Author Cindy Rodriguez

Former Hartford Courant reporter Cindy L. Rodriguez to discuss her young adult novel on March 10

     Cindy L. Rodriguez, a former journalist at the Hartford Courant and The Boston Globe, will discuss her debut young adult novel, “When Reason Breaks,” on March 10 as part of the Tolland Public Library Foundation’s popular Eaton-Dimock-King Authors Series.
     Rodriguez, a Plainville resident who is a reading specialist at a West Hartford middle school, will also sell and sign books in a free talk set for 6:30 p.m. in Conference Room A at Tolland Town Hall at 21 Tolland Green.
     “When Reason Breaks” tells the story of Elizabeth Davis, a Goth girl with an attitude, and Emily Delgado, a sweet girl who struggles to feel normal as depression clutches at her. Both girls connect to the words of Emily Dickinson in their English class. Both are hovering on an emotional precipice, and one will attempt suicide. With Dickinson’s poetry as their guide, the girls will try to conquer their personal demons to be happy.
     Kirkus Reviews has written that the book is “A sharply drawn, emotionally resonant tale of two girls – one gripped by uncontrollable rage, the other by unrelenting numbness – that will speak to many teens.”
      Registration for Rodriguez’ talk is required. To register, call the Tolland Public Library at 860-871-3620.
     The Foundation’s series has brought award-winning authors to town since 2010. It is funded by the Phoebe Dimock King and Elizabeth C. King Eaton Endowment.

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Author Susan Campbell

     Susan Campbell, an award-winning journalist and author, will speak Monday, May 5 about her new biography of Isabella Beecher Hooker as part of the Tolland Public Library Foundation’s popular Eaton-Dimock-King Authors Series.
Campbell, a former longtime columnist at The Hartford Courant who shared in a Pulitzer Prize in 1988 for the newspaper’s coverage of the shootings at state lottery headquarters, will speak at 7 p.m. in conference room A of Tolland Town Hall at 21 Tolland Green.
Campbell will also sell and sign copies of “Tempest-Tossed: The Spirit of Isabella Beecher Hooker,” the first full biography of Hooker, the feisty youngest daughter of Hartford’s Beecher family. Her older sister, Harriett Beecher Stowe, was the author of “Uncle Tom’s Cabin.”
Campbell conducted most of the research for the book at the Harriett Beecher Stowe Center in Hartford. Isabella Beecher Hooker was a leader of the American Suffragist movement who was born in Litchfield in 1822 and died in Hartford in 1907.
Campbell spent more than 25 years as a columnist at The Courant. She is now the Robert C. Vance Endowed Chair in Journalism and Mass Communication at Central Connecticut State University as well as the communications/development director at the Partnership for Strong Communities, a statewide non-profit agency that’s working to end homelessness. She also co-writes a blog about religion called “Hot Dogma!”
Campbell’s talk is free and open to the public, but registration is required. To register, call at 860-871-3620.
The Tolland Public Library series, funded by the Phoebe Dimock King and Elizabeth C. King Eaton Endowment, has previously brought writers Dan Barry, Denis Horgan, Susan Schoenberger, Jeff Goldberg, Lucy Anne Hurston, Jane Haddam and P.W. Catanese to town.
About the Tolland Public Library Foundation
The Foundation was established in 1996 to receive donations to benefit the Tolland Public Library and to enhance library services beyond what the town budget provides. Tax-deductible donations can be sent to the Tolland Public Library Foundation, Inc., 21 Tolland Green, Tolland, CT 06084.

The 2013 Tolland poetry slam poets

TOLLAND – Teenaged writers will perform original poems and compete for prizes on Thursday, April 3 when the Tolland Public Library holds its third poetry slam.
The Tolland Public Library Foundation is sponsoring the slam for students aged 12 to 18 as part of its Young Adult initiative. The competition will be held from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. in conference room A at town hall (across from the Hicks gym) at 21 Tolland Green.
     Preference will be given to Tolland residents, but students from other towns can participate if space permits.
     Poetry slams were born in Chicago in 1986 to encourage and celebrate the art of performance poetry.
     The Foundation is sponsoring the slam with the help of the library staff, Ivy Morrison, head of the Tolland High School English department, and other teachers and students.
     Students will be performing up to two three-minute poems, which will be judged by a panel that will include THS Assistant Principal Margot Martello; THS senior Veronica Spadaro; Tolland Public Library’s young adult/children’s librarian Ginny Brousseau; Foundation President Linda Byam and Foundation Secretary Kate Farrish. A top prize of a $50 Barnes & Noble gift card and other prizes will be awarded.
     The slam will be hosted by James MacArthur, a Tolland High English teacher.
     Entry forms are available at the public library, the high school library and from any THS English teacher. Students must return the forms to one of the same places by Monday, March 31.
     Poets must bring five copies of both of their poems to the public library by Wednesday, April 2 for the judges.
    The slam is free and open to the public, but registration is required. To register, call the library at 860-871-3620.

About the Tolland Public Library Foundation
The Foundation was established in 1996 to receive donations to benefit the Tolland Public Library and to enhance library services beyond what the town budget provides. Tax-deductible donations can be sent to the Tolland Public Library Foundation, Inc., 21 Tolland Green, Tolland, CT 06084
About the Young Adult initiative
This initiative by the Foundation is aimed at bringing programs to the library for youths aged 11 to 18. It is made possible through grants from the Foundation’s Phoebe Dimock King and Elizabeth C. King Eaton Endowment. The Foundation has held college workshops, purchased software and books geared to young adults, sponsored book discussions and author visits and established the annual poetry slam as part of the initiative.

Poet Antonio Campellli

The Foundation will hold its third annual poetry slam for teens aged 12 to 18 on Thursday, April 3.
It will take place in town hall in conference room A (across from the Hicks gym) from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Entry forms are available at the town library, the Tolland High School library and from any THS English teacher. They must be returned to any of those places or teachers by Monday, March 31.
For more information, call the town library at 860-871-3620.

A hardy crowd of a dozen people braved single-digit cold weather to turn out to hear an entertaining talk by young adult author Steven Parlato.
Parlato, an English professor at Naugatuck Valley Community College in Waterbury, is the author of “The Namesake,” a too-early coming of age story about Evan Galloway, a 15-year-old who searches for his family’s secrets after his father commits suicide.
He shared tales on how to get published, where he gets inspiration for his writing and how he developed Evan’s story. His appearance was sponsored by the Foundation as part of its Eaton-Dimock-King Authors Series.

Author Steven Parlato

The audience listens to Steven Parlato as he reads from his poetry and his novel.

Young author Steven Parlato