West End Wednesdays Book Talk Series

The Mark Twain House & Museum presents its new West End Wednesdays Book Talk Series, beginning October 24 with writer Rand Richards Cooper.

Four authors who live in the West End of Hartford will discuss their writing and read from their recent books.

The free series is supported by the West End Civic Association.

Authors will sign and sell copies of their books after their talks.

The evenings begin at 5:30 p.m. with light refreshments, wine, and beer. Readings and discussions start at 6 p.m.

Here is the schedule:

Rand Richards Cooper
Wednesday, October 24

Rand Richards Cooper is the author of two works of fiction, The Last to Go and Big As Life. His writing has appeared in The New Yorker, Harper’s, GQ, Esquire, The Altantic, and many other magazines, and in Best American Short Stories. He has been Writer-in-Residence at Amherst and Emerson colleges. A longtime writer for Bon Appétit and the New York Times, and a former blogger for DisneyFamily.com, Rand lives in Hartford with his wife Molly and their daughter Larkin. He is a contributing editor at Commonweal Magazine, writes a monthly column, “In Our Midst,” for Hartford Magazine, and is a frequent guest on WNPR’s Colin McEnroe Show.

Michele K. Troy
Wednesday, November 28

Michele K. Troy is professor of English at Hillyer College at the University of Hartford. Her book, Strange Bird: The Albatross Press and the Third Reich, tells the story of how the Nazi regime tolerated the Albatross press—for both economic and propaganda gains—and how Albatross exploited its insider position to keep Anglo-American books alive under fascism.

Michael Robinson
Wednesday, January 23
Michael Robinson is the author of The Lost White Tribe: Explorers, Scientists, and the Theory that Changed a Continent, and The Coldest Crucible: Arctic Exploration and American Culture. He teaches history at the University of Hartford. His blog is Time to Eat the Dogs: On Science, History, and Exploration.

Author Doug Glanville
Wednesday, February 27
Doug Glanville, a former major league outfielder, is the author of The Game Where I Stand, about his playing days with the Phillies and Cubs. A former ESPN baseball analyst, Glanville is a commentator for NBC Sports Chicago as the network’s multi-platform Cubs Expert. He has also contributed to The New York Times and The Atlantic.

The West End Civic Association (WECA) is a neighborhood organization whose mission is to encourage and assist all community members to be good neighbors. WECA works to enhance the safety, quality of life and well-being of its residents. WECA promotes safe and beautiful streets, desirable housing, excellent schools, cultural and social events, historic preservation, and a thriving business corridor for the benefit of all community members.

The West End Wednesdays series is FREE and open to all, but pre-registration is recommended (and appreciated!). Sign up here.