Wait out the April showers with us as we mark the return of our perennially popular Friday afternoon adult lecture series Coffee and Conversation.
On Friday, April 5, Delmar resident Jim Ketcham will embody Mark Twain’s acerbic wit as he takes on the author’s persona to describe “the whole damned human race.” Ketcham has been performing as Twain since 1979 in a number of venues across the country. Ketcham notes that, although Twain died over 100 years ago, his take on hypocrisy in politics and religion, race relations and more is still relevant.
Afterwards, the audience can ask questions about Twain’s life and death, as well as his possible takes on current events.
On Friday, April 12, Shannon Fromma, the Times Union’s “Shopportunist” columnist and deal-finder extraordinaire, will share tips for planning a budget-friendly summer vacation.
The series then returns with “Win, Place or Show” on Friday, April 26, where a National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame representative will discuss the history of thoroughbred racing as the Kentucky Derby approaches.
Coffee and Conversation continues through May and June with even more great programs to be featured in the upcoming May/June Footnotes newsletter.
It is co-sponsored by Bethlehem Senior Projects, Inc., and programs are free to everyone. They start at 1 p.m. and last about 60 minutes, followed by a coffee and social hour.
Jane Austen
Jane Austen fans may feel transported to another time and place when reading her books, but what do we really know about some of the places that influenced these classic novels? Come to the library to find out!
On Saturday, April 6, at 2 p.m., David M. Shepard, author of “The Annotated Pride and Prejudice,” will share pictures and anecdotes about some of the locations in Jane Austen’s novel and how they related to her own life. Places in “Pride and Prejudice” is presented by the Capital Region Chapter of the Jane Austen Society of North America.
— Kristen Roberts