Mark Twain's passion lives on at his Hartford residence

Mark Twain's former home at 351 Farmington Ave., Hartford, Conn., is far more than a museum-like tribute to the famed author of "Huckleberry Finn," "Tom Sawyer" and a plethora of sharp-witted stories and essay.
The house is also dedicated to encouraging readers and writers to explore more of the literary field and, as such, it invites both those who scribe and those who read to visit for literary events.
MEMOIR: There's a memoir writing class there--an 8-week course that's in its third year. Participants meet Wednesdays, with the goal of exploring and writing memoir, and eventual publication on the Twain House website.
You'll have to register by Feb. 15 and cost is $600. It runs March 7 through April 25, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.
To register, please send a brief letter or email of interest to Steve Courtney at steve.courtney@marktwainhouse.org or call 860-247-0998, Ext. 243.

DENNIS HORGAN: Also coming up soon is a visit by novelist and long-time Hartford Courant columnist Dennis Horgan--noted for a sharp wit right down Twain's alley. He'll speak on Feb. 8, at the unconventional hour of 5 p.m. (reading starts at 5:30). This is part of the Writing at the Mark Twain House events.
His newest book is Ninety-Eight Point Six ... and Other Stories, a series of stories relating to human identity, he says--how people are "defined by happenstance, by odd decisions and accumulations in their lives." He'll read from the book and discuss "Storytelling: Our New Golden Age." He's explored internet opportunities for writers, and likes the "razzle-dazzle" world he's found.
Sessions like these are always glad ones for writers and readers--who are often one and the same creature, in fact. It's free to attend--even the 5 p.m. reception. Horgan will sign books after his talk. He's clearly funny: "I was born in a Boston taxicab during a Thanksgiving snowstorm, which didn't quite make it to the hospital on time ... such a beginning is likely to shape how you look on the world."
His stories range from the tale of a grocery store manager who torments customers by moving items around, to the story of a woman who creates a new life for herself on Facebook. He's also written Sharks in the Bathtub and Flotsam: A Life in Debris, both essay collections, and the novel The Dawn of Days.
Check the marktwainhouse.org web site for details.
THE PLAY'S THE THING: On Feb. 10 and 11, the short play A Love-Chase, written by Twain's daughter Susy and originally performed in the house in 1889 by the Twain children, will be presented. This is part of a Valentine's Day-themed event that includes a concert by Israeli guitarist Shay Bachar, and a champagne and chocolate reception. Performances are at 7 and 8:30 p.m. both days, and tickets are $28 to non-members. Space is limited, so make reservations soon at 860-280-3130.

One interest or many, book clubs proliferate

If it were difficult to start a book club, there’d be fewer of them. But reading groups proliferate like squirrels at bird feeders. They meet in libraries and homes, churches, restaurants and bookstores. Oprah single-handedly launched thousands of isolated readers into shared experiences with books (and created best-sellers overnight). Professional organizations often have associated reading groups.

Still, I hear from T&G-area readers seeking a book group in their area. Usually, I point them to the library if I don’t already know of a group, since librarians tend to be tuned in to reading groups, and often help order their selections. So that’s where you start. You may even be able to leave a note on the library’s bulletin board.

Meetup.com has links to area bookclubs, listing selections, feedback and members. We found one for Leominster, as well as Worcester’s Wine and Dine and Page Turner book clubs; New Earth Book Club in Shrewsbury; an interfaith book group in Holliston, a history book group in Chelmsford, and even a dog-friendly group, the Sweet Wag Dog-Eared Book Club, in Framingham. A women’s issues book club meets at Barnes & Noble in Worcester. Many senior organizations sponsor clubs as well.

If you just want to launch your own, here are some recommendations:

·         Decide what you want to read—it may be a select genre, like sci-fi, history, hobbies, current events, women’s fiction, romance, or biographies. Most groups gravitate toward a mixture, to broaden their exposure to new writers.

·         It won’t take many people to make a book club, though seven to ten usually provides enough people to ensure a meeting with at least half that number. More than ten can be unwieldy, depending on the strength of the leader—there’s a bit of force needed in the art of keeping talkers from dominating and chatters from gossiping… all at once. Decide how many to start with, but be open to new members as word spreads—they’re the lifeblood of the group.

·         Establish a time for the first meeting—to organize selections.

·         Tell everyone you think would be interested. Tell the librarians. If it’s a special interest group, get the word out to likely readers. Post a flyer in likely places. Put a notice in your church, school or club news. 

·         At the first meeting, set a regular meeting time and location.

·         Always serve food, unless meeting in a bookstore. Then, for pete’s sake, patronize the store!! Stores need book groups’ support.

·         Don’t be too rule-bound: flexibility may work best for members, although your group isn’t likely to survive if you bend to whims. But democracy in book selection, discussion rules and food selection (just kidding) works wonders!

·         Someone needs to lead the discussion—and it may be you. Or someone who loves a particular book. Or a teacher-member. Avid interest is the key to a good group discussion. But, mainly: someone does need to steer the conversation so that it doesn’t veer into politics, gossip, health complaints or “the great movie I saw last night.” They don’t call our Lancaster group “Off-Track Bookies” for nothing.

·         Take the group’s temperature after a couple meetings. Is the discussion style working for everyone? Any second thoughts about the best way to discuss a book? Printed notes of the questions for discussion, if they exist, are helpful for some.

·         You may wish to vote on selections after a couple of meetings, once you have a gauge of members’ interests. Or, let the person hosting the meeting choose a book. Some groups allow one person to pick the selections, but that’s a risk should other members grow bored. Consider dedicating a year, or a portion of it, to the exploration of a single topic or author. Out of ideas? www.bookmovement.com offers plenty, along with opportunities to win the book your club wants to read.

·         Try not to contain book selection to one genre or time frame. New books are also available through libraries, websites like Amazon and Barnesandnoble.com, and on electronic readers at a lower price (which has begun going up—good news for writers). Second-hand stores and libraries often sell recent books at low prices; ask around.

·         Be creative. E-mail an author to see if he or she will give feedback to your club, or even visit. Invite an expert in the subject matter, or a local teacher, to give the discussion deeper layers. Above all, experiment with your new group and find out what works for you as a whole.

·         Consider a meeting at which each member brings in a favorite book, talks about it and lets the discussion flow around that talk. This works well with issue-oriented books in such areas as women’s literature, non-fiction, biography … and it stimulates new ideas for future reading.

·         What to discuss? Newbies can be intimidated by a club setting, so start off with set discussion questions. Here are some areas to talk about: writing style, and whether it worked for the reader, and how it affects the story being told; social issues arising from the book, such as “The Help,” with its view of 1960s color barriers between women and household help; how readers react to the author’s point of view; how strong are the characters, and how do we like or hate them? It’s endless, really.

If you belong to a large book group, or an unwieldy one, contact me. I’d like to know how you keep order! Ann Connery Frantz writes fiction and blogs about books at www.readitandreeap.blogspot.com. Book club members are invited to share their experiences, recommendations and problems—on a book club level, of course! Email ann.frantz@gmail.com

 

Read It and Reap: History is found in rare places

Read It and Reap: History is found in rare places: Thomas Paine’s words reside here. So do the sermons and anti-war sentiment of Rev. Nathaniel Thayer. A view of the world from the vantage...

History is found in rare places

Thomas Paine’s words reside here. So do the sermons and anti-war sentiment of Rev. Nathaniel Thayer. A view of the world from the vantage point of the 15th century. An amazing look at Civil War tragedy through photographs. These and other intriguing works from history are gathered within the walls of Lancaster, Massachusett’s Thayer Memorial Library, observing its 150^th anniversary during 2012 with an opening exhibit starting Jan. 15.

At its founding, in 1868, books were primarily men's affairs, found in private men’s clubs, among agriculturist societies, in the church. Lancaster's began with donations from Lancaster's men's library, the Sabbath school association in Lancaster and from churches, as well as the Lancaster Agricultural Society. Each donated volumes with much of American history, memorabilia and value to them, along with European works and an interesting collection of special-interest topics. Together, they made up the library’s first books collection—now a unique and quite prestigious mix of philosophy, American and natural history among its rare books collection.

It’s seldom on display, or even available to many, but during the first four months of 2012, the public will be able to see these volumes and read some excerpts from them.

The year 2012 is a big one for the library, and volunteers are assembling an entertaining and informative series of events starting Sunday, Jan. 15, when the library launches a full year of celebration featuring books, writers, historical figures, activities and a huge birthday party in late summer.

Lancaster’s public library is a typically busy, modern gathering place; two-thirds of the town's 8,000-plus residents have library cards. People drop by daily and Saturdays to borrow books, movies, magazines and CDs, or use one of several sitting areas—including the spacious reference area, where computer users set up to use a free wi-fi connection, or sit in an easy chair to enjoy the latest magazines. Downstairs meeting rooms are often occupied, day and evenings.

Best of all, it’s free. Everything is.

From 1 to 5 p.m. on Jan. 15, you can see some of this impressive collection for the first time, and hear a 3 p.m. lecture about the collection's value from its original curator, Leslie Perrin Wilson, currently with the Concord, Mass., Public Library. 

An active and dedicated anniversary committee, led by Frank MacGrory, longtime Lancaster teacher and library trustee vice-chairman, has been working on the event since 2010. Their series of public events will offer something for everyone—history, mystery, writers and readers.

The Jan. 15 exhibit opening, titled the "A General Diffusion of Knowledge,” will stay up through April 21 in the library’s Lancaster Historical Museum on the top floor under the rotunda. Curators have set up 87 rare books from the Special Collections room, including unusual early-day volumes representing both Lancaster and New England history—some so rare that collectors have offered to buy them. Included are: Thomas Paine’s “Age of Reason” (1794), Webster’s “American Spelling Book” (1807), Rea’s “A Complete Florilage” (1676) and Audubon’s 1839 “Birds of America.” There’s also a world history with engraved prints from 1493, the “Liber Chronicarum,” and Alexander Gardner’s amazing visual history of the Civil War: “Photographic Sketchbook of the War” (1866).

The exhibit fosters an appreciation for the history of ideas—and the importance of education to past generations. Beyond that, however, this fascinating display (with an accompanying catalogue, since the books cannot be touched) conveys the more essential message for all time: the public library serves many sectors of a community, offering a “general diffusion of knowledge” to all who enter through its doors.

Since this library took root during the Civil War, the collection spans many decades. All along, the library has shared space with the idea of peace, honoring Lancaster’s war dead. The stained-glass peace window in the ceiling above the main floor is being fully restored for the celebration. Look up when you are at the checkout area and you’ll see it.

The opening exhibit honoring books and history, starts with remarks by curator Leslie Perrin Wilson at 3 p.m., Sunday, Jan. 15. Her lecture is “Books are the Best of Things, Well Used: The Value of Lancaster’s Rare Book Collection.” Perrin Wilson brings the collection to life, explaining the stories and people behind this historically significant display, open from 1 to 5 p.m. that day.

After Jan. 15, the exhibit remains open from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 6 to 8 p.m. on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, and from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturdays. Everything is free.

“Books are the best of things, well used,” said the famed American scholar-philosopher Ralph Waldo Emerson. This year is dedicated to bringing that message home to Lancaster. After all, America’s first best-selling author came from right here in Lancaster. Mary Rowlandson’s journal of her capture by a band of Narragansett, Wampanoag and Nashaway/Nipmuc Indians in 1676, during King Philip’s War, achieved that distinction. Published in 1686, “A True History of the Captivity and Restoration of Mrs. Mary Rowlandson” is considered a seminal work in American historical journals. She was the wife of Rev. Joseph Rowlandson, minister of the First Church of Christ in Lancaster. The book is also titled, “Sovereignty and Goodness of God: Being a Narrative of the Captivity and Restoration of Mrs. Mary Rowlandson.”

Lectures associated with this display will include Warren Rasmussen’s discussion of Rowlandson on Feb. 19, and Timothy Castner’s “Searching for the Heart of the Community: Religious Books in the Rare Book Collection,” on March 11.

On April 15, local historian Kevin Doyle will deliver another free lecture, on “Lancaster in the Civil War, and Gardner’s Photographic Sketchbook of the War.”

Each of these lectures begins at 3 p.m., with the exhibit open two hours earlier. They are free and open to the public.

Coming up later in the year: a discussion of the Thayer family and its relationship to the library; a May through July exhibit and lecture about the winners of the Chandler Award of Merit, once given to children’s book authors and illustrators; the story of former Library trustee Herbert Hosmer, himself a Chandler Award donor; readings from Lancaster authors, both historical and contemporary, including members of the library’s four writing groups; a birthday party on the Town Green in September; an exhibit and lecture about the history of librarianship in Lancaster, including visits from some former head librarians.

Do something different to start 2012! Take a look through the past!

New books and 2012 suggestions

As we stare down the rumblings of another year, we bravely face the need to clean, reorganize, list goals and promise things will be different.

Poo on that.

Let’s just read more good books and be done with it.

Fellow readers suggest these titles. I’ve included some of them here, and also a listing of relatively recent releases that promise to, at least, entertain or inform us.

Millbury’s Roving Readers nominate “Power of One,” by Bryce Courteney. While its title raises the image of a self-help book, this is a novel about a boy, during a war. It’s reputed to be “the classic novel of South Africa.” I have some reservations about that, but time will tell. It sounds fascinating: As World War II darkens the globe, apartheid begins to unleash itself in South Africa, where Peekay is born, abandoned, cruelly treated. He vows to escape his bonds through heroic plots and takes a journey through the land, with its tribal superstitions and modern prejudices, learning that words have the power to transform lives.

Several groups liked Meg Waite Clayton’s “The Wednesday Sisters,” which is right up all of our alleys, being a novel about a book club. Its members’ tight bonds, their personal growth and support for each other, enrich the story.

Several folks, mostly locals, or residents who’ve ventured elsewhere, responded to a request for “one terrific read.” I repeat their suggestions here, without prejudice:

Jenn Fenn Lefferts: “Unbroken,” a favorite in several book clubs, is an extraordinary nonfiction narrative of survival by Laura Hillenbrand, author of the popular “Seabiscuit.”

Beth Antos: You can expect a lot of prose in “Pillars of the Earth,” Ken Follett’s humongous work about intrigue and mayhem in the building of a 12^th century cathedral (still being aired on public television). Wikipedia can help you keep the characters straight as you read this big boy of a book.
Barb Chapman: “Affinity,” by Sarah Waters, (“The Little Stranger,” “Fingersmith)” is about a late-1800s spinster in London who reacts to grievous loss by taking on charity work at a prison for women. It’s a historical novel, offering much appetite-whetting emotional conflict for book club members.

Al Tuttle: An overlooked novel (published in 1968, again in 2003), “It Happened in Boston?” is Russell H. Greenan’s amazing story of a brilliant, unhinged artist who strives to meet God face-to-face, seeking only to destroy Him. Unforgettable characterization and many plot twists that shock. An “underground” classic, it’s a fascinating read.

Elizabeth Marble: This reader prefers classics like Charles Dickens’ “Bleak House” and “Great Expectations,” and suggests Margaret Atwood’s “The Handmaid’s Tale,” a sci-fi tale in which women are subjugated under a totalitarian theocracy after the United States government is overthrown. It explores themes of women in subjugation and their means of escaping it.

Amy Brenner-Fricke: Wally Lamb’s books (“She’s Come Undone,” “I Know This Much is True,” and “The Hour I First Believed”). Lamb looks for what is most real beneath the assumptions we make about others, whether it’s the behavior of a schizophrenic brother or the cutting humor of a young woman on the road to obesity. In “The Hour …” he confronts doubts about God and hope. I’d suggest as well “Couldn’t Keep it to Myself,” written by his female writing students at the York Correctional institution in Connecticut. Again there are powerful voices and moments of hope.

Diane Brown: suggests that Jane Austen is always a good read. Thousands of readers agree.

Michele Callan: Gail Tsukigama’s “Dreaming Water,” published in 2003, is a rich, multi-layered story about a mother and daughter, and two lifelong friends. The story surrounds Cate, recently widowed, her cares for her daughter, Hana, who has Werner’s syndrome, which ages a person at twice the normal rate.

Mary Montalvo recommends Ed Sutter’s “Patient 13.” This novel deals with the reverse of Hana’s aging disease. When an experiment results in an elderly alcoholic becoming physically younger, he flees the lab, only to be found by a therapist who uncovers centuries of memories in the man. Of course, those who could profit by it are after Patient 13’s blood. It’s sci fi, something many clubs don’t delve into, and may be a nice break.

The following recently published books may appeal to clubs seeking fresh reads:

“Every Day by the Sun.” Dean Faulkner Wells—whose guardian and uncle was the famed author William Faulkner—published her memoir last spring, shortly before her death. She wrote of her life with William Faulkner, whom she called “Pappy.”

“Then Again.” Actress Diane Keaton published this memoir in mid-November. It is about her mother and herself. Mom filled 85 journals during her life. So the real-life “Annie Hall” steps forward to reveal her mother, Dorothy Hall. Keaton’s portrait is candid, a memoir of four generations in her family. It’s also the story of her mother, restless and full of creative energy, seeking an outlet for her own talents.
“It Chooses You.” Screenwriter Miranda July traveled around Los Angeles to meet strangers she found in the local PennySaver. For real. Her experiences resulted in these essays about strangers, as well as an artist’s experiences with procrastination, boredom and making art.
“11/22/63.” They say good fiction begins with the question, “What if?” Stephen King’s latest, published Nov. 8, asks what if President John Kennedy could be saved from assassination by time-travel? Well, why not? King’s always unique, and we eagerly await this tale.
“Damned.” The author of “Fight Club” released this in late October.
There was a popular cartoon strip in the Sunday funnies during my youth, Hatlo’s Inferno, that showed people in Hell, enduring various forms of punishment. It was grim. Palahniuk is well capable of outdoing Hatlo, and “Damned” is his look at Hell through the eyes of, unbelievably, as 13-year-old girl who finds herself there after death.

How do you keep members involved in your book club, and how do you seek new members? Share the details by contacting Ann Frantz at ann.frantz@gmail.com. Catch up on earlier columns and other reading tidbits at www.readitandreeap.blogspot.com (yes, two ee’s in reeap).

Midnight in the Garden of Should and Sequel

So P.D. James has decided to bring "Death" to Pemberly, Jane Austen's setting for the gentility, romance and beloved characters of "Pride and Prejudice."
Here we go again.
Scarlett O'Hara found true happiness with Rhett Butler in Alexandra Ripley's sequel to "Gone With the Wind."
Holden Caulfield, the perennial adolescent of "Catcher in the Rye," became an old man in "Coming Through the Rye," a book legally challenged by J.D. Salinger, author of the original; it was eventually--glad to hear it--limited to publication across the water in Great Britain.
They're called "derivative" works, and I dislike them.
When an author creates and peoples a fictional world, using years of time and learning to do it, why should all that simply be lifted for use by an up-and-comer writer (with the exception of James, who has earned her own stripes)?
And, in reverse, why would a writer want to spend so much time reworking someone else's creation?
I learned this the hard way.
When I was 11 or 12, assigned to write a novel over the weekend, I sat down with enthusiasm and ideas to write my very own Nancy Drew mystery. Having been a fan of the Cherry Ames nursing series, I had noticed two listed authors, Helen Wells and Julie Tatham (also the creator of Trixie Belden). Tatham picked up the series after Wells turned to new projects.
Great idea, I thought. I could do that. I'd use the same framework but write my own story.

My English teacher didn't agree. She slammed a bright red D- on top, and added scathing comments about plagiarism.
It hadn't even occurred to me that I had taken someone else's work, in the sense that I used it. I was so embarrassed, and so young and ready to cry, that I never explained the idea and the original storyline I'd created to the instructor. Sad that she didn't bother to talk with me about it.
Perhaps that was the impetus to my dislike of derivative works. The old envy bean growing in my garden--Wah; I couldn't do it, so why should they?!)
But I suspect it's more about quality control.
More than one critic has said it, and I agree: these so-called sequels aren't as good as the original--meaning, they're lame. They're not as interesting, as authentic or as well-written. In truth, they're more like cold leftover pizza served on the literary table. Bleah!
As a writer, I can't stomach the idea that someone might take a character I created and turn her into an adult psychopath, a naughty librarian or any other incarnation that I didn't intend. I can only imagine how upset these developments would make Martha Mitchell (whose family authorized a sequel), Austen or Salinger.
And they're not the only ones. Lately, flipping books like hot properties seems the in thing to do. Are publishers encouraging this? Possibly. There is certainly a lot of promotional effort behind some of them.
But I see it as yet another step in the erosion of copyrights, as well as capitalizing on someone else's justly earned fame to sell a book.
I get parody and satirical or political takes on the old favorites. Even simplifying the classics for modern or younger consumption rings true. These efforts are not the same thing as going beyond what is perhaps the most famous ending in literature to revisit that "tomorrow" of Scarlet's thoughts. Frankly, I do give a damn. So just don't do it.
I don't want to meet Heathcliff on a motorcycle or Emma Woodhouse stuffed into a slinky bra and high heels as a modern-day hooker. Anyone contemplating those directions is invited to amputate their keyboard fingers.
What's wrong with using one's own ideas in a book?
Camping out in a famous author's yard this way is nothing more than selling cheap trinkets on the steps of a famous museum. They might have a moment's attractive appeal, but they lose it fast at home.
So give me Emma in Austen's own writing, and give me Heathcliff in the dark, deranged manner Emily Bronte wrote him. It was her only novel, for pete's sake--leave it alone.
And now, I must return to my new novel: "Midnight in the Garden of Should and Sequel."

A Mark Twain Christmas in Hartford

Besides the book group holiday meeting ideas posted Dec. 1--along with book suggestions--there are fancy doings for Christmas in nearby Hartford, Connecticut.
On Saturday and Sunday (Dec. 10-11), noon to 4 p.m. each day, tour the former homes of authors Mark Twain and Harriet Beecher Stowe.
Each a social critic in a unique way--Twain's Huckleberry Finn and many other writings let society have it between the eyes on its foibles and sins. Stowe made changes with her anti-slavery novel, "Uncle Tom's Cabin."
The Stowe Center and the Twain House & Museum are opening their doors to invite visitors in for an old-fashioned Christmas celebration. There will be holiday garlands, decorated Christmas trees and so much more, introduced by a tour guide who will explain each family's traditions.
You can purchase a joint ticket to tour both of their homes, decorated for the holidays. Most events on these days are free, with an additional charge for house tours. Visitors receive a discount on the combination ticket for both tours. Cost is $20 for adults and $10 for children five through 15 years old.
Want more? There is so much going on:
Members of the Hartford Children's Theatre will portray a mischievous trio of excited Clemens' household daughters (Suzy, Clara and Jean).
Jolly Old St. Nicholas, too, will be on hand to meet children in the Mark Twain House, surrounded by life-size puppets from the Ballard Museum of Puppetry.

How about a horse-drawn carriage ride on the grounds?

High school singers will entertain with early-era chorales, and the Stowe Visitor Center is featuring holiday crafts for participants to try firsthand. Or, shop in both museums' gift shops, with a discount.


The Stowe Center will present two special Christmas exhibits, one--Reforming the Season"--showcasing popular 19th-century greeting cards, etchings, toys and other holiday goodies. The second exhibit is "Rooted in Reform: Portraits of a Family," featuring portraits from the Center's collections, including the Stowe family.
There's free parking and the two museums are next to each other at 77 Forest St. and 351 Farmington Ave., Hartford.
WHAT ELSE? Fun's not over yet.
* The "Steampunk Winter SolsticeTea Party" is a separate event, costing $10, at 2 p.m. Saturday. Call 860-280-3130 for reservations. This is part of a series of events in conjunction with an exhibit, "Steampunk Bizarre: The Unknown." At this event, hosted by Dr. Grymm and Miss Kitty, attendees celebrate the coming of winter with food, music, and a reading by Kady Cross (author of "The Strange Case of Finley Jane" and "The Girl in the Steel Corset"). Come decked out in your Victorian finery, or come as you are and bring a toy for Hartford Hospital, if you are able.
* There's also an event on Dec. 4: 
From 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., the Twain House is decorated for the season and area homes are open for visits. This is a wonderful opportunity to enjoy early architecture and holiday decor in houses built from the late 1800s to the early 1900s. We hear that one house is completely filled with holiday trees!
This is a fundraiser for the museum. For ticket information ($30 each) call 860-280-3130 or visit www.marktwainhouse.org.
So enjoy the season with a literature and holiday combo that's tough to beat!