At Greenwich Historical Society’s new Local Spotlight Book Talks, presented by the Museum Store, local authors offer an intimate glimpse into their work as they share their motivations, process and insights. Book signings and light refreshments will follow the free talks, which are held on Wednesdays when participants can take advantage of complimentary admission to the Bush-Holley House and museum galleries.
“The success of previous author lectures has led us to brand a series of informal talks by talented local authors to connect them and their experiences more directly with the community,” says Dianne Niklaus, Historical Society Director of Marketing and Communications. “The fall line-up features a variety of themes, from the puppetry landscape in America which was inspired by Jim Henson; the Italian-ethnic experience in Stamford, and a Jewish American woman’s memoirs of the holocaust.”
Leslee Asch: Out of the Shadows
Wednesday, October 2: 2 – 3pm
Leslee Asch, long time Greenwich resident who worked with Jim Henson and the Jim Henson Company, will discuss her experiences with the Henson International Festivals of Puppet Theater and The Jim Henson Company. Out of the Shadows: The Henson Festivals and their Impact on Contemporary Puppet Theater, presents a visually rich narrative of the festivals and their continued legacy, including a comprehensive look at the dynamic puppet theater landscape.
While thousands of pages have been written about Jim Henson’s puppetry, only passing mention has been made of his leadership in the field he loved. Out of the Shadows explores Henson’s love of the international world of puppet theater and how his contributions of time, expertise and resources forever changed contemporary puppet theater. Asch served as producing director of the Henson International Festival of Puppet Theater, working with Cheryl Henson to produce five award-winning festivals that would put U.S. puppet artists on the international stage.
For more information and to register: https://greenwichhistory.org/event/out-of-the-shadows/
Kim Harke: Italian American Recollections in Stamford
Wednesday, October 16: 2 – 3pm
Italian American Recollections in Stamford Connecticut provides a rich portrayal of Stamford in the 1930s through the 1960s from the experiences of Italian American descendants. Their memories of war, romance, work, play, cuisine, and creativity offer a timely reminder of the countless contributions that Italian Americans made to lower Fairfield County at a time when it was expanding rapidly. Author Kim Harke’s search into Italian American history began in the Greenwich Historical Society Archives and continued with more than 80 interviews. The emerging story showcases the cultural richness, generosity, and cooperation of Stamford’s Italian Americans and other ethnic groups in the region they interacted with. Harke continues to research the Italian American experience for the Stamford Italian American History Project at the Stamford History Center.
For more information and to register: https://greenwichhistory.org/event/italian-american-recollections-in-stamford-connecticut/
Judith Alter Kallman: A Candle in the Heart
Wednesday, November 13: 2 – 3pm
Greenwich resident and Holocaust survivor Judith Alter Kallman’s compelling memoir, A Candle in the Heart: Memoir of a Child Survivor, takes readers on a harrowing journey that starts with a privileged childhood in Slovakia that was shattered when her family fled to Hungary before the Nazi invasion, and during the final year of the Holocaust in Budapest. It was a race between survival and death.
The emotional richness and depth are enhanced by Kallman’s description of the aftermath of the Holocaust and the kindness of Jews in England and in the early years in the State of Israel, where Jewish children were raised and rehabilitated in villages which healed the body and nourished the soul.
For more information and to register: https://greenwichhistory.org/event/a-candle-in-the-heart/
Books may be purchased at the Museum Store in advance or on the day of the program for signing by the author.
“Attendees are invited to browse the Museum Store’s fall and holiday-themed collections, in addition to a timeless array of jewelry, home and personal accessories and children’s toys,” says Museum Store Manager Barbara Johann. “We also have a selection of distinctive Greenwich-themed items that are ideal for gift giving.” Book talk participants will receive a 10% discount on purchases and complimentary gift-wrapping is available.
Admission to the talks is FREE, but space is limited, and registration is recommended.
For more information on the series: https://greenwichhistory.org/museum-store-local-spotlight-book-talks/
