Book Talks hosted by East Hampton Library

On Wednesday, September 16, at 6 p.m. East Hampton Library will present Kay Tobler Liss, author of the new novel “The Last Resort,” published by Plain View Press, in a Zoom talk. Liss lived in Montauk from 1989 to 2002. That’s where her novel is set and it is rich in historical detail about the Montaukett Native Americans and in descriptions of the area’s natural history.

[caption id="attachment_102586" align="alignleft" width="333"] "The Last Resort," a novel by Kay Tobler Liss.[/caption]

The story centers around a Manhattan attorney whose career and marriage are in turmoil, so he desperately escapes all he knows and heads to Montauk in the off-season. While struggling to put his life back together, he meets a surfer, a fisherman, and a Native American woman fighting to preserve ancestral land threatened with development, a fight that eventually endangers her life. The tension between past and present comes alive as he finds new meaning in life through the natural world and social justice for a long-oppressed race of people.

“Though it’s hard having a book come out in the middle of a pandemic,” Liss says, “the themes of the book — our connection to nature and social justice for all Americans — I think are particularly urgent now.”

Liss was a long-time writer for magazines and newspapers in New York and Maine. She was active in many environmental organizations on the East End from 1979 through 2002 and helped found the Third House Nature Center in Montauk.

On September 23, at 6 p.m., the library presents Spencer Wolff discussing “The Fire in His Wake.” The book is Wolff’s debut novel and it tells the story of two men swept up in refugee crises of the 21st century. Eye-opening, suspenseful, and full of unexpected humor, Wolff brings his personal experiences as an aid worker to this unforgettable story of two remarkable individuals.

Spencer Wolff is an award-winning documentary filmmaker and journalist based in Paris, France. His work focuses primarily on diaspora, migration and racial justice and has previously appeared in The Guardian, The New York Times and Time, among others. His novel is based on his experiences working at the UN Refugee Bureau in Rabat, Morocco in 2009.He is the recipient of an Overseas Press Club Award for his work at The New York Times, and his feature-length documentary, “STOP” premiered at DOC NYC where it was awarded a Silver Gavel by the American Bar Association, honoring work in media and the arts that helps foster the American public's understanding of law and society.

[caption id="attachment_102588" align="alignleft" width="386"] "The Fight of the Crayons" by Judy Sleed.[/caption]

On September 24, at 3 p.m., the library welcomes Judy Sleed, creator of the coloring book, “The Fight of the Crayons!” a tender tale with a peaceful resolution. Sleed, a playwright and musician, was born in Budapest, Hungary. As a Holocaust child during wartime, Sleed used those difficult experiences as a means to create a wonderful tale for children. Being the sole survivor, she had a message to share; one of hope and peace, not conflict and strife.

These events are all free and interested participants can sign up at Eventbrite, call East Hampton Library at 631-324-0222 ext.3 or email reference@easthamptonlibrary.org. Zoom links will be sent to registered attendees 20 minutes before the start of the event.