Author talk
Journalist, husband, father, friend, and hiker Keith Gentili visits Gibson’s Bookstore, on 45 South Main Street in Concord on May 9 from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. Gentili will share his book on hiking as the everyman, a recreational hiker who has climbed New England’s 100 highest summits, discovering new things about himself, his life, and his relationships along the way, with “White Mountains State: A Four-Year Journey Hiking and Summiting New Hampshire’s 48 Highest Peaks.”
The book, at its core, is about relationships and not simple hiking. It is about the relationships between a group of people who, over time, commit to a larger goal than their own self-interest. It is also about each individual’s relationship with the goal, which in this case is the mountains and climbing all 48 of them.
It is also about family and a hiker’s relationship with their family, and how that support and love is necessary to complete the goal.
A soldier’s mother tells her story
Speaking as Betsey Phelps, the mother of a Union soldier from Amherst, New Hampshire who died heroically at the Battle of Gettysburg, Sharon Wood offers an informative and sensitive reflection on that sacrifice from a mother’s perspective.
Wood blends the Phelps boy’s story with those of other men who left their New Hampshire homes to fight for the Union cause and of the families who supported them on the home front. The presentation takes place on May 11 from 2 to 3:30 p.m. at the Concord Library Auditorium at 45 Green St.
Please register online to attend this event.
Storytelling on Film: A Screening of Lost Boundaries
Based on the true story of Dr. Albert Johnston, a Black man and his family who passed as white in early-20th-century Keene – until they didn’t – Lost Boundaries illustrates New Hampshire’s complicated history of racial passing, which may have gone unheard if not for Louis de Rochemont, two-time Academy Award-winning producer and New Hampshire resident. Learn the story of how this 1949 ground-breaking film, winner of a Cannes Film Festival Award and the first mainstream Hollywood film to deal with the issue of racial passing, came to be made and how this African American family dealt with the humiliation of discrimination and segregation. Presenter Lawrence Benaquist, Ph.D., is Professor Emeritus, Keene State College (KSC) and founder of the film studies program at the college, a filmmaker, and a film historian. The event will be held on May 10 at 5:30 .p.m at Red River Theatres, 11 S. Main St., in Concord.
Stamp collectors
The Merrimack County Stamp Collectors monthly meeting will be held on May 9 at 1 p.m. at the Bow Mills United Methodist Church, 505 South St., Bow. We invite all who are interested in stamp collecting to attend, share their interest, buy, sell and trade. Meet other collectors and learn more about their hobby and enjoy the fellowship of others with varied interests in Philatelic resources and issues. Gain new insight and knowledge, sharing news articles and stories about stamp collecting. Learn of the latest cutting edge information on stamp collecting. For more information, call Dan Day at 603-228-1154.
Cat expo
The Seacoast Cat Club’s annual show will be held at the Everett Arena on May 6 and 7. Ongoing throughout both Saturday and Sunday will be the judging of CFA registered cats by ten of the association’s judges. On Saturday at noon, there will be a fun Cats in Costume Contest. Only cats entered in the show will be competing. This ring is fun for all, especially if the owners dress to complement their cat’s costume. On Sunday young children are encouraged to bring their own Stuffed Animals for that contest. These stuffed animals will be presented by their owners and owners will be rewarded for sharing. This will be held at approximately 11:30 a.m. Following this contest there will be a free ice cream social. A Breed Presentation, scheduled for 12:30 p.m. on Sunday, will be an open forum where our visitors will be encouraged to ask questions and learn about the personalities of the breeds presented. One of our spectators’ favorite places to visit is the “Pet Me Cats” area. These cats are available to be petted and enjoyed by spectators. Throughout the weekend there will be vendors available for those who love to shop.
