Author Visits

The Miller Library on 2901 Dixwell Avenue will be hosting two Connecticut author visits in May. The programs are free and open to the public, no registration required. For further information, call 203-287-2680.

Tuesday, May 10th at 7:00 PM
Cruising Connecticut with a Picnic Basket Author Jann Mann
Held in the Friends' Room

Jan Mann will be discussing her book, Cruising Connecticut with a Picnic Basket. The book gives detailed descriptions of forty-two diverse Connecticut destinations with activities suitable to a variety of ages and interests and recipes for picnic fare, will share her experiences and advise participants on trip planning and food preparation appropriate to a variety of surroundings. Ms. Mann, founder of the Open Circle Writer’s Group and member of Connecticut Authors and Publishers Association, explains that in her book, now in an updated 2nd edition, readers will “be introduced to new places as well as get updates on well-known tourist spots” whether they wish to spend an entire day or just need a short interlude “away from the routine in order to get re-energized.”

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Wednesday, May 18th at 7:00 PM
The Old Leather Man Author Dan DeLuca
Held in Thornton Wilder Hall

Dan W. Deluca will be discussing The Old Leather Man. Mr. DeLuca has researched the Leatherman story for more than two decades. His book, a compilation of newspaper accounts, first-person remembrances and rare photographs of the subject, was published by Wesleyan University Press in 2008. Mr. DeLuca will discuss the history, the lore and the current battle over The Leatherman’s remains.

For those not familiar with the story, The Leatherman, so named because he dressed in hand-sewn leather garb, travelled a 34-day, 365 mile route on foot through western Connecticut and eastern New York during the late 1800’s, becoming a familiar sight in the towns through which he passed. He slept in a series of caves and lean-tos along his route, keeping his own gardens nearby. He died at age 50 in 1889, his real name unknown. Since then, his legend and the desire to learn his identity has grown in both New York and Connecticut. Those following the latest developments in The Leatherman’s saga know there is currently a heated controversy concerning the possibility of exhuming The Leatherman’s body from it gravesite in Ossining, New York in hopes of using DNA testing to determine the true identity of The Leatherman.