Author to visit Dundee Library
Meet Joanne Zienty, 2014 winner of the Soon to Be Famous Illinois Author Contest, at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 17, at the Dundee Library.
To register, call (847) 428.3661 (press 3) or visit frvpld.info.
Zienty's book, "The Things We Save," was selected after 20 librarians judged 103 entries from throughout the state. It is an emotional, haunting family saga that captured the sights and sounds of a working-class South Side Chicago neighborhood. The book's main character returns home after a long absence to help her estranged father clean out her recently deceased grandmother's home.
In an interview with School Library Journal, Zienty said, "My older brother passed away when I was nine, and he was 16," she explained. "I put the emotions and memories from that experience into my writing. I've always been fascinated by artifacts that we save in our lives that we connect with other people who are significant to our lives and events that take place. I wanted to look at how doing that can be a good thing to keep us connected to people and places we lost, but it can also be harmful if the memories connected to those things and people are kind of holding us back from letting bad feelings and memories go."
Enjoy Zienty's funny, spot-on, poignant observations about her life, her whirlwind journey to becoming an award-winning author, and her lifelong love of libraries. There will be a question-and-answer period, followed by a book signing. Copies of the book will be available for purchase.
The book discussion group at the Dundee Library will discuss "The Things We Save" during their regularly scheduled meetings at 1:30 and 7 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 24. Questions about the book discussion can be directed to Anna at (224) 699-5836.
Zienty also has an appearance scheduled at the Gail Borden Public Library from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 25. This program will be part of the Sun-Times podcast network and will be available after the broadcast at bigquestionspodcast.com. For more information about this appearance, visit gailborden.info.
The Fox River Public Library District serves 70,000 residents of Carpentersville, East Dundee, West Dundee, Sleepy Hollow, Gilberts, and parts of Algonquin. Visit frvpld.info for more information.
The Soon to be Famous Illinois Author project is being coordinated in collaboration with the Illinois Library Association and Reaching across Illinois Library System and is supported by the American Library Association Digital Content Working Group, the Public Library Association, and Illinois Heartland Library System.