This September, Talbot County Free Library has recently announced that the upcoming fall season will be offering two author book talks, along with Q&A and book signing.
“We are very excited to have authors come back into the library to discuss their new book for patrons who are interested in discovering something new to read,” said Dana Newman, Talbot County Free Library director. “Both book talks will shed light on topics that center around Talbot County.”
The first author to visit TCFL will be B. B. Shamp, who will be discussing her book, “A Wife in Watercolor.” The event will take place on Thursday, September 8 at 6:30 p.m. at the Easton Library.
The book is set in Oxford, Maryland in 1747. A White widow who is half-housekeeper, half-mistress; a love-crossed African woman who is half-friend but all-slave; and a young Dutch girl who lives on the margins of society in the cypress swamps, take turns telling the story of a tumultuous period of American history in their own distinct voices.
Unlike traditional narratives of the Colonial period, “A Wife in Watercolor” emphasizes what the struggle for freedom felt like from the perspective of women. And, in the cruelest irony, the novel dramatizes the ways in which the quest for liberty set enslaved Black women and vulnerable White women at odds with each other – even when they shared the same roof and long friendship.
Shamp won the 2016 first place award from the National Federation of Press Women and Delaware Press Association for her debut novel, “Third Haven.” In 2017, The Delmarva Review recognized her short story, “The Sotweed Legacy,” in their Chesapeake Voices Contest.
The second author will be Joseph Koper who will be discussing his book, “The Isaiah Fountain Case: Outrage and Jim Crow Justice on Maryland’s Eastern Shore” and sign copies on Monday, September 12, at 6:30 p.m. at the Easton Library.
“The Isaiah Fountain Case” is the first book-length account of a case that captivated the attention of Talbot County just a little over 100 years ago. Isaiah Fountain was a bold and resourceful African American whose struggle to prove his innocence of a White girl’s rape was conducted in the face of lynch mobs, manhunts, outraged citizens, armed troops, media controversies and questionable legal decisions.
His attempts to mount a defense within the Jim Crow legal system included two trials and two appeals. The story of Isaiah Fountain is told through court documents and hundreds of contemporaneous newspaper articles.
Koper is retired in Easton with his wife, Jackie, following service in the U.S. Army and a career spent largely in human resources management. A graduate of Gannon College and George Washington University, Koper has become fascinated with the long and rich history of Talbot County and the Eastern Shore.
“Both events are just one of a number of interactive adult programs that are coming up this fall at the Talbot County Free Library,” Newman said. “We hope that more people either stop by or visit our website to see what more we have in store this fall!”
For more information about upcoming events, visit www.tcfl.org today.
About Talbot County Free Library
It is the mission of the Talbot County Free Library to enrich and renew the lives of the people it serves. There are two locations: The main library in Easton is located at 100 W. Dover St., and the St. Michael branch is at 106 Fremont St. The Maryland Room in the Easton branch holds a voluminous collection of genealogical resources and historical documents. Services at both locations include the circulation of books, DVDs, digital devices, free Wi-Fi, public computers, exhibits, and program for both children and adults. Many of the Talbot County Free Library’s programs are made possible by the generous support of the local community. For more information, please visit www.tcfl.org. Be sure to like the library on Facebook and follow us on Instagram @Talbotcountyfreelibrary.
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