Library U

Historian Richard Webb chats about his book Boats Against the Current. He presents a case for Westport, Connecticut as the real setting of one of America's most famous novels, F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby. Boats Against the Current is a large-format book that includes compelling stories about Scott, Zelda, and their wealthy neighbor the model for Jay Gatsby. Illustrated with period newspaper clippings, items from Fitzgerald family scrapbooks, and never-before-seen photos, the book also recounts Webb’s process of making a companion documentary film with Robert Steven Williams.

Have you ever read a sci-fi or fantasy book and wondered, what kind of a mind thinks up these new worlds? Find out and get a peek inside of one at our Lit Chat with Chuck Wendig! Chuck Wendig is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of Star Wars: Aftermath, as well as the Miriam Black thrillers, the Atlanta Burns books, Zer0es/Invasive, Wanderers, and the upcoming The Book of Accidents (July 2021). He’s also worked in a variety of other formats, including comics, games, film, and television. A finalist for the John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer and the cowriter of the Emmy-nominated digital narrative Collapsus, he is also known for his books about writing. He lives in Pennsyltucky with his family.

Sometimes an epic fail can become an epic success. The Space Race in the US started with a failed satellite launch nicknamed “Kaputnik” and the Wright brothers had many mishaps on their way to their first powered flight. For Erik Slader, writing and talking about these epic fails has led to a successful podcast and children’s book series!

Erik will share his experiences in writing and talking about history at our next Lit Chat, so be sure to join us!

Join us for Art & Conversations, by registering for Lit Chat with Dylan Allen Thursday, May 20, at 7 pm. Author Dylan Allen will chat about her experiences with the romance genre with romance author Brenda Jackson and connect it to MOCA's current group exhibition, Romancing the Mirror.

In connection with MOCA's current group exhibition, Romancing the Mirror(link is external), we present Mirrors to Windows: The Artist as Woman(link is external) for this edition of Screening Room. The film explores three generations of female artists from around the world who are forging their careers in the London art scene.

Interested in learning more about authors from your community? What is their writing process and what inspires them? Learn more at Lit Chat with Therese Tappouni, who will talk about her book, Caught Between Worlds. Tappouni will be joined with moderator Stacey Horan, a local author and podcaster. Both authors reside in Jacksonville and are passionate about living creatively and helping others through their writing.

Are you interested in writing poetry, but don't know where to start? Have you started, but you don't know where to go from there?

Join Dr. Laura Minor, an award-winning poet and poetry educator, for a three-week workshop series on the basics of poetry. This series includes hands-on work in generating ideas and revising drafts, as well as a discussion of the process of submitting and publishing poetry.

We all know a “Florida Man”, but how many of us want to admit to being one? In The Thing About Florida, author Tyler Gillespie takes on the strange people and stories of the Sunshine State from the perspective of a fifth-generation Florida native. Gillespie joins us to talk about what he discovered in his quest to learn more about the state we all call home.

Have you ever wondered how a poem gets from a spark of an idea to a written work of art? Find out at our next Lit Chat celebrating National Poetry Month with local poet and educator Tiffany Melanson. Melanson will talk about her poetry and the process of writing in conversation with Yvette Angelique, a local poet and artist.

Frederick Joseph joins us to discuss his book The Black Friend: On Being a Better White Person. This book serves as a conversation starter, tool kit, and invaluable window into the life of a former "token Black kid" who now presents himself as the friend many readers need. Frederick Joseph chats with Jacksonville teen, Taylor Richardson who made The Black Friend available to all 21 library locations in Jacksonville. Learn more about Taylor Richardson here.