Charles Shields on the Importance of Detail in Biography

Charles ShieldsCharles Shields, author of Mockingbird: A Portrait of Harper Lee and a forthcoming biography of Kurt Vonnegut, shared his insights on the use of details in biography at WriterHouse on Tuesday, April 6, 2010.

Charles J. Shields spent four years researching and writing Mockingbird. Shields has a B.A. in English and an M.A. in American history from the University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana, where he was a James Scholar. He lives in central Virginia with his wife, Guadalupe.



Clifford Garstang and Josh Weil at New Dominion Bookshop

On Friday September 25, authors Clifford Garstang and Josh Weil read from their new books at the New Dominion Bookshop in downtown Charlottesville. Garstang read a selection from his collection of short stories, In an Uncharted Country. Weil read from his book, The New Valley. They were introduced by David Reynaud.

(Unfortunately, the recorder failed in the middle of Josh’s reading so only Cliff’s reading is presented here.)

Amy Eastlack brings SuzySaid to Charlottesville

SuzySaid Charlottesville breezed into town earlier this year offering hot tips on fashion, food, parenting, and local fun. Amy Eastlack is the real-life person behind Suzy. Recently she shared her vision for interacting with the local community with CPN.

You can meet Westlack in person at the Cville Pie Fest on October 3. Suzy can always be found at her web site or on Twitter.

Artist at Work: Russell Richards

Primeval Times by Russell U. Richards
Primeval Times by Russell U. Richards

Elizabeth McCullough of CvilleWords talks with artist, author, and filmmaker Russell Richards about how chronic illness and a recent accident have affected his approach to life and art. Richards is currently at work on a short horror film, Sins of the Fly, which will feature a pink Cadillac, a performing dog, and loads of local talent.

Richards can be found in his studio at the McGuffey Art Center surrounded by his colorful lithographs and etchings. He is the author of The Art and Innards of Russell U. Richards! A wide selection of his work can be seen at his website.

CNE launches Board Development Academy

Did you know there are over seven hundred nonprofit organizations in the the greater Charlottesville area? Despite their key position in the economy of our region, until now nonprofits reaching for excellence have had to rely on a grab bag of training programs for their board members. Recently, we spoke with Christine Nardi, Executive Director of the Center for Nonprofit Excellence, about a new program that promises to take nonprofit leadership to a higher level: The Board Development Academy.

Joel Salatin at New Dominion Bookshop

Joel Salatin
Joel Salatin

Joel Salatin of Polyface Farm appeared at New Dominion Bookshop on Wednesday, July 29, 2009, to read from his books, Holy Cows and Hog Heaven and Everything I Want to Do Is Illegal. Salatin, a well known figure in the local food movement, spoke at length on the politics of food safety regulations and the burden they place on family farms. He also took questions from the audience.

Master the Art of Reading with the Jefferson-Madison Regional Library

Libraries all over the country host summer reading programs for kids, complete with prizes — but why should youngsters have all the fun? This year, the Jefferson-Madison Regional Library plans to include the grown-ups in a program called Master the Art of Reading (pdf). In this podcast, Elizabeth McCullough of WriterHouse talks with Krista Farrell, the library’s assistant director and manager of the Central branch in downtown Charlottesville. Listen to find out how you can Master the Art of Reading.

Michael Malone and The Four Corners of the Sky

Michael Malone presented his latest novel, The Four Corners of the Sky, to an audience at New Dominion Bookshop on Wednesday, May 27, 2009.

Michael Malone is the author of ten novels, one collection of short stories, and two works of nonfiction. Among his prizes are the Edgar, the O. Henry, the Writers Guild Award, and the Emmy. He lives in Hillsborough, North Carolina, with his wife, Maureen Quilligan.

Faith Andrews Bedford reads at New Dominion Bookshop

On Wednesday, April 29, 2009, columnist and author Faith Andrews Bedford read from her new book, Little Girls in Matching Dresses, at the New Dominion Bookshop in Charlottesville. Faith’s column “Kids in the Country” was a popular feature of Country Living Magazine. She currently teaches the course “From Memories to Memoirs” at the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at the University of Virginia.

Winn Collier’s Holy Curiosity at New Dominion Bookshop

Winn Collier read from his latest book, Holy Curiosity, on Thursday, October 16, 2008, at the New Dominion Bookshop in downtown Charlottesville. In this, Collier’s third book, he wrestles with the intriguing, disturbing questions asked by Jesus in the Gospels. Collier read from Holy Curiosity and took questions from the audience.

21:00 What was the most difficult question to write about?

22:30 How did you arrive at the title for the book?

Tim Lewis launches The Virginiad

Tim Lewis launched The Virginiad, an epic work of poetry, song, culture, and craft, at a reception in Charlottesville on October 9, 2008. The scope of The Virginiad ranges from First Contact in 1607 to the present day and traces the history of Virginia through the eyes of the common people. Lewis read from his work and took questions from the audience.