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The official blog of Thurber House, historic home of humorist, author, and New Yorker cartoonist James Thurber and literary center where laughter, learning and literature meet.
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New York Times bestselling author J.A. Jance celebrated the publication of her 50th book with us on Monday. The 9th book in her Ali Reynolds series, Moving Target, takes readers on an exciting journey as Ali tracks a ruthless killer to England. Jance showed her vibrant storytelling abilities as she recalled memory after memory, each with a connection to her stories and characters. A few years ago, she learned that it isn’t until post publication that she uncovers whom in her life a new character represents, and how those discoveries have helped her let go some of the most difficult parts of her past. She discussed the excitement she feels when she is able to connect her characters in unexpected ways by finding small pieces of their personalities, and bringing them to life with a new plot twist. Jance shared the often unknown stream of consciousness that goes through an authors mind as they make choices while writing, making this a very special event for the many fans in the audience.
Monday, March 31 Carl Hoffman comes to Thurber House to discuss Savage Harvest: A tale of Cannibals, Colonialism & Michael Rockefeller’s Tragic Quest for Primitive Art. Having traveled to more than 70 countries on assignment for just about every travel publication you can think of, Hoffman has seen and done it all. Click here for more information or to order tickets online.
Friends, Thurberites, Parents of Potential Campers, lend me your ears.
Although the season seems to come earlier and earlier every year, there is no wavering in our excitement to announce that registration for 2014 Thurber Summer Writing Camp is officially open!
WAIT!
I know your immediate reaction is one of two things: Stop reading to go to the website and register (you know our camp fills fast) OR stop reading because this does not pertain to you.
Before you do either, let me explain why our camp is so great and important to this community. Thurber House offers a chance for students in grades 2-8 to explore the realm of creative writing beyond the classroom. We have the opportunity to supplement what they are learning in school with a form of writing that allows a young writer’s imagination to stretch beyond limits. We pride ourselves in being a unique and encouraging experience, helping to instill a sense of confidence and love for writing and learning.
Now, if you don’t know anyone who is in 2nd – 8th grade, that’s okay. You can stop reading after this paragraph. To help keep our programming available to all students, we offer scholarships for summer camp to families with financial need. We hope that although you can’t send a camper to us, you will consider making a donation to help a student come to camp whom otherwise may not be afforded the opportunity. Click here for more information about how to make a donation (and make sure to tell us that it’s for summer camp).
This all sounds great, right? So you are probably asking, who should attend our camp? Good question. Each summer we have a wide range of “types” of students come through our doors. Someone who is a good fit for our program is someone who loves to think up stories and ideas. Regardless of whether that someone is an extremely loquacious writer, or a writer looking to get better at putting those great ideas down on paper, that someone will fit in well here. If you’re unsure, give us a call at 614-464-1032 ext. 13 and we would be happy to discuss our camp with you.
The next big question is when. Not to worry, here are our 2014 dates:
2-3 Grade ($100*)
12:30 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.
June 9-13, June 16-20
4/5 Grade ($175*)
9:00 a.m. – 3:30 p.,.
June 23-27, July 7-11, July 14-18
6-8 Grade ($175*)
9:00 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.
July 21-25, July 28-August 1, August 4-8
All camp sessions are held at the Thurber Center, 91 Jefferson Avenue, next door to Thurber House. Enrollment is first-come, first-served, and each week of camp is limited to 40 students. Campers will be split into four groups of ten, with one counselor per group. Grade levels refer to the grade the student will be entering in the fall.
*We do offer a limited amount of scholarship to those with financial need. See our website for more information about how to apply.
Hope to see you this summer!
During our most recent Evenings with Authors, New York Times bestselling and critically acclaimed author,Claire Messud, joined us to discuss her latest novel, The Woman Upstairs. Messud brought her characters to life in a riveting discussion with the audience. The main character, Nora Eldridge, is a reliable, but unremarkable, friend and neighbor, always on the fringe of other people’s achievements. But the arrival of the Shahid family—dashing Skandar, a Lebanese scholar, glamorous Sirena, an Italian artist, and their son, Reza—draws her into a complex and exciting new world. Nora’s happiness pushes her beyond her boundaries, until Sirena’s careless ambition leads to a shattering betrayal. Told with urgency, intimacy, and piercing emotion, this New York Times bestselling novel is the riveting confession of a woman awakened, transformed, and abandoned by a desire for a world beyond her own.
If you missed this event, don’t worry! J.A. Jance will be with us at the Columbus Museum of Art on Monday, March 10 to discuss her newest novel, Moving Target. The novel is the 9th in her popular Ali Reynolds series, which takes readers through the investigations of a former newscaster turned police officer, as she embarks on a journey to discover a ruthless killer.
Click here for more information or to purchase tickets to J.A. Jance.
Wait! Wait! There’s more…
As of today, our Spring 2014 Adult Writing Workshops are officially open for registration.
April 7: Scene-making in Fiction
April 21: The Importance of Setting and Atmosphere in Fiction
April 28: The A, B, C’s of Starting Your Memoir
May 5: How to Jump Start Your Non-Fiction Through Memory Prompts
May 12: Getting Started in Creative Non-Fiction
May 19: Film Treatment as Creative Tool and Legal Device
Classes run from 6-8 p.m. at Thurber Center. Tuition is $40 per class. Click here to register or for more details on each class.
A SPECIAL MASTER CLASS WITH STEVE BERRY
Date: Saturday, May 31
Time: 8:45 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.
Location: Thurber Center, 91 Jefferson Avenue
Tuition: Various levels (go online for details)
Thurber House is proud to present a fiction writing Master Class with acclaimed thriller writer, Steve Berry. This is a unique opportunity to learn from an author whose books are international bestsellers. He will cover everything from plot development to dialogue, mood to character development, and so much more. Plus, his wife, Elizabeth Berry, director of the International Thriller Association ThrillerFest, will lead a workshop on the business of publishing today.
Click here to find out more information about this once-in-a-lifetime chance to learn from a master. There will also be a special event on Friday, May 30 where Steve will talk about his latest Cotton Malone novel, The Lincoln Myth.
On Wednesday, March 5 at 2:00 p.m., Thurber House will participate in the Columbus Museum of Art’s exhibition: Toulouse-Lautrec and La Vie Morerne: Paris 1880-1910. Susanne Jaffe, Creative Director of Thurber House, will discuss the literature and the writers of the Belle Epoque in Paris, as this period is often called. With Nannette Maciejunes, Executive Director of the Columbus Museum of Art, discussing the Lautrec and other artists of the perios, the literary spotlight will focus on such classic names of French and world literature as Proust, Andre Gide, Gaston Leroux, the poet Apollinaire, and playwrights Edmond Rostand and Georges Feydau. The will show how the changing times in Paris, and the generation immediately before them, like Balzac, Zola ad Flaubert influenced a new style of writing in keeping with the popular sentiments of La Belle Epoque.
Subscribers to Thurber House’s Evenings with Authors Winter/Spring 2014 season are invited to attend the talk and see the exhibition at no charge by using the cose word “Thurber” at the admissions desk. Advance registration is appreciated, so please click here to do so.
New York Times bestselling author Claire Messud will be joining us on Thursday, February 27 for the second event in our 2014 Winter/Spring Evenings with Authors series. In the publication of her fifth book, The Woman Upstairs, Messud tells the story of a woman who doesn’t follow her artistic dreams and obsesses over an idealized lifestyle that she observes through one of her students. The struggle of always having been the “good girl” becomes overwhelming for main character Nora, and begins to lead her into a dangerous level of involvement with the student’s family. The novel is full of psychological intrigue about human obsession and our ability to rationalize just about anything.
Born in Connecticut and having lived in various countries, Messud is nowa Massachusetts resident. She studied at both Yale and Cambridge, and has taught creative writing at a variety of colleges, including Ohio’s own Kenyon College.
Click here for more information about how to join us for this event.
Isabel Allende joined us last night to celebrate the release of her newest novel, Ripper. Allende greeted her audience with the utmost gratitude for their devotion and support. With an arsenal of stories from around the world, she spoke the most fondly of her time in Venezuela, learning to “live in her skin” and be proud of everything she is as a person. The evening ended with Allende discussing the book she held closest to her heart: Paula. The heartbreaking autobiography was her attempt to capture the story of her family for her daughter, who, after battling a severe illness, had fallen into a coma. Allende feels the value in that book lies in what her readers were able to get out it, rather than in her own personal gain. While the book was written ten years ago, she still receives daily messages of support and thanks from fans who have found strength in her writing. She expressed to the audience that she is absolutely content with her career as a writer, knowing that in one book she was able to touch so many lives.
Next up in our 2014 Winter/Spring Evenings with Authors series is Clair Messud. Best known for her novel The Emperor’s Children, Messud masters psychological suspense and literary allusion in her latest novel, The Woman Upstairs. The novel explores how a discounted third grade teacher somehow finds an idealized version of the life she wants within the life of a student.
To join us for this or future events, visit our website!
This year, we’re kicking off our Winter/Spring Evenings with Authors with Isabel Allende. Allende established herself in the literary world with her bestselling (and first) novel, The House of Spirits. Since then, she has produced nearly 20 more works, all initially written in her native language Spanish and translated into 35 different languages. With the recent release of her newest novel, Ripper, Allende takes her readers to modern day San Francisco and into the lives of the of a mother and daughter who become involved with a string of murders happening in the city. While the thriller genre is new territory for Allende, her talent in storytelling allows for a seamless transition.
Regular tickets for this event are sold out. We do have tickets available for our overflow room where we will live stream the event and you will still have the opportunity to join Isabelle Allende for a book signing after the event. To purchase overflow tickets, please call Erin at 614-464-1032 extension 11. For tickets to our other 2014 Winter/Spring Evenings with Authors, please visit our website.
There could not have been a better way to start off our 2014 event season than sitting down with journalist icon Jane Pauley, 
hometown favorite from NBC Mikaela Hunt, and over 400 friends that came pouring in to King Arts Complex for this unique evening. Pauley is touring the country discussing her life, and the lives of those featured in her recently released book, Your Life Calling: Reimagining the Rest of Your Life. The book contains stories from her award-winning segment on the Today show, “Your Life Calling.” As an advocate for using your time in life to pursue your dreams, she encouraged the audience to find assurance in themselves and believe that reinvention is possible if you’re committed to taking care of yourself (and sleeping, she definitely stressed the importance of sleep). She spoke candidly about her struggles and triumphs with bipolar disorder and her transition back into television after treatment, which began on 9/10, one day before the 9/11 attacks. She won an Emmy for her coverage of that historical event.
Pauley’s signing line was filled with everyone from individuals with stories of reinvention, to fans who 
have followed her career from the beginning. One remark that we consistently heard was about the clear transition between television and personal interaction; a transition Jane Pauley does seamlessly. She is somehow able to translate her warm, caring demeanor and witty sense of humor flawlessly between the two mediums. Throughout the evening, Pauley listened to stories, gave thoughtful advice, and posed for pictures and became instant friends with everyone she met.
Thank you to everyone who came to this event! We hope to see you at one of our 2014 Winter/Spring Evenings with Authors! Click here for more information or to purchase tickets for an upcoming event.
We’ve had a lot going on the past few weeks at Thurber House, so if you haven’t been around, here’s what you missed.
1) The Thurber Birthday Gala: Each year we gather with a few hundred of our closest friends in the ballroom of The Westin Columbus to celebrate the birthday of James Thurber. This year, he turned 119. As per every proper birthday party, there was cake, laughter, and presents given in the form of raffle prizes. The evening was emceed by two-time Thurber Prize finalist, Laurie Notaro. Now coined the Susan Lucci of Thurber House, Notaro read from her newest book, Potty Mouth at the Table and had the audience in stitches with her stories about growing up with a mother who’s favorite place to give a life lessons was the isle of a grocery store. 2012 Thurber Prize for American Humor winner, Calvin Trillin, also had a birthday to celebrate that night, and did so with a hilarious routine of sarcastic poems, witty news-like entries, and stories about his family.
2) The Secret Life of Walter Mitty: With the upcoming release of the Ben Stiller directed film, there has been a good deal of buzz around Thurber House about whether or not the film would represent Walter Mitty and Thurber in a good way. We had the good fortune of being able to partner with Wexner Center for the Arts to host a pre-release screening of The Secret Life of Walter Mitty. Screenwriter Steven Conrad was present at the event for a post-film discussion. He introduced the movie, and asked for a little bit of leeway from the Thurber purists in the audience. He explained that the movie was not meant to be an exact replication of the Thurber story, but rather a further interpretation of the idea of what happens when we daydream, and an effort to hold true to the spirit of the Walter Mitty character. While the story line was very, very different, the film was beautiful and engaging.
3) Chris Matthews: As the last event of the 2013 Fall Evenings with Authors series, Chris Matthews joined us for an evening to discuss his newest book, Tip and the Gipper: When Politics Worked. The sold out event gathered over 300 people to the Columbus Museum of Art for an evening of political discussion of past, present, and future platforms. For those who watch Matthew’s MSNBC show, Hardball, they were well prepared for his quick wit and opinionated view on politics. While he may lean one particular way on the political spectrum, he stated something that everyone in the room could agree upon; “We don’t need more democrats or republicans, we need more grown ups.”
4) Jane Pauley announcement: If you haven’t heard yet, iconic journalist, Jane Pauley, will be coming to Columbus on Thursday, January 9, 2014. The event will take place at The King Arts Complex at 7:00 p.m. Pauley will be in conversation with Columbus’s own Mikaela Hunt, co-anchor of the NBC4 Today morning show, discussing Pauley’s newest book, Your Life Calling: Reimagining the Rest of Your Life. Tickets are going quickly, but are still available! Click here for more information or to order tickets for this event.
We will be announcing the next season of our Evenings with Authors on January 6, 2014.
Author photo © Kelly Campbell
We are pleased to announce a very special event with iconic journalist, Jane Pauley, on Thursday, January 9, 2014. Pauley has been in our homes for years as she
served as cohost of
Today for 13 years; anchored
Dateline NBC for 11 years, and was host of her own daytime show,
The Jane Pauley Show. In addition to those achievements,
her memoir,
Skywriting: A Life Out of the Blue, about her struggles with bipolar disorder, was a
New York Times bestseller. In her newest book
Your Life Calling, Reimagining the Rest of Your Life, she shares the personal reinventions of the over-fifty guests on her award winning
Today show segment, “Your Life Calling.” She dives into discovering how those in the middle of their lives set themselves up for powerful and fulfilling futures. Pauley manages to be timely, funny, practical and informative, helping those over fifty feel comfortable about change and those under fifty eager to fulfill their dreams.
This Special Event will feature Jane Pauley In Conversation with Columbus’s own Mikaela Hunt, co-anchor for NBC4 Today morning show
The event will take place at The King Arts Complex. A special wine and hors d’ouevres reception will be held prior to the reading from 5:30-6:45 p.m. and the reading will begin at 7:00 p.m. Limited space is available for the reception, so you must register in advance. Click here for more information or to order tickets.
Special thanks to PNC for their support of this event.
This fall, we were lucky enough to host Katrina Kittle as the 2013 John E. Nance Writer-in-Residence.
Here is what she had to say about her experience:
Ghosts walking on the stairs. Neon orange leaves rustling outside my windows. Wearing yoga pants and slippers until 3 in the afternoon. The world’s homeliest but most comfortable couch. Milo’s turkey reuben. A devoted, amazing, outrageously funny staff. Much laughter. And pages and pages and pages…
These are some of memories that flood immediately to mind of my four weeks as the John E. Nance Writer in Residency at the Thurber House. For a person who deals with words, it’s a little exasperating that they fail me when I try to express my gratitude for such a gift. The gift of uninterrupted time to work—the best present you could present to any author.
I’m a disciplined person. I keep my writing schedule sacred and defend it from other commitments and obligations. Even so, there are only so many hours in the day, and those days have to share their hours with those pesky tasks like the job-that-actually-pays-the-bills, doing laundry, feeding oneself, etc. To be given four weeks during which my only responsibility was to write felt like winning the lottery. I was determined not to squander this time.
I’m happy to say that I didn’t. The attic apartment for writers in residence is cozy enough to be comfortable, but simple enough not to be a distraction (I was a little worried to discover there was actually cable TV up there, but proud to report I only turned it on twice). The wonderful staff of Thurber House even allowed me to bring my Facebook famous cat Joey with me. Joey spends 80% of my writing time on my lap, his head on my left arm as I type. (Joey weighs 17 pounds. I will one day, no doubt, develop carpal tunnel syndrome because of him).
I spent the month before my residency researching like crazy, writing up a loose synopsis, and doing all the prep work I could so that I could hit the ground running with my time. Once I was settled into Thurber House, I developed the routine of rising early—around 6 AM—making coffee and doing my most productive writing session of the day. After about five hours, I’d shower, put on “real clothes,” and join the staff for lunch. (More on the staff later) Since I had the pleasure of being in residency for a gorgeous autumn, I’d often then do my afternoon writing session outside, at a picnic table, with leaves falling all around me like confetti. Around 3:30 or so, I’d go for a run or walk, exploring the various neighborhoods and areas of Columbus. In the evenings, I’d read or do further research. One evening I had the great pleasure of visiting the Young Writers’ Studio. Another week I taught an adult master class on Voice. And I had the hands-trembling butterflies-in-stomach experience of reading from the work-in-progress for the first time ever for a lovely, supportive crowd at Urban Arts Space.
Research. The novel I was working on during residency is an at times spooky story of a pandemic and its aftermath. I’d be reading about Ebola virus or rabies, reading every apocalypse story I could get my hands on, and creating a ghost character from the 1918 Spanish flu epidemic…all while living in a haunted house. I think the ghosts of Thurber House approved. They made their presence known—with footsteps on the stairs, strange tinkling glass sounds that seemed to tease my cat, and a bedroom window that opened itself three times when I was out of the room. They never seemed malevolent in the slightest—but welcoming and friendly.
The staff. Where do I begin about the incredible women who run Thurber House? They supported me so thoroughly and made me feel truly at home. I treasured our laughter filled lunches—not only because they kept me from being a hermit, but because they are such intelligent, interesting, funny women. Great lovers of good food, they were excellent guides to some of the best food in Columbus. I will dream about Milo’s turkey reuben for the rest of my days. Mighty fond of Dirty Frank’s, as well. I love those women for never judging me for my crazy lady writer clothes…and for adoring Joey cat and making a fuss over him on a daily basis.
I didn’t finish an entire draft of my novel…but in all honesty, I didn’t expect to. My process is slow and I know it. But I estimate that this residency did put me at least six months ahead of where I would’ve been otherwise. I left Thurber House in a place in the novel where the momentum is well under way and have kept it rolling since returning home.
This residency came at the most needed time for me: after a health crisis derailed my writing schedule for a time (all is 100% well now and I’m two years cancer free!), I needed a hand to get my traction back into a disciplined groove of the writing life I missed. Thanks to Thurber House and the generous John E. Nance Residency, I am back on track with sure footing.
-Katrina Kittle
Find out more about Katrina at www.katrinakittle.com and “like” her Facebook Author page: www.facebook.com/KatrinaKittleAuthor
With the release of his newest novel Tatiana just days before, we had the pleasure of hosting Martin Cruz Smith at last week’s Evenings with Authors. Smith found his fame with the 1981 thriller, Gorky Park. Throughout his career, he has published over 25 critically acclaimed books under a variety of pen names. Tatiana marks the 8th novel starring beloved detective, Arkady Renko. Fans of Smith came to the event having either read the novel in just a few days (all because they couldn’t put it down), or with a new copy in hand that they couldn’t wait to begin. Smith discussed his love of writing mystery, some of his lesser-known novels, and the recently revealed news about his process. Just one week ago, an article was published in the New York Times revealing that Smith was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 1995, and that he had kept it hidden from just about everyone he knew. As his symptoms got worse, his wife Emily became an invaluable resource as she took pictures, helped with sketches, and even took on the role of typist for Tatiana. While the disease proved to be a hurdle when it came to the extensive research Smith does for his novels (sketching, taking notes, etc.) he wanted to make sure that his career was defined on the basis that he was a good writer, not a writer with Parkinson’s. Seeing the great amount of fans that have followed him since he began, we don’t doubt that he has achieved this goal.
Thank you to everyone who attended this event. We hope to see you again soon!
Come January, Wizards of all kinds will be flooding into Thurber Center. We’ll have science fiction Wizards, publishing Wizards, Wizards in tutu’s, and even a group of daydreaming Wizards (don’t worry, we’ll keep a close eye on these ones). The one thing that all of these Wizards have in common, is that they love to write! In fact, that’s why we call them Writing Wizards.
Beginning January 25, we welcome young writers in grades 2-8 to join us for five consecutive Saturdays to explore an area of creative writing that interests them. Each class is taught by local authors and writers, all eager to share their passion for creative writing.
Easier to find than platform 9 ¾, all classes will be held at Thurber Center, 91 Jefferson Avenue (next door to Thurber House). The deadline for registration is Friday, January 10, however, some classes may fill prior to this date. Please visit our website and register today! The website will also have updated information regarding class availability.
Here’s what we have to offer in 2014:
2/3 Graders
Giants of Publishing
with Sarah Magill 10:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.; $90*
Get ready to wear many different hats, because in this class, you will be the writer, illustrator, designer, and editor of your very own picture book.
Treasure Hunt for Poems
with Amy Greenberg 12:30 p.m. – 2:00 p.m.; $90
Channel your inner poet and grab inspiration from famous poets, your senses, your family, and maybe even a few Dr. Seuss characters!
4/5 Graders
Plot Twists
with Paul Hammock 10:00 a.m. – Noon; $100
The creative juices will be flowing in this class as you use puzzles and codes to create twists and turns for your brand new page-turner.
Shakespeare in a Tutu?
with Ashley Fournier 1:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.; $100
Celebrate drama as you write, edit, and perform a masterpiece
for the stage. From story development to acting, you’ll do it all
6/7/8 Graders
Science Fiction and Beyond!
with Valerie Cumming 10:00 a.m. – Noon; $100
Imagine, design, and populate a futuristic world with human and alien creatures that will fill the pages of your soon-to-be novel.
Daydream Believer
with Kathy Matthews and Dan Mushalko 1:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.; $100
This class is your excuse to daydream even more — and to learn how to turn those dreams into cool stories to share with the world.
* We have a limited number of scholarships available for families who apply. Please visit our website to find out more about the application process.
See you in 2014!
There is a lot happening around town for writers! Check out these great opportunities!
Writing Wizards
For younger writers, we just launched registration for Writing Wizards, a workshop for grades 2-8 that takes place for five Saturdays. These classes are led by our most passionate teachers and give students the opportunity to think about writing from an “outside the box” perspective. Click here for detailed information about the classes we are offering in 2014! (Yes, we said 2014, and we can’t believe it’s almost here either.)
NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month)
In honor of NaNoWriMo, we will be hosting a workshop this Saturday, Nov. 9 from 11-noon at Thurber Center. Young Adult author, Jody Casella, will talk about the nitty-gritty of writing a novel. Following the workshop, we will have a Write-In from 12-2 p.m. A Write-In is a time and location where you just sit and write. You can bring your laptop, iPad, notepad, whatever works for you, and plop down in Thurber Center for two hours of quiet writing with people who are just like you! We will also have all of the necessary junk food to keep you going through the afternoon. The workshop and the Write-In are FREE and open to everyone (even if you aren’t participating in NaNoWriMo). If once November ends you’re still in the writing mood, join us for Jody’s workshop on Dec. 7 at Bexley Public Library about how to edit it and try to get published. Click here for more information about NaNoWriMo.
MadLab Young Writers Short Play Festival
MadLab Theatre is extending its outreach to young playwrights in local and regional high schools in Central Ohio. The goal is to produce a group of 10 minute short plays written by high school students for its Young Writers Short Play Festival 2014. Playwrights can submit their short play to MadLab any time between now and December 2, 2013. Scripts will be selected by December 21, 2013. After this, the selected playwrights will work with known and published playwrights as adult mentors to workshop, stage read, and revise scripts as needed. This learning environment will provide invaluable education and creativity for young playwrights work to be produced for the very first time. MadLab will then produce all chosen scripts in end of July 2014. Click here for more information about this opportunity with MadLab.
Laurie R. King filled the auditorium at CMA on Monday with her wide array of fans, many of who drove from all over the state to meet her. Well known for her Mary Russell novels, she discussed her love of writing about that particular character. When asked by a member of the audience how she was able to conceive a wife for Sherlock Holmes, she responded, “don’t you mean, how did I conceive a husband for Mary Russell?” Naturally, the audience broke out into laughter. King shared her passion for women’s rights, theology and politics, and how she finds that because those are all topics she is deeply interested in, they become centralized within her novels. Like Thurber, she writes what she knows.
Her newest novel, The Bones of Paris, is a standalone murder mystery that takes a private investigator through the darkest places in Paris on his hunt to find a missing 22 year old from Boston. Thank you to everyone who attended this event! Although, we were a little disappointed that nobody brought anything interesting to sign (besides books, of course). Apparently, King has received everything imaginable to sign, including throwing knifes.
On Thursday, November 14, Martin Cruz Smith will be your last chance to attend an event of this Fall 2013 Evenings with Authors series (unless you were lucky enough to get your Chris Matthews tickets before they sold out). In his newest novel Tatiana Martin Cruz Smith brings back Arkady Renko, the beloved character from his previous novel, Gorky Park. This murder mystery novel dives into the secrets of modern Russia as Arkady Renko seeks to solve the murder of a fearless investigative reporter who falls to her death.
For more information or to purchase tickets to Martin Cruz Smith, click here.
We always feel so supported by our loyal volunteers, teachers, and patrons, so it’s great when we get to turn it around and support them as well!
This Thursday, October 17 from 7-8 p.m., PageSpring Publishing will be holding a book launch celebration and reading at Thurber Center. During this time, authors Suzanne Goldsmith and Tom Barlow will be sharing their newly published stories. Goldsmith’s novel, Washashore, is an adventure-love story aimed at ages 9-13. She has also published a variety of stories in magazines, as well as a non-fiction book, A City Year. Barlow’s collection of short stories titled Welcome to the Goat Rodeo, is designed to make you question the unexplored areas of human existence. He also has a science fiction novel coming out this fall titled, I’ll Meet You Yesterday.
PageSpring Publishing is an independent book publisher specializing in high-quality novels for adults and younger readers. [They] believe that the best part of reading is discovering a book that speaks to you, a book for which you will postpone dinner, or sleep, or even calling your mother . . . just to finish one more chapter.
We hope to see you there!
Camp has been over for a few months, but just to remind everyone how proud we are of the writers that come through Thurber House, we wanted to share a young authors original piece of writing with you. This past summer, each of our 6-8 grade campers were charged with creating a fan-fiction story over the span of two days. One 8th grader named George took his story to another level and continued to construct his fan-fiction throughout the week. Each day during open mic he shared a piece of the story, and each day he left everyone doubled over in laughter with his animated performances. With George’s gracious permission, we are happy to share a piece of his story with you!
Prologue
“What do you MEAN Slender Man is in Hogwarts?” Dumbledore asked.
“I, ‘mean’ he IS!” Clifford Neeson replied.
As the the lone wanderer said this, a stormtrooper barricaded the door.
“Dumbledore, he’s already gotten half of the student body!” Harry Potter exclaimed, running into the room.
“Then that means there’s only one thing to do…” Dumbledore turned to the closet behind his desk and opened it to reveal a stockpile of shotguns.
“Dumbledore, why do you have a cache of shotguns in your closet?” Harry asked, pulling at his hair.
“I think the real question would be-” Dumbledore stopped to cock his shotgun, “Why wouldn’t I?”
Chapter 1
Earlier that night
Clifford Neeson was out on a walk one peaceful evening when he suddenly heard a faint humming noise. Cliff stopped in his tracks immediately when he heard the sound. The humming grew louder and louder until it gave Cliff a slight headache. Suddenly, a bright blue light shined over Cliff and he was helpless as he was brought up into an alien UFO.
Cliff woke up to find his legs and right arm fastened to a table and little green men were getting ready to fasten his one free limb down. Suddenly, Cliff found himself screaming as he swung his one free limb around, knocking the aliens back. Cliff then unfastened his right arm and leaned up on the table. Just then, another group of aliens entered the room. Cliff noticed one of the aliens he had smacked with his Pip-Boy arm had slumped over on his legs, dropping a ray gun in front of him. The waster didn’t hesitate to grab the weapon, and he also didn’t hesitate to mow down the aliens.
Once his adversaries were taken care of, Cliff unfastened the restraints on his legs and hopped off the table. Cliff did a sweep of the alien vessel to find that he had killed everyone on board. Cliff was about to head to the bridge to see if he could some how get himself home when he saw a room full of cryogenic-stasis pods, all of which seemed to be filled with prisoners of the little green men. Cliff decided to open the cryogenic pods to free the prisoners inside. After pushing a few buttons on the alien console, there was a loud hissing sound as the prisoners were released from their forced slumber.
Out of the pods came an anthropomorphic grasshopper, three men dressed in white armor, and what seemed to be a giant shuttlecock. As the shuttlecock came out of its pod, it screamed, “-sterminate!” Like it was finishing what it had said before it was frozen.
“So,” Cliff started, trying to break the ice, “What’s your story, grasshopper man?”
“First of all, I am a Turian, secondly, my name is Garrus” The anthropomorphic grasshopper replied.
“Okay, what about you guys?” Cliff asked, turning to the men in white armor.
“We’re stormtroopers of the galactic empire” one of the soldiers replied.
“So, you’re evil,” Cliff insinuated, starting to raise his ray gun.
“No, no, not anymore. We’ll hang out with you guys if it’s okay” one of the troopers said.
“Sure” Cliff replied. All of a sudden, the shuttlecock looked very worried, “What’s wrong, Mr. Shuttlecock?” Cliff asked.
“Where are my Dalek friends?” The shuttlecock asked.
“Oh, other things like you? My guess is they were probably experimented on and then killed” Cliff replied.
The shuttlecock then got very angry, “Then exterminate the LGMs-”
Cliff interrupted him, “No, no, I killed them all.”
“Oh…” the shuttlecock started, “…it seems I have no place to go, then. Would it be all right if I hung out with you guys?”
“Why not,” Cliff replied.
All of a sudden, the ship started to shake.
“Wait, who is piloting this vessel?” the Dalek asked.
“Umm… no one?” Cliff replied. His new friends all gave him a troubled look.
“You can’t be serious!” one of the stormtroopers exclaimed.
“I thought it was on auto-pilot or something” Cliff said, looking at his troubled new friends.
“That only happens in the movies!” Garrus said as the ship began crashing into the atmosphere. Suddenly, the team was flung forward as the ship crashed, rendering them unconscious.
©This writing is personal property of George Reed and it is illegal to copy or alter in any way.
This year we are fortunate enough to be able to expand our Pen and Tell It! program, making it available for grades two thru eight. Pen and Tell It! is a one day class designed to give young writers a chance to dip their toes into the whirlpool of writing. In each of these classes, we take basic writing and put a twist on it to give you a fun, new experience with Thurber House. Registration often fills quickly, so register your young writer today!
Click here for more information or to print a registration form.
2/3 Grade
Title: Twisted Tales
Sunday, November 3; 2:00-3:30 p.m.
What if Cinderella was actually the evil sister? What happens when the Seven Dwarfs tell their stories? Take your favorite fairytale and twist it all up for some serious laughs in our Twisted Tales class!
4/5 Grade
Title: From Beginning to “The End”
Sunday, November 3; 1:00-3:30 p.m.
We’ve got you covered from Once upon a time… to The End in this workshop. You’ll start with ideas, add twists and turns, and create an ending that may or may not be happily ever after.
4/5 Grade
Title: Puppet Plays
Sunday, November 10; 1:00-3:30 p.m.
Learn how to write a script with dialogue and action and then make it come alive with marionette puppets you create yourself.
6/7/8 Grade
Title: Any Way you Write It
Sunday, November 10; 1:00-3:30 p.m.
From 140 character memoirs for Twitter to flash fiction to blogging, we’ll jump into the fun new forms of writing and teach you some tricks of the trade along the way. This isn’t your grandma’s writing class!
Questions? Contact Meg Brown at [email protected] or 614-464-1032 ext. 16.
Thanks to Grange, the Greater Columbus Arts Council, the Ohio Arts Council, and the Edith Doud, Catherine C. Hislop, and Leona and Rowena Kessler funds of The Columbus Foundation for their support.
This past Wednesday, A. Scott Berg drew in a crowd of history buffs, biography fans, and many of those fascinated by the politics surrounding one of the most famous times in history. If Berg’s line-up of biographies wasn’t impressive enough, upon the release of Wilson, the author once again found himself on the New York Times bestseller list. The audience hung on every word as Berg discussed the intricacies of Wilson’s career, the decisions he made, and provided a critical eye on some of the most controversial issues surrounding Wilson’s career. While Berg’s passion for Wilson’s career was apparent, he also shared points of Wilson’s career that were not so fantastic. Berg reminded the audience that while Wilson was so progressive on the forefront of democracy, he also was extremely regressive when it came to civil rights, being the president that introduced integration to Washington. Berg added that the main point where Wilson could have truly made a difference would have been during the re-“integration” of African American Soldiers after WWI, which was anything but smooth. If you admire Wilson for nothing else, you have to give him credit for being the last president to actually write all of his own speeches. Berg has combed through every speech many times, and has yet to find a grammatical error.
If you are free October 14th, join us for and evening with Laurie R. King, author of the recently release novel, Bones of Paris. With a background in mystery, King’s new novel takes its readers through the underground crime scene of Paris on the search for a missing twenty-two year old from Boston. King is also the author of thirteen Mary Russell/Sherlock Homes mysteries and the thrillers, A Dark Place, Folly, Keep Watch, and Touchstone.
Thurber House is proud to announce the winner of the 2013 Thurber Prize for American Humor, Dan Zevin!
Dan Zevin, a former Thurber Prize finalist, has finally taken home the prize for his latest book, Dan Gets a Minivan: Life at the Intersection of Dude and Dad. This book, as well as The Day I Turned Uncool, have been optioned by Adam Sandler’s Happy Madison Productions. Dan has followed his readers through each phase of life, from post-college coping (Entry-Level Life) to tying the knot (The Nearly-wed Handbook) to developing a disturbing ne
w interest in lawn care and wine tastings (Uncool). And that was all before he had kids. Which leads up back to this minivan situation.
Dan has been a comic commentator for NPR, a humor columnist for The New York Times, and a contributor to print and digital publications including Rolling Stone, The New Yorker, Maxim, Details, Real Simple, and Parents. He also wrote an original sitcom pilot for CBS and Warner Brothers. His latest project is “Star Vehicle,” a YouTube talk show he hosts inside his minivan.
Dan currently lives with his wife, kids, and pet rabbit in the suburbs of New York, where he has become an active member of his local Costco.
For more information about the Thurber Prize for American Humor, visit our website!
Special thanks to the Greater Columbus Arts Council for their generous support of this program.
John Searles charmed his audience during his Evenings With Authors program last Thursday. A true success story, Searles has risen to the top with hard work and dedication. Although he put himself through college for business (a more “practical” line of work), he ended up following his dreams and tried to publish his first novel. When sifting through the rejected pages from his first attempt, he found a note from an editor stating that he felt sorry for anyone who had to sit through all 400 pages. Searles proudly shared this note with his audience, telling them that although it hurt at first, it made 
finally getting published all the sweeter. His new novel, Help for the Haunted, incorporates many details from his life, including the desire to find his own personal ghost story. Searles had the audience laughing hysterically as he regaled them with his story of taking the “9-5” haunted tour of the Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum in Weston, West Virginia. As one does when seeking out a ghostly experience, he requested to sleep in the most haunted and terrifying place in the building: the lobotomy recovery room. Unfortunately for him (but most fortunately for his skiddish partner), he had to settle for sleeping in a nearby hallway. He saw lights flash and heard noises of dragging changes, but never physically saw a ghost. He left disappointed, but looks back on it with the understanding that it was the skeptic in him that wouldn’t allow himself to believe in the experiences he was having.
This Wednesday, October 2, Scott Berg joins us at the Columbus Museum of Art to discuss his book, Wilson. Recently released, the biography includes information that was first available to Berg, allowing him to fill the gaps in what we already knew about Woodrow Wilson. Berg won a Pulitzer Prize for his biography of Charles Lindenbergh. He has also written biographies on Max Perkins and Katherine Hepburn. Join us for this great event in celebration of the 100th anniversary of Woodrow Wilson’s inauguration as the country’s 28th president.
For more information or to purchase tickets, click here!
My name is Rosie, and this is why I love the Thurber House and all of the wonderful people that work there.
The running joke at camp was that Rosie was a thief. So, one day during town crier, she decided to prove the campers right and steal ALL of the town crier notes for herself! Rosie’s light spirit and sense of humor was definitely valued at camp!
I, like many other people, was an incredibly awkward 7th grader. I had multi-colored braces, horrible acne, and I had yet to ”figure out” my hair. The idea of hand-eye coordination was a completely foreign concept to me, and I was never picked first in gym class. I loved quietly writing and drawing at home while listening to music. It was surprising if anyone ever knew that my name was “Rose Ellen” and not “Rosalyn.” By the end of the school year, I developed an artificial “it’s fine, I’m too cool to be friends with you anyway” attitude that helped me cope with the fact that I was too shy to talk to any of my peers.
Just before summer ended, my English teacher brought me a colorful brochure folded into thirds with my name on it. At first, I was baffled by the fact that this brochure was specifically brought to me. My teacher saw this and delivered it to me because she knew me and she knew I would like it. I felt so special and unique. I looked through it and found pictures of all of these happy kids sitting together at Thurber Summer Writing Camp. When I realized this was a brochure for a summer camp based on my favorite pastime, I was ecstatic.
The first day of camp finally arrived after what felt like decades. I walked into this awesome antique house and there was this super excited and happy lady waiting there with a big smile on her face and I immediately felt the same enthusiasm she felt. (I now know that lady’s name is Meg, and she doesn’t know how to frown.)
That week, I experienced the Thurber House’s environment for the first time. Camp was exciting, inspiring, non-judgmental, and unbelievably fun. I made new friends every day and enjoyed talking with them endlessly about everything. Everyone was so nice and so sweet. I had never seen anything like it. Memories of the goofy jokes I made with my small group members still make me smile as I’m writing this right now. My shy exterior melted away and I would share my writing in front of large groups of people with ease. I found so much joy in explaining to my new friends, “My name is Rose Ellen! R-O-S-E [SPACE] E-L-L-E-N.” I made friends who cared what my name was, and that was awesome.
Rosie helped out in all aspects of camp and was a great asset when getting the campers to work together.
I’ve been an intern almost every summer since 2010, and the Thurber House environment is still as wonderful as it was that first week. I’ll never get tired of seeing the little “Rosalyns” make friends while doing what makes them happy. Watching a child blossom into the creative, happy, and enthusiastic young person they are meant to be is one of the best feelings in the world. Every day after camp, I tell my parents and my friends all the funny, adorable, or just downright impressive things the campers do. Year after year, the young writers I meet always manage to impress me with their skills and imaginations.
To everyone at the Thurber House: Thank you so much for providing me with the opportunity to intern. Without the Thurber Summer Writing Camp, I would not be the outgoing and happy person I am today. I can’t wait to be involved with the Thurber House in the future.
Next Monday, September 23, as you’re thinking “Hey, I’m kind of hungry,” make your way over to TIp Top Kitchen & Cocktails for delicious food and maybe even a few drinks. As part of Columbus Food League‘s charitable giving program, Tip Top has selected Thurber House as the community partner and will donate 10% of food sales from 11am – 2am on September 23rd to our cause. Tip Top will also keep a donation tin out for Thurber House the entire month of September to collect small donations from patrons throughout the month, so even if you don’t have time to stop and eat, drop in a few nickels and support some of your favorite programming in Columbus! We hope to see you there!
Sherrilyn Kenyon’s devoted fans filled the auditorium at The Columbus Museum of Art as they anxiously waited to meet one of their favorite authors. Rather than lecture or read, Kenyon designed her time with fans to be more like a conversation. She made it very clear from the beginning that if questions weren’t asked, she would be forced to tell embarrassing stories about her sons and husband, all of whom have interesting ways of fueling her love of writing. She discussed her love of horror movies, swords, and her extremely impressive way of remembering the tiny details of every story she has 
ever written. Sometimes she does leave her keys in the freezer or loose the banana she was eating, but that’s excusable when you’re writing about an endless sea of characters for up to 20 hours per day. Her hard work clearly pays off, as Kenyon had a three-hour signing line worth of fans, all of whom she greeted with a warm hug.
Next Thursday, September 26, join John Searles at the Columbus Museum of Art for a discussion about his newest novel, Help for the Haunted. The novel unveils the mystery of young girl who after her parents death, discovers secrets about their strange lives as saviors of haunted souls. Searles is also the author of bestselling novels, Boy Still Missing and Strange but True, a book critic for “The Today Show,” and Editor-at-Large for Cosmopolitan magazine.
Last night, Peter Heller joined us for our second Evenings with Authors of the Fall 2013 season. Heller took the crowd from silence and anticipation, to hysterical laughter as he told the audience tales of his adventures all over the world. He read from his newest novel, The Dog Stars, and greeted his guests with a huge smile, genuinely grateful that they came to see him. A jack of all trades, Heller was able to give the audience insight on poetry, nonfiction, fiction, magazine writing, editing, and everything in between.
This coming Monday, September 16, Sherrilyn Kenyon brings the paranormal realm to 
the Thurber audience. Kenyon’s thrilling books have been number one on the New York Times bestsellers list 16 times. Having written over 60 novels, Kenyon is one of the most prevalent paranormal fiction writers today. She has produced stories in all form, from graphic novel, to manga. Her newest novel, Styxx, continues the story of the title character and further explores the conflicted relationship between him and his twin brother, Acheron. This new novel gives Styxx a chance to prove his loyalty when evil gets hungry for revenge. Tickets are going quickly, click here to reserve yours today!
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