Nationally recognized authors offer conversation and insights

By Ann DeCerbo

Book lovers, curious minds and anyone who enjoys a lively conversation about ideas have plenty to look forward to next month when the Haystack Book Festival returns to Norfolk Oct. 2–4 with events at Infinity Hall, the Norfolk Library and Great Mountain Forest.

A program of the Norfolk Hub, the festival is now in its seventh year. It was born from the vision of Norfolk resident Steve Melville who enlisted Michael Selleck. They wanted to create an opportunity for nationally recognized authors to come together in an intimate setting in Northwest Connecticut. For Selleck, a former sales and marketing executive at the publishing house Simon & Schuster, the festival has been a natural extension of his lifelong connection to books and authors.

“We have a fantastic program this year, full of bestselling authors and great books. The conversations you will hear range from personal memoirs to unique looks at America 250, to the essence of a forest in history and in our times,” Selleck commented.

The weekend opens Friday evening, Oct. 2, at Infinity Hall with the Brendan Gill Lecture, featuring Belle Burden, bestselling author of “Strangers: A Memoir of Marriage,” in conversation with Roxanne Coady of RJ Julia Booksellers.

Saturday’s program at the Norfolk Library will celebrate America 250 through conversations that examine identity, the effects of war and its aftermath and the opening up and exploration of the west. At 10:30 a.m., David Mayers and Nicholas Boggs will explore exile, identity and the experiences of Americans living abroad. At 1 p.m., historians David Nasaw and Elizabeth Samet will discuss war, memory and what endures after conflict. The afternoon conversation, at 3 p.m., brings Craig Fehrman and Megan Kate Nelson together to examine power and myth-making on the American frontier.

A ticketed gala will follow Saturday’s events from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at Sugar Hill Farm, 382 Smith Hill Road in Colebrook, the home of festival sponsors Peter and Amy Bernstein. Tickets are available online.

Sunday brings the festival outdoors with an 8 a.m. walk in the woods at Great Mountain Forest, featuring Executive Director Mike Zarfos and authors Sophie Pinkham and Robert Moor. Registration is required as space is limited to 20 participants.

Later that morning, Pinkham and Moor will continue the conversation at the Norfolk Library with “Among the Trees—History, Culture, and Environment,” exploring the many ways forests have shaped human history and culture.

One of the Haystack Book Festival’s defining characteristics is its emphasis on conversation rather than traditional author lectures. Writers and thinkers are brought together to explore ideas, challenge assumptions and discover unexpected connections.

Previous festivals have featured conversations ranging from civil rights and the history of the horse to cooking, philosophy, war, art and the natural world.

That wide-ranging approach is part of what makes Haystack distinctive. In an intimate setting, accomplished authors engage directly with one another, offering audiences the chance to listen in on thoughtful, sometimes unexpected exchanges—and perhaps leave with a few new ideas, new questions and new books on their reading lists. In a world filled with hurried headlines and quick opinions, a weekend devoted to slowing down and listening to thoughtful conversations offers its own kind of luxury.

Registration information, ticket sales for the gala and the complete schedule are available at haystackbookfestival.org.