Come one, come all to the Hardwick Town House for an evening with the legendary Rob Mermin, founder of Circus Smirkus. His memoir, Circle of Sawdust, details his life as a circus performer — the precarious life of a creative artist, the ups and downs of taking risks, and the idealistic struggle to hold onto a dream. Mermin will be interviewed by Circus Smirkus director Rachel Schiffer, followed by a Q&A and book signing. This event is free and open to the public.

Part of the programming for the Green Mountain Film Festival, Rick Winston will read from his book, Save Me a Seat! A Life with Movies. Winston founded the Lightning Ridge Film Society, which morphed into the Savoy Theater in Montpelier. He was one of the founders of Montpelier’s Green Mountain Film Festival and was its Programming Director until 2012. He will talk about the founding of the GMFF, its first few years, and will have copies of his book to sell and sign. This is a free, in-person program in the Hayes Room at the Kellogg-Hubbard Library, sponsored by the GMFF.

Ginny Sassaman, author of Preaching Happiness: Creating a Just and Joyful World, will give a public sermon at the Unitarian Church of Montpelier called "Don't Be Shy: The Elevating Power of Accepting Generosity."

“Ginny Sassaman’s sermons . . . tell us something we probably do not know about the one experience we all long for, the Holy Grail of Holy Grails: happiness . . .” – Piero Ferrucci, author of The Power of Kindness.

Join Marilyn Webb Neagley for an Author Talk about her memoir Attic of Dreams in Williamstown, Mass. at The Williams Bookstore, Nov. 4, 2023 at 4:00 p.m. Learn more at www.marilynwneagley.com.

The Montpelier Senior Center hosts its Vermont Book Talk Series with Rick Winston presenting on his new memoir SAVE ME A SEAT! A LIFE WITH MOVIES on Thursday, November 2nd from 1:30-3pm. Free and open to the public.

Monday, October 30th at 6:30 PM in the Library’s SAL Room. A collaboration with Vermont Reads and the Vermont Humanities Council. Free and open to the public.

What happened in Vermont when the anti-Communist fear known as the “Red Scare” swept the country? Quite a bit, as it turns out. Rick Winston, author of the book “Red Scare in the Green Mountains: Vermont in the McCarthy Era,” explores some forgotten history as we see how a small, rural “rock-ribbed Republican” state with a historically libertarian streak handled the hysteria of the time.

There were several fascinating stories in the Green Mountains, including a high-profile academic firing, a conservative senator who helped take down Joseph McCarthy, controversies involving left-leaning summer residents, and some veteran newspaper editors who spoke out against McCarthy’s tactics.

Rick Winston was the co-owner of Montpelier’s Savoy Theater for 29 years, and was Programming Director for the Green Mountain Film Festival for 14 years. He has taught film history at Burlington College, Community College of Vermont, Goddard College, and the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute, and has made presentations throughout Vermont on film history.

Marilyn Webb Neagley will speak about her new memoir, “Attic of Dreams” at the Stowe Free Library on Wednesday, Oct. 25, at 6 p.m.

Books will be available for purchase and signing.

Neagley was president of Shelburne Farms during its formative years, and then went on to consult with many Vermont nonprofit organizations, including the Stowe Education Fund. At that time, she formed a strong bond with the Stowe community.

A book presentation and discussion, “The Morse Code” with author Brendan Buckley on Thursday, September 28th, in the Woodbury Community Room at 6:30 PM. Free and open to the public, books for sale by Galaxy Books.

The Morse Code: Legacy of a Vermont Sportswriter: Brendan Buckley chronicles the life of Vermonter Dave Morse (1937-2015), a weekly sports columnist of twenty years for the local paper in Hardwick. Brendan highlights Morse’s hidden contributions to the youth of a small community, his empathy, and his “moral code” of kindness and generosity.

We hope that this will be a presentation where we explore the important role that sports play in our community and the voices that document the process. We encourage the audience to take this opportunity to connect with the author, ask questions, and provide comments at the end of the presentation. Learn more at https://woodburycommunitylibrary.wordpress.com/2023/08/31/authors-evening/.

Bridgeside Books and the Waterbury Historical Society are partnering to bring local author Brendan Buckley for a book talk and Q&A for THE MORSE CODE: Legacy of a Vermont Sportswriter.

“A gem of a story about a Vermont institution.” –Leonard Shapiro, Washington Post

About the Book: The Morse Code: Legacy of a Vermont Sportswriter chronicles the life of a veteran sports editor whose contributions to the youth of a small community echo across the Green Mountains today. He was a widely respected reporter, and an ever-willing conversationalist, yet few readers know of his obstacles in life. Best part? Dave Morse grew up right here in Waterbury!

Join us Thursday, July 27 at 6pm!

Author Eric Pope talks about his historical novel “Granite Kingdom” at the Vermont Granite Museum in Barre on Thursday, June 8, at 6 p.m. Next Chapter Books will also be there to sell books.

Free and open to the public. Part of the Granite Lecture and Film Series. Information: Stephanie Skenyon at development@vtgranitemuseum.org or 802-249-3897.

Jane Dwinell, coauthor of Alzheimer’s Canyon: One Couple's Reflections on Living with Dementia, will give the worship service and will be available to answer questions about her book and experiences living through her partner’s decline from Alzheimer’s disease.

Join Celia Ryker for a reading and talk about her debut novel, “Augusta,” historical fiction based on her grandmother’s life in rural Arkansas and 1920s Detroit.

Free and open to the public at Northville Garden Club, Northville, MI.

Join Celia Ryker for a reading and talk about her debut novel, “Augusta,” historical fiction based on her grandmother’s life in rural Arkansas and 1920s Detroit.

Free and open to the public at Brandon Township Library, Ortonville, MI.

Join Celia Ryker for a reading and talk about her debut novel, “Augusta,” historical fiction based on her grandmother’s life in rural Arkansas and 1920s Detroit.

Free and open to the public at Norman Williams Library in Woodstock, Vermont.

Join Eric Pope, the author of Granite Kingdom, and members of the Hardwick Historical Society for a talk about Pope’s new book, which is a complex yet balanced look at the granite industry and newspaper business in rural Vermont in the early 1900s.

Held in the town office Memorial Building in Hardwick. Free and open to the public, with a book signing and book sales by Galaxy Bookshop. Co-sponsored by Jeudevine Memorial Library, Galaxy Bookshop, and Hardwick Historical Society.

ROCKINGHAM, Vt. – The 116th annual pilgrimage to the Rockingham Meeting House will be held Sunday, Aug. 7, beginning with food and a gathering at 11:30 a.m.

The talk and slide presentation this year, at 1 p.m., will be, “I Could Hardly Keep from Laughing,” by Bill Mares. He co-authored the book by the same title along with Don Hooper. Copies will be available for sale.

The new book draws from the works of over a dozen Vermont humorists, detailing how humor in the Green Mountain State has evolved over the years. It features new cartoons by Hooper, and a foreword by award-winning political cartoonist Jeff Danziger.

Raised in Texas and educated at Harvard, Mares has been a journalist, a state legislator, and a high school teacher. He has authored or co-authored 18 books on a variety of subjects including the U.S. Marines and beekeeping, from workplace democracy to Vermont humor.

He has been a beekeeper for 50 years and was the co-founder of a Vermont brewery. He serves on the boards of VT Digger, the Vermont Brewers Association, and Food4Farmers. He lives in Burlington with his wife of 50 years, Chris Hadsel. They have two sons.

Refreshments will be available prior to the pilgrimage, so plan to come early, stroll through the cemetery, and sample some light snacks. There is plenty of room in the building for social distancing, and masks are requested if you are not vaccinated. Learn more at https://vermontjournal.com/history/rockingham-meeting-house-pilgrimage-set-for-aug-7/

Author and educator Gerette Buglion discusses her book An Everyday Cult and talks about the culture of cultic manipulation. Free and open to the public.

RECLAIMING OUR LOST SELVES

How understanding undue influence builds compassion and resilience

In this presentation four questions are presented and aimed to be answered through personal anecdotes, quoted resources and from reading brief sections from An Everyday Cult, Gerette’s memoir. These questions are: 

What is Undue Influence and Coercive Control? 

How does indoctrination take place? 

Who is vulnerable to cultic influence?

And perhaps most relevant: how can this exploration support the health and resilience of our communities, neighborhoods and families?

IGotOut.org is pleased to sponsor this event. The #igotout movement empowers survivors of cultic abuse to share their stories online as a catalyst for education, prevention, and healing. Learn more at igotout.org

Free and open to the public. This event is in Portland, Oregon. Get tickets here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/377537012367

Join the Springfield Town Library on Wednesday, July 13, at 12 p.m. as they welcome Vermont author Michael Freed-Thall to talk about his published romantic historical fiction novel, “Horodno Burning.”

Esther (Estes) Leving, a brilliant young bibliophile, chafes at male dominance, religious dogma, and anti-Semitism. Bernard Garfinkle, a religious Jew and the son of a vodka distiller, hides a shameful secret: in a culture that worships books, he can’t read. Despite their differences, they fall in love. Estes teaches Bernard to read, and he, in turn, builds her a bookshop. They start a family, but when ferocious pogroms target Russian Jews, they must confront violent oppression.

Exploring this turbulent history, “Horodno Burning” brings the reader into a culture under terrible stress. How Estes and Bernard respond will determine who they become and whether or not they survive.

When he’s not cutting next winter’s firewood, pulling weeds in the garden, or off on an adventure with his wife Patricia, Michael Freed-Thall is probably staring at his computer waiting for inspiration. When he retired after thirty years as a teacher and principal in Vermont schools, he took up writing.

A collaboration between the Springfield Town Library and Village Square Booksellers, this event is free and open to the public. Contact the library at 802-885-3108 with any questions.

To attend through zoom you must sign up to receive the link at www.bit.ly/3QTnbum.
This event is both in-person and offered via Zoom.

Join Celia Ryker, author of Walking Home: Trail Stories, for a talk about hiking and gardening. Free and open to the public. A Virtual event! Sponsored by the Genesee Public Library, Genesee, Michigan. Registration coming soon.

Author of Walking Home: Trail Stories speaks about hiking and gardening. Free and open to the public, in-person event. Learn more at bethlehemlibraryct.org.

This in store event is free to attend and open to the public, and no pre-registration is required. Please note that, for the safety of our customers, booksellers, and guest authors, face masks are required at Norwich Bookstore events. 

“A compelling story of family, heartache and transformation told in prose as intoxicating as the 1930s and 40s Honolulu that is its indelible backdrop.” –Meg Lukens Noonan, author of The Coat Route.

Sadira Doyle yearns to escape her life in a small New York town during the depression. When her alcoholic husband Archie loses his job, she decides their family will begin anew in Hawai‘i. The move exacerbates Archie’s drinking and her son Lionel’s emotional struggles, but Sadira lands the job of society columnist for Honolulu’s daily paper and finds herself in the company of the rich and famous. The Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor ends Hawai‘i’s days as a playground for celebrities and Sadira must recreate herself once more.

Marjorie Nelson Matthews was born and raised in Honolulu. She lives with her husband in Hanover, NH, and Hawai‘i Calls is her first novel.

Joni B. Cole teaches creative writing at her own Writer’s Center in Vermont, and is a frequent teacher and speaker at academic programs, conferences, and social-service organizations across the country. Cole is the author of six books and a contributor to The Writer, as well as host of the podcast Author, Can I Ask You?

Travel writer Celia Ryker, author of Walking Home: Trail Stories, presents a visual journey through some of the most beautiful hiking trails in Michigan. Free and open to the public. Virtual event! Registration opens on Wednesday, May 11 2022 at 9:00am. Click Here to register.

Join Michael Freed-Thall, author of Horodno Burning, along with other local authors, for a talk at Manchester’s Northshire Bookstore! Free and open to the public.

Author of Walking Home: Trail Stories (2021,Rootstock Publishing), she is a retired professional gardener and Master Woodland Steward. She will take us with her along the Long Trail, which continues the Appalachian Trail 200 miles through Vermont and other hikes to see what is there to inform and entertain the gardener in the wild. She is formerly a full-time Michigander and now lives half-time in Vermont but has hiked extensively in both states. Be prepared for fun!

An in-person event, free and open to the public.

Join us over Zoom as we welcome Vermont author Michael Freed-Thall to talk about his recently published romantic historical fiction novel Horodno Burning. Free and open to the public. Sponsored by the Hartland Library.

TO REGISTER:

Register in advance for this meeting:
https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZYucu6tqDorGN2IBe5MylA2CVbodcdFzhiQ

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

Join author Michael Freed-Thall for a virtual lunch and learn with Ohavi Zedek Synagogue as he talks about his historical fiction novel, Horodno Burning. Free and open to the public. Learn more here.

Bill Mares, co-author of I Could Hardly Keep From Laughing: An Illustrated Collection of Vermont Humor, wil give a reading & talk at the Pierson Library. Free and open to the public.

Learn more at https://piersonlibrary.org.

A free virtual program of Marlene Myerson JCC.

Join Ginny Sassaman for an exploration of how to encourage others, as well as ourselves, to make changes to build a world that supports maximum happiness for all. She will share excerpts from her book, Preaching Happiness, and looks forward to hearing what participants have to say on the topic..

Ginny Sassaman is a co-founder and past president of Gross National Happiness USA. She created the Happiness Paradigm as a platform for teaching, writing about, and advocating for greater personal happiness and for creating systematic changes to enhance maximum well-being for all. Since 2013, she has served as a lay preacher in Unitarian Universalist churches on these topics; 16 of these sermons are included in her book, Preaching Happiness: Creating a Just and Joyful World (Rootstock Publishing, 2020). Ginny holds a master’s degree in mediation, and a certificate in positive psychology. Her past careers have included a stint as co-host and associate producer at a public television station in Hershey, Pennsylvania; working in Washington, D.C. as media communications director for Common Cause, American University, and the Women’s Legal Defense Fund; 13 years as a full-time watercolor artist; and ongoing work as a mediator and facilitator.

Click here to register.

Celia Ryker talks about her memoir, Walking Home: Trail Stories, a series of short stories about her difficult time thru-hiking The Long Trail.

Free and open to the public. Registration Required.  Event Type: Adult Program. Register by emailing Stephanie Burnham burnhamh@cidlibrary.org.