Local Authors & Artists Highlighted in Hockessin

The Hockessin Art & Book Fair is happening this Saturday, June 21, from 11:00am until 3:00pm at the Hockessin Community Recreation Center (7259 Lancaster Pike
Hockessin, DE 19707) in Hockessin.

The event is a first-time celebration Delaware's independent and self-published authors and local artists, with 62 authors and artists participating. Some authors/artists include Lee Anderson, Gene Castellano, Karen O’Lone-Hahn, JM Reinbold, Billie Travalini, Johnny Tucker Jr., Justynn Tyme, and Bob Yearick. Writers groups such as The Cape Henlopen Writers, Delaware Valley Sisters in Crime, The TransCanal Writers and The Written Remains Writers Guild will also be on hand.

“New Castle County is extremely excited to be a part of this free, public event, which will highlight local talent,” said County Executive Thomas P. Gordon. “This is a wonderful partnership to support small businesses. Come out to buy a signed book or piece of art.”

The Hockessin Art & Book Fair is collaboration between New Castle County’s Hockessin Community Recreation Center, Art Studio, and Hockessin Library; the Hockessin Book Shelf and The Written Remains Writers Guild.

Local authors read at the Kirkwood Highway Library

On Sunday, August 8, Ramona DeFelice Long, who received the Delaware Division of the Arts grant for Emerging Artist in 2002 and received the award for Established Artist last year, read from her story Grande Isle. She was raised on the barrier island off of the Louisiana coast and recounted her childhood fishing and beach trips in the back of her father’s truck and the long run to the beach, which left her breathless. She carries the story forward to the time she takes her own children to the same beach and notes how it had changed and how she finally understood the emotion behind her grade school teacher’s depiction of the power of the mighty Mississippi.

JM Reinbold, Director of the Written Remains Writers Guild (see her interview of another local author in this blog), read a selection from her work in progress, The Prince of the Piedmont. Reinbold’s selection was from a cougar’s point of view as he searches for food in the hostile environment of an intensely populated Delaware.

Tery Aine Griffin, who won a Delaware Division of the Arts award for Emerging Artist this year read from the collection of stories she submitted for this award, Extra Presents. The story began with such detail about three sisters gathered for another dreaded Christmas celebration after their mother had died that I felt I knew the family personally. Susan fortifies herself for the evening by drinking wine she dislikes in the kitchen, Hope fidgets with her cigarettes trying to avoid saying anything offensive and Margaret tries to organize and create an atmosphere of happy Christmases all three know never existed.

JoAnn Balingit, Delaware Poet Laureate, showed up to support the readers. Kudos to her and to the DDOA for supporting artists and to the friends of the Kirkwood Highway Library for supporting the reading.

By the way, in spite of votes to the contrary by local pundits, the new Kirkwood Highway Library building has won the 2010 International Architecture Award.

See http://www.writtenremains.org/

See http://www.artsdel.org/

See http://www.teryg.net/

See http://www.jmreinbold.com/

See http://www.ramonadef.wordpress.com/.