from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. On SUNDAY, the sale runs from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

Nov. 2 (Saturday)

WESTPORT -- "[A]uthor Matt Debenham will speak about reading for writers. Scene construction. Narrative voice. Point of view. These are all things that a reader may consider from time to time, but which a writer always considers. Join us as we unpack great passages of contemporary and classic fiction to learn the secrets of what makes them work. " 2 to 3 p.m., in the McManus Room -- from an announcement on the Westport Library website

Nov. 4 (Monday)

WESTPORT -- "In the early 1960s, Dallas was brewing with political passions, a city crammed with larger-than-life characters dead-set against the Kennedy presidency. In Dallas 1963, Steven L. Davis (and co-author Bill Minutaglio) explore the swirling forces that led many people to warn President Kennedy to avoid Dallas on his fateful trip to Texas." 7 to 8 p.m., McManus Room. -- from an announcement on the Westport Library website

Nov. 5 (Tuesday)

NEW CANAAN -- "Former longtime New Canaan resident and current CBS News correspondent, Armen Keteyian, and Sports Illustrated contributor, Jeff Benedict, co-authors of The New York Times best-selling book, The System – The Glory and Scandal of Big-Time College Football, will discuss their work and conduct a book signing on November 5 at 7:00 p.m. here at the Library." In the Adrian Lamb Room. -- from an announcement on the New Canaan Library website


Nov. 6 (Wednesday)

STAMFORD -- "Join us for an evening of wine, food and conversation as The Friends of The Ferguson Library hosts a panel of cookbook authors. The authors include Debra Ponzek, the chef and co-owner of specialty food store Aux Delices; Michele Stuart, owner and pastry chef of Michele's Pies in Norwalk and Westport; and Marina Marchese, the founder of Red Bee Artisanal Honey. Tickets are $15 and proceeds benefit the Library. Reserve online or call 203 351-8275. Doors open at 6 p.m. for a wine reception and appetizers generously donated by Boca and California Pizza Kitchen." The event takes place from 6 to 8:30 p.m. Wednesday in the Main Library Third Floor Auditorium." -- an announcement on the Ferguson Library website

NEW CANAAN -- "Michael Sears, author of Mortal Bonds, will be our featured speaker. Mortal Bonds is the second novel in Michael Sears’s extraordinary series featuring Jason Stafford, a former Wall Street trader who, in the wake of serving a prison sentence for fraud, is forced to earn his keep investigating wrongdoings in the financial world he knows intimately. [...]" -- from an announcement on the Darien Library website

Nov. 7 (Thursday)

GREENWICH -- "On Thursday, Nov. 7 at 7 p.m., AuthorsLive@GreenwichLibrary will present maritime historian Lincoln Paine, author of The Sea and Civilization, in the [Greenwich Library] Meeting Room. In this new book, Paine retells human history through the lens of maritime travel. In an accessible work of scholarship, Paine reveals how people first came into contact with one another by ocean and river, and how goods, languages, religions, and entire cultures spread across and along the world's waterways." -- from an announcement on the Greenwich Library website

STAMFORD -- "Two authors focus on the fragile process of recovery in Cambodia after decades of rupture. Eve Monique Zucker, author of Forest of Struggle: Moralities of Remembrance in Upland Cambodia and Benny Widyono, author of Dancing in Shadows: Sihanouk, the Khmer Rouge and the United Nations in Cambodia, discuss their work. Book sale and signing. Location: Main Library Third Floor Auditorium." At the main Ferguson Library, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. -- from an announcement on the Ferguson Library website

Nov. 12 (Tuesday)

RIDGEFIELD -- "Kevin Peraino [...] will discuss his book Lincoln in the World: The Making of a Statesman and the Dawn of American Power (Crown Publishers, October 29, 2013).  Peraino grew up in Ridgefield, CT.  This program is co-sponsored by Books on the Common." 7:30 to 8:30 p.m., Library Program Room, Ridgefield Library. -- from an announcement on the library website (See also: Nov. 21, author Rich Lowry speaks about his Lincoln book)

WILTON -- "Let's Talk: Adult Children and their Parents: Don’t miss this informative presentation hosted by Visiting Nurse & Hospice of Fairfield County and the Wilton Library with guest speaker Shannon White, author of the new book, The Invisible Conversations with Your Aging Parents. This program and panel discussion will offer practical advice to adult children and their parents on how to communicate effectively about sensitive and important issues such as living arrangements, healthcare concerns, money, grief, memory loss, the ability to drive, living wills, advanced directives and much more. Panelists will include experts in elder law, healthcare, social work, end-of-life and dementia care. Registration recommended." 7 to 8:30 p.m. -- an announcement on the Wilton Library website

Nov. 14 (Thursday)

WESTPORT -- "Garden designer and writer Marta McDowell speaks about Beatrix Potter’s Gardening Life: The Plants and Places That Inspired the Classic Children's Tales. Her book combines rich visuals with quotations from the writer's works, letters and diaries to introduce the reader to Beatrix Potter's Lake District gardens." 12:30 to 1:30 p.m., McManus Room -- from an announcement on the Westport Library website

Nov. 16 (Saturday)

STAMFORD -- "Hear a panel of authors discuss the traditional and non-traditional routes they took to get published. Moderator Laura Toffler-Corrie, author of The Life and Opinions of Amy Finawitz and the newly released, My Totally Awkward Supernatural Crush, will discuss traditional publishing and obtaining an agent. Sari Bodi, author of The Ghost in Allie’s Pool, will talk about working with a small press. Mary Beth Bass, author of Everything You Know, will discuss publishing an e-book. Elizabeth Yu-Gesualdi, author of Broken Road, will talk about the self-publication process. For teens and adults." 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. at the Harry Bennett Branch of Ferguson Library -- an announcement on the Ferguson Library website

Nov. 21 (Thursday)

NEW CANAAN -- "Rich Lowry, editor of National Review and a New York Times best-selling author [...] will speak about his latest release Lincoln Unbound, a persuasive blend of politics and history that argues a return to the dynamic, upwardly mobile political and economic climate that Lincoln promoted and exemplified." 7 p.m., Adrian Lamb Room -- from an announcement on the New Canaan Library website (See also: Nov. 12, in Ridgefield author Kevin Peraino speaks about his Lincoln book)

RIDGEFIELD -- "Josh Ruxin, who grew up in Ridgefield, discusses his just released book A Thousand Hills to Heaven: Love, Hope, and a Restaurant in Rwanda [Little, Brown and Company; November 5, 2013] . When newlyweds Josh and Alissa Ruxin first moved to Rwanda from Manhattan in 2006, they arrived full of ideas about what should be done. Just twelve years after the genocide, poverty was deeply entrenched, but they were hopeful they could make a difference. [...]" 7 to 8 p.m. in the Library Program Room, Ridgefield Library. -- from an announcement on the library website

Nov. 21 (Thursday)

WESTPORT -- "Author Will Schwalbe will discuss his international bestseller, The End of Your Life Book Club, a memoir about his mother, her love of reading and how the two of them began a conversation about books that evolved into a meditation on life, death and the power of literature to transform, inspire and heal. A don't miss event for book clubs!" 7 to 8 p.m., McManus Room -- from an announcement on the Westport Library website

Nov. 25 (Monday)

STAMFORD -- "Advocate columnist Jerry Zezima discusses his latest book, The Empty Nest Chronicles: How to Have Fun (and Stop Annoying Your Spouse) After the Kids Move Out. Book sale and signing. Location: Harry Bennett Branch" 6 to 8 p.m. -- an announcement on Ferguson Library website

Dec. 3 (Tuesday)

DARIEN -- "Nicholas Dawidoff, author of Collission Low Crossers: A Year Inside the Turbulent World of NFL Football, will be our featured speaker. Football is the country's most popular pastime, and yet most of what happens in today's NFL is a mystery. The New York Jets gave Nicholas Dawidoff a security code, a locker, an office in the scouting department, and for an entire year he lived with the team." At 7 p.m. in the Community Room. -- from an announcement on the Darien Library website

For more information on books, authors, literature and literary events in and around Darien, see the new "Books and Authors" category on Darien Patch. You can also bookmark it and subscribe to the category to make it easier to get to the bookish news in the area.