State of the Arts

I was pleased to be on WPKN yet again (maybe my 8th appearance?) and even more excited to be on State of the Arts with Richard Pheneger and Peggy Nelson. We discussed Becoming Tom Thumb and my upcoming appearance at the Stratford Library. You can listen here. Thank you!

Tom Thumb at the Old State House

Enjoy my lecture and panel with Diane Smith, Eugene Leach, and Maryellen Fillo!

18th Annual Sharon Book Signing

 

Had a great time at the 18th Annual Sharon Book Signing at the library, especially meeting authors like Eve Schaub above, who went A Year Of No Sugar.

 



 

I also enjoyed meeting all the book lovers who came to see us - and discuss Tom Thumb.

 



American Library Association Annual Conference

Best of the best - my book Becoming Tom Thumb will be featured at the American Library Association Annual Conference in Las Vegas this year!

I will not be there, unfortunately...I guess its a little much to fly me out to Las Vegas for that book event. I'm not that popular an author yet!

Becoming Tom Thumb wins its First Award

Becoming Tom Thumb has won its first award, the 2014 Henry Russell Hitchcock Prize from the Victorian Society in America.

They write:

“Deeply humane and splendidly researched, we believe that Becoming Tom Thumb is the first to do justice to Charles Stratton...It shows him to be a charming and dynamic entrepreneur who shrewdly exploited his international celebrity, by no means a hapless victim, and it does so with great insight and sympathy.”

         —The Victorian Society in America, awarding the 2014 Henry Russell Hitchcock Award

Butler Civil War Roundtable

I had a great time presenting Becoming Tom Thumb to the Civil War Roundtable of Butler County, Pennsylvania. It is the farthest I've gone (so far) for an author event. They asked great questions and we all enjoyed an evening talking about Charles Stratton and his circle.

Presentation at La Grua, Stonington

I enjoyed speaking to the people of Stonington at their new community hall, La Grua, about Tom Thumb. Everyone enjoyed it, and I don't think I've ever had so many questions. Thanks for inviting me!

Fieldstone Common

I was interviewed by Marian Pierre-Louis of Fieldstone Common for her podcast series. Check it out here. Marian writes: "In this interview Eric and I talk about Charles Stratton, the successful man. It’s hard to call him Tom Thumb after reading this book and seeing him as a real person. This story will challenge all the preconceived notions you have of General Tom Thumb. He was smart, talented, entertaining and a leader in his community. We discuss, as well, the success of P.T. Barnum and the prejudices faced by little people later in the 19th century." It was a pleasure to talk with someone so knowledgeable about New England history. Marian (and others) have convinced me that podcasts are the wave of the future, and that radio is pretty much dead. Clear Channel and others have killed it - pretty much made it no different than listening to Spotify, etc. With some exceptions of course! We could look at it another way...after a narrowing of radio's impact and variety, podcasts have expanded the audio world once again, filling a real need.

Becoming Tom Thumb Taking Connecticut By Storm

Today Connecticut, tomorrow the world. Becoming Tom Thumb is mentioned in the latest issue of Connecticut Magazine. It was also mentioned on the buzz site Flavorwire.

Come see me and get your own signed copy at the Barnum Museum on Sunday, December 15, at 2 pm!

General Tom Thumb in the UB Art Gallery

It was my pleasure to present the findings of my new book, Becoming Tom Thumb, at the University of Bridgeport art gallery last week.

The bookstore sold a bunch of books! I think they were happy. In attendance was a former ringmaster of the Barnum Festival, and he gifted me a few great souvenirs. Thanks to everyone who attended!

Presenting Tom Thumb

Had a great time presenting my new book at Trumbull Library and at Evergreen Woods last week. This week it is the art gallery of the ABC building at the University of Bridgeport on Wednesday at 4:30 and Old Saybrook Historical Society (at Acton Library) on Thursday at 7. I hope to see you there!

Tom Thumb at the Middleborough Historical Association

Over the weekend I gave the first lecture for Becoming Tom Thumb at the Middleborough Historical Association. They are the proud curators of the Tom Thumb Museum, which has one of the largest collections of objects related to Charles Stratton and Lavinia Warren in the world. It was my privilege to fill in some of the gaps in their story.

Becoming Tom Thumb Arrives

My first copy of Becoming Tom Thumb: Charles Stratton, P.T. Barnum, and the Dawn of American Celebrity arrived yesterday. As you can tell, I was a little excited.

It won't officially be out for a couple weeks yet - but you can pre-order it for more than a $10 discount on amazon.com. Pick up a copy today!