Meet the Authors
When I was growing up, I was lucky to know one real-live, local, published author – Kathy Kennedy Tapp. Kathy worked at the Janesville Public Library and I thought she was awesome (I still think she’s awesome). I still remember the summer her book, The Scorpio Ghosts and the Black Hole Gang, was used as the theme for the reading program and the library actually had a “crashed” school bus out on the lawn (remember that?). I was amazed by Kathy - to think – she actually wrote books that were on the shelves of our library and I could check them out! There is no question that knowing Kathy helped direct me on my path to becoming an author.
I wish I could think of a better transition here, but I can’t so:
Do you know any local authors? Want to meet a few? Come down to Hedberg Public Library on Saturday, November 19th from between 1-3 p.m. The Program Room will be filled with local writers – waiting to meet, greet, and sign some books (gifts anyone??).
Here’s a list of authors who will on hand:
Den and Judy Adler - authors of Janesville and other titles
Don Allison - author of Black Bridge Road
Kimberly A. Blanchette - author of The Master and The Student and many other collections of poetry
Mary Farley - author of In My Own Words as well as other poems and short stories
Richard Haney - author of When is Daddy coming home?: an American family during World War II as well as several other books and articles
Clark Kidder - author of Emily's Story, Orphan Trains and their Precious Cargo and several books on Marilyn Monroe
Tom McBride and Ron Nief - authors of The Mindset Lists of American History : From Typewriters to Text Messages, What Ten Generations of Americans Think Is Normal
Todd Mishler - author of Blood, Sweat and Cheers: Great Football Rivalries of the Big Ten and other sports books featuring Wisconsin teams
Cheryl and R. Kise Mitby - authors of Overtime Over Time and other books of poetry
Ruth Ann Montgomery - author of Evansville, and other historical books on the area
Greg Peck - author of Death Beyond the Willows
Jerry Peterson - author of Early's Fall and other crime novels set in Kansas, Tennessee and Wisconsin
Dorothy Sherman - author of Cornflowers by the Roadside
John Watson - author of The Golden Ball
Dale Wright - author of Democracy in Freefall and the 2012 spring release America's Clock is Ticking
Should be a great time … and since many people are now trying to Buy Local … what better way to support some LOCAL authors and get some new reading material? Plus, I think a signed copy of a book is a FABULOUS gift idea.
Happy Reading!
Jamie Swenson is a children's author and an employee of Hedberg Public Library. She is a community blogger and is not a part of The Gazette staff. Her opinion is not necessarily that of the The Gazette staff or management.
Nov 17, 2011 at 9:56 a.m.
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Tapp was SERIOUSLY underestimated as a writer. I remember thinking her edgier titles (Smoke from the Chimney and The Sacred Circle of the Hula Hoop) were much better than the critics suggested. I read the latter to my inner-city girls when I taught and they also loved it. I don't think either ever "hit paperback" and it's a shame since I think they may have encouraged more to read those titles that way. I took a writing class from her one summer and I don't remember it well, but I do remember her teaching and mentoring, and being a great librarian, too!
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