The BookReport

BookHampton Winter Lecture Series: Alec Baldwin

Friend of BookHampton Alec Baldwin arrived at our East Hampton store on Saturday just before 4:00 to read from Mark Twain's Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, saw the mass of eager readers who showed up to hear him, and made a quick and generous offer: he would do two events that day.

He then extended his hand toward the group of young readers at his feet: would anyone like to read with him?

Three lucky girls read aloud with Baldwin on Saturday, beginning with Arianna. The two alternated passages, Arianna picking up where Baldwin left off, reading the first part of Chapter One. Then Nina, a fifth grader, was invited to take her seat next to Alec and complete the chapter with him. He then signed copies of Huckleberry Finn for kids who promised to finish the book and adults who agreed that another reading of the sometimes controversial novel was in order.

After the first crowd dispersed, those remaining in the line that still stretched down Main Street were seated, and the second reading began. Alec chose Cecilia to read with him; she had attended the first reading and enjoyed herself so much that she lingered for the second. To her surprise, it paid off, as Baldwin kept Cecilia at his side for the entire reading.

"She even has the inflections down!" he exclaimed as the audience cheered for the sixth grader. Cecilia's parents were shocked to see her beside Baldwin when they arrived after the reading began. "No one will ever believe this!" her mother exclaimed.

Baldwin then graciously signed more copies of Huckleberry Finn along with his own book A Promise to Keep. "It's always fun for me to read to the kids at BookHampton. Charline has a great bookshop, and I hope her program of readings for children grows even bigger."

———

This Saturday February 26, the BookHampton Winter Lecture Series presents "Writing Your Own Story" with Lou Ann Walker, the author of A Loss for Words and Hand, Heart and Mind and a recipient of the Christopher Award. She'll share insights and practical advice on the art of self-observance and memoir writing. The event will take place at 5:00pm at BookHampton in East Hampton.

Alec Baldwin Reads From Huckleberry Finn

Alec Baldwin introduces young readers to Mark Twain!

Don't miss what promises to be the best event of the holiday weekend! The reading is free, and seats are available on a first-come basis. Children will be given preferred seating.

Saturday, February 19th at 4:00pm

BookHampton East Hampton

631.324.4939

BookHampton Winter Lecture Series: Pamela Newkirk

BookHampton welcomed author and NYU professor Pamela Newkirk to our Winter Lecture Series this past Saturday. Newkirk's topic, “Creating History through Letters: A Journey Across Three Centuries” was based in part on her book Letters from Black America (Beacon Press), a multi-dimensional portrait of Black life through letters.

Newkirk read from a selection of letters included in her book, focusing on letters of love sent between husbands and wives and family members over the last 300 years. "Black romantic life is under-represented," said Newkirk. It was especially dangerous for slaves to send letters to their loved ones, who may or may not ever receive them. Great pains were taken to spirit letters across plantations and state lines, as writing letters was an illegal act. A slave caught writing a letter could lose the hand that wrote it. Many letters from slaves were later found among items in their masters' estates — letters that never made it off of the land they worked.

One especially touching letter was from W.E.B. DuBois to his daughter Yolanda in 1914. Fourteen-year-old Yolanda was away from home at a British boarding school, and DuBois' letter had exhortations of excellence that all parents recognize, with special, sensitive advice about being “different” so far from home.

Newkirk finished with a Valentine's Day letter dated 1957 from Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. to Coretta Scott King, and answered questions from the audience.

———

This Saturday, February 19 at a special time — 4:00pm — actor and great-book lover Alec Baldwin joins us to read from a favorite classic: Mark Twain’s Huckleberry Finn.

This event is especially intended to introduce Mark Twain to young readers and children will be given preferred seating. (Seating is on a first-come basis.)

BookHampton Winter Lecture Series: Juliet Frodella

Juliet Frodella returned to BookHampton's Winter Lecture Series on Saturday to discuss "Caring for the Caregiver," a topic that brought out an audience of women and men from Long Island and Connecticut, who are currently caring for aging family members.

While Frodella's focus was on making sure that the caregiver receives respite, nutrition, exercise, and care while juggling the responsibilities of family, work, and parents, she offered some statistics that show theat the at-large population will likely be in a similar situation as the attendees:

• Over 65 million people — or 29% of the U. S. population — spend more than 20 hours a week caring for aging family members or friends.
• Only 4% of those being cared for live in assisted living facilities.
• Of the caregivers, 47% show serious signs of depression, and just half of them get the care they need to manage it.

She also offered advice to those who forsee caring  for their aging relatives in the future:

• Planning ahead is key, both financially and emotionally.
• Don't depend solely on Medicare. There are three ways to pay for help: Medicaid, long-term care insurance, and savings.
• Make plans with family and parents while they still have the ability to have a voice in their future care. A good elder-care attorney is also key.

Finally, Frodella offered resources to help the caregiver manage: check with your local office of the aging, your town's senior services, and assisted living facilities that might offer respite services. Also, be willing to accept help when it is offered.

The BookHampton Winter Lecture Series continues this Saturday, February 12 with Pamela Newkirk, who will discuss "Creating History Through Letters: A Journey Across Three Centuries." Join us at 5:00pm as the award-winning journalist returns to discuss her acclaimed book Letters from Black America, an informed history of African-Americans revealed through personal correspondence.

Winter Lecture Series: New Books for the New Year

An audience of book lovers listened as bookseller Kim Lombardini and owner Charline Spektor presented current bestsellers and forthcoming titles at BookHampton this past Saturday afternoon.

Kim talked about current fiction and non fiction, including young adult, middle grade and pre-school titles. The Sherlockian by Graham Moore (Twelve, 24.99)  and We The Drowned by Carsten Jensen (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 28.00) were stand-out novels on her list of titles, along with Twin, Allen Shawn's new memoir (Penguin, 25.95). All three are on BookHampton's tables now.

 Charline predicted that this spring’s best-sellers will include novels Swamplandia! by Karen Russell (Random House, 24.95, available today) and I Think I Love You by Allison Pearson (Random House, 24.95, available February 8). Both books have received terriffic early reviews. She is also looking forward to the March 22 publication of Gail Levin's biography of local artist Lee Krasner (HarperCollins, 27.99).

You can order any of these new titles right here:

Discussions of current and upcoming bestsellers will be an ongoing event at BookHampton, so stay tuned!

——

The BookHampton Winter Lecture Series continues this week with Juliet Frodella, Director of Senior Options and Solutions at Eastern Suffolk Hospital. The topic is "Caring for the Caregiver."

Join us on Saturday, February 5 at 5:00pm in East Hampton for a fascinating conversation and practical ideas and tips. The BookHampton Winter Lecture Series is free of charge and open to all.

 

BookHampton Winter Lecture Series: Juliet Frodella

"One out of four women and one out of ten men experience mental health problems in their lifetime, but only 50% of them actually seek help," Juliet Frodella told a gathering of interested listeners at this week's BookHampton Winter Lecture Series, which takes place on Saturdays at 5pm in East Hampton.

The topic, "Anxiety and Depression" was a hard one. Frodella, Director of Senior Options and Solutions at Eastern Long Island Hospital, addressed when to seek help with anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress syndrome and obsessive-compulsive disorder.  She told listeners to ask themselves,"How does it affect my life? Are my worries out of proportion to the issues? Does the anxiety take up much of my time? Am I avoiding the things and people I usually enjoy? How does it affect my relationships?"

Frodella advised that anyone who has even slight concerns should begin by consulting their general practitioner. She suggested that diet and lifestyle changes often help people cope with mental health issues; frequent and consistent exercise combined with watching sugar, caffeine and alcohol intake often relieves the symptoms of depression and anxiety. If one still has symptoms, therapy is a next consideration, with prescription drugs being the final possible solution to ongoing problems.

 A question and answer period followed that included the topical question of how to help a family member who may refuse treatment.

Join us on Saturday, January 22 when Rebecca Karl, Associate Professor of East Asian Studies at NYU discusses Modern China.This event has been postponed, and will be rescheduled soon!

Juliet Frodella will return in on February 5th to address "Caring for the Caregiver," advising those who care for aging parents or other loved ones.

The BookHampton Winter Lecture Series is held at BookHampton, 41 Main Street, East Hampton, and is free and open to all. The full lecture schedule can be found by clicking on the link at the top of this page.

BookHampton Winter Lecture Series: Betsy Carter

Last Saturday a full house of interested readers, undaunted by the weather, attended the first of BookHampton's 2011 Winter Lecture Series. Author Betsy Carter spoke about researching her most recent novel The Puzzle King, and explained how turning truth to fiction seems simple, but is actually pretty tricky.

The Puzzle King began with a family legend too good to be true: that Carter's own uncle invented the game of Monopoly. What she discoered, however, was that while her uncle didn't have anything to do with Monopoly, he did create the cardboard jigsaw puzzle that generations have loved assembling.

She also uncovered her family's place in history; her aunt was able to sponsor dozens of Jews needing to escape Europe in the time leading up to World War II. The publication of The Puzzle King has allowed Carter to meet the grateful descendents of these families and has brought her a deeper knowledge of her own past.

A lively question and answer session followed the presentation, and attendees lingered for a book signing afterward.

— —

The BookHampton Winter Lecture Series continues this week with Juliet Frodella, Director of Senior Options and Solutions at Eastern Suffolk Hospital. The topic is "Safeguarding Our Seniors and Ourselves: Hidden Signs of Depression and Ways to Cope with Age-Related Anxiety."

Join us on Saturday, January 15 at 5:00pm in East Hampton for a fascinating conversation and practical ideas and tips. The BookHampton Winter Lecture Series is free of charge and open to all!

 

Betsy Carter: First Guest in the 2011 BookHampton Winter Lecture Series

The 2011 BookHampton Winter Lecture Series begins this weekend as we welcome acclaimed author Betsy Carter to East Hampton for Making Someone's Truth into Your Fiction.

Have you ever heard someone's life story and thought, "Now that would make a great novel...?" Betsy Carter — a former editor at Newsweek and Esquire, and the author of The Puzzle King, Swim to Me, and the memoir Nothing to Fall Back On — will lead a discussion of the how-tos and how-not-tos of creating fiction from fact.

The BookHampton Winter Lectures are a full season of lectures and conversations led by an outstanding group of authors and educators, presenting a diverse and fascinating range of subjects. They take place at 5pm each Saturday through March 26 at BookHampton, 41 Main Street, East Hampton. The series is free and open to the public; reservations are not necessary.

The full schedule is on the right-hand side of this page, and the expanded listing and a full description of each lecture can be found by clicking on this link:

2011 Winter Lecture Series

We hope you'll spend a little part of your Winter Saturdays with us, and join the conversations!