(MORRISTOWN, NJ) -- Morristown Festival of Books, New Jersey's premier book festival, announces its first Summer Spotlight event in partnership with the Morris Museum at the Bickford Theatre in Morristown, Thursday, June 2 at 7:30pm. Featuring Paula McLain, the New York Times best-selling author of The Paris Wife, the evening will include audience Q & A and a sparkling wine reception/book signing immediately following the author's talk. The ticketed event, where Linda Hellstrom, MFOB co-chair, will also announce the Festival's much-anticipated fall Keynote Speaker, is generously sponsored by Adrienne and S. Dillard Kirby.
McLain will discuss Circling The Sun, a historical novel set in Kenya in the 1920s about aviator Beryl Markham. A reviewer in the Boston Globe writes, "Like Africa as its so gorgeously depicted here, this novel will never let you go." The Seattle Times declares it, "Captivating . . . [an] irresistible novel."
The $25 ticket includes the lecture, reception, a paperback copy of Circling The Sun, and preferred access to the museum prior to and after the lecture. Tickets may be purchased at the Bickford Theatre box office, located at 6 Normandy Heights Road, Morristown, 973-971-3706, or online at morrismuseum.org. Advance purchase of tickets is strongly recommended.
MFOB co-chair, Linda Hellstrom states, "We created MFOB 'Summer Spotlight' for several reasons. We had the opportunity to bring another wonderful author to Morristown who would whet everyone's appetite for the fall event. Paula McLain is the perfect author to do that. We will also use it to announce our exciting Keynote Speaker for the fall. And finally we want to underscore what happens when passionate and generous local patrons like Adrienne and Dillard Kirby step forward and sponsor MFOB. It's going to be a great night!" Executive Director of the Morris Museum, Linda Moore, adds, "The arts are alive and thriving in Morris County. This collaboration between the Morris Museum and Morristown Festival of Books is yet more proof of that."
Paula McLain is the acclaimed author of the novels The Paris Wife, A Ticket to Ride, and most recently, Circling the Sun. McLain also wrote the memoir Like Family: Growing Up in Other Peoples Houses, and two collections of poetry. McLain is the recipient of prestigious fellowships from Yaddo, the MacDowell Colony and the National Endowment for the Arts. She lives in Cleveland with her family.
The third annual Morristown Festival of Books takes place on Friday, September 30 - Saturday, October 1, 2016. Friday's scheduled programming is a ticketed Keynote Speaker event in the evening at the Mayo Performing Arts Center in Morristown. On Saturday, the Festival is free to the public and features appearances by over thirty award-winning and best-selling authors throughout the day at centrally located venues within walking distance of each other in historic Morristown. For more information about the event, to become a donor and to learn about volunteering, visit morristownbooks.org.
Founded in 1913, the Morris Museum is an award-winning, community-based arts and cultural institution which serves the public through high caliber exhibitions in the arts, sciences and humanities. The Museum also offers educational programs, family events, and is home to the Bickford Theatre and its wide range of performing arts offerings. Continuously serving the public since 1913, the Morris Museum has been designated a Major Arts Institution and has received the New Jersey State Council on the Arts' Citation of Excellence, among other awards.
