Boats, Books and Brushes

QUESTION:

What other fun activities are going on in CT as the summer winds down?

ANSWER:

How about heading to New London for the Boats, Books and Brushes Festival? Most of what I know about the festival is related to the literary events, since I'm acquainted with several of the authors who will be on hand for signings and presentations, but there will be so much more – stately tall ships, dozens of artists, family entertainment and plenty of delicious food. Read on!

Boats Books & Brushes (BBB) organizers have confirmed that over 60 authors will appear at the second annual literary, arts and maritime festival September 6-8, 2002. Readings, signings, panel discussions and presentations will take place in the Pfizer's Authors Row tents on City Pier and maritime authors will be on the Amistad Pier. BBB is celebrating its second year at Waterfront Park in New London, and will host over 60 authors, Tall Ships®, working schooners, artists, entertainers and A Taste of Connecticut.

BBB kicks off Friday evening, September 6, at 8:00 pm at the Garde Arts Center with "Criminal Mysteries," featuring the world's foremost forensic scientist, Dr. Henry Lee, accompanied by co-author, Dr. Jerry Labriola. Dr. Lee has investigated over 6,000 major crime cases world-wide, including O.J. Simpson, John F. Kennedy, Vincent Foster, JonBenet Ramsey, William Kennedy Smith, the reinvestigation of the Sacco-Vanzetti case in 1983 and the recent Michael Skakel and Martha Moxley case. His presentations are always lively, involving the audience as much as possible, as he shows slides from his national and international cases.

On Saturday, BBB's Featured Author is Linda Greenlaw, whose most recent book, "The Lobster Chronicles," currently is number two on the New York Times bestseller's list and whose earlier book, "The Hungry Ocean," occupied the number one spot for six months. As the world's only female swordfish boat captain and one of the most successful fishermen in the Grand Banks commercial fleet, Greenlaw's boat, the Hannah Boden, was the sister ship to the doomed Andrea Gail. Her vessel became one of the subjects of Sebastian Junger's "The Perfect Storm."

Acknowledged as "one of the most widely read columnists in history," Liz Smith, New York Post columnist and celebrated author of "Natural Blonde," will share stories of "Gossip, Celebrities & Scandal." Also on Saturday, authors Jane and Michael Stern, who wrote 20 books including "Eat Your Way Across the USA" and "Road Food," will be at the food stage at A Taste of Connecticut, which will serve gourmet food and fine wine and beer from Connecticut's finest chefs and restaurants.

Norton Juster, author of the children's classic, "The Phantom Tollbooth," will present a discussion aimed at parents and teachers, "How to Write a Children's Book and Why," which explores how best to cultivate and nurture a child's imagination. Juster also will kick off the Middle School Reading Marathon, at which middle school students will read aloud, from cover to cover during the festival, "The Phantom Tollbooth."

Boaters and maritime enthusiasts can visit with Daniel Boyne, director of recreational rowing at Harvard, who wrote "Essential Sculling," or Nathaniel Stone, who rowed around America in a rowboat, in ten months, six thousand miles and two million strokes and wrote about it in "On the Water: Discovering America in a Rowboat." Greg Gibson and Thomas Heffernan present two different views of the mutiny on the Globe in their books, "Demon of the Waters" and "Mutiny on the Globe," and Randall S. Peffer reveals the "Logs of the Dead Pirates' Society." William Kornblum tells of life "At Sea in the City: New York from the Water's Edge," David Lawrence explores the ocean floor in "Upheaval from the Abyss" and Joy Smith gives instruction from her book, "How to be a Perfect First Mate," which has nothing to do with marriage.

Sports fans can listen to author and Sports Illustrated columnist Leigh Montville who wrote "At the Altar of Speed: The Fast Life and Tragic Death of Dale Earnhardt" and "Dare to Dream," co-authored with Jim Calhoun about UConn Men's Basketball. For NASCAR enthusiasts, Waterford Speedbowl will host Ronda Rich, one of America's first female sports writers and author of "My Life in the Pits: Living and Learning on the NASCAR Winston Cup Circuit."

Poetry takes center stage with appearances in the Poets' Corner by Doug Anderson, William Meredith, Richard Harteis, William Jay Smith, Don Lumadue and Faith Vicinanza. Don't miss the Poetry Slam on Friday evening at 9:00 at Hygienic Art.

The "How Dare They Say That" book critics panel includes Ashbel Green, long-time editor for publisher Alfred A. Knopf, Hartford Courant Book critic Carole Goldberg, The Day's Rick Koster, Steve Slosberg, and Greg Stone. RJ Julia Booksellers founder Roxanne Coady, will preside over a panel on "How to Start a Book Club and Keep it Growing," and independent publishers Curbstone Press, Hanover Press, Wesleyan Press, as well as Editor at Large Carol Connare from Yankee Magazine and self publishing expert Brian Jud will explore the writer's dilemma of getting published.

Other authors appearing at BBB include Gorman Bechard, Blanche Boyd, Beth Bruno, David Handler, Anthony Maulucci, Mary Maynard, James Nelson, Louis Norton, Walter Powell, Bob Steele and his son, Phil Steele, William Storandt, Melissa Tantaquidgeon, Andy Thibault and Robert Tilton, as well as authors from the Connecticut Authors and Publishers Association, host of BBB's first annual Connecticut Authors' Day on Sunday.

Boats Books & Brushes is sponsored by Coca Cola Bottling Company of Southeastern New England, Cross Sound Ferry Services, Mystic Seaport, Connecticut Humanities Council, General Dynamics Electric Boat, Mohegan Sun, SBC SNET, Fleet Bank, and Machine Works of Essex and media partner News Channel 8. Further information is available at www.sailnewlondon.com or by calling the Associated Chambers of Commerce at 860-443-8332.

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Please send questions or comments to bbruno@snet.net.
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