Author Susan Choi opens Hotchkiss Library’s Fall Author Series

Author Susan Choi opens Hotchkiss Library’s Fall Author Series

Acclaimed author Susan Choi opened the Hotchkiss Library’s fall series, reading from her new novel, “Flashlight.”

Leila Hawken

A rare opportunity to engage with the studied, meticulous process through which a recognized, award-winning author turns a core idea into a full-length work was the order of the day when the Hotchkiss Library of Sharon invited Susan Choi to speak on Saturday, Sept. 27. The program kicked off the Fall Author Series planned by the library, with two more authors scheduled for October and November.

A winner of the National Book Award, Choi based her talk on her recently published work, “Flashlight,” and the happy news that it has moved from the longlist to the shortlist for a Booker Prize.

“We’ll just be here together,” was the tone set by Choi in the informal talk. She spoke without notes and welcomed audience questions in conversation.

Choi began by reading an excerpt from the very beginning of her book —what had once been a short story published in The New Yorker. A father disappears. The story unfolds over time, memories, and the culture of nations, examining mysteries and catastrophe, all acting in concert to impact characters over decades.

“How memories shift over time” was something Choi said her book explores.

“It was challenging,” Choi said of the writing process and the research involved in depicting 1970s Japan, not yet westernized. “Mysterious things had happened in that era,” she said.

“I was interested in how long these things had gone unexplained and whether the characters who populate the narrative would come to understand those real mysteries,” Choi said.

“How lives are formed by circumstances we don’t understand” was an idea that invited exploration as Choi wove her narrative.

A background as a professional fact-checker informs and influences Choi’s meticulous research and writing process, with a strong emphasis on historical accuracy.

“If we are exploring our shared human history, I can’t get it wrong,” Choi said.

Next up in the Fall Series at the library is Peter Kuper, insect illustrator, who will describe his creative process that led to “Insectopolis: A Natural History.” The talk is scheduled for Sunday, Oct. 5, at 4 p.m.

The final program in the series will feature Aleksandra Crapanzano speaking about her cookbook, “Chocolat: Parisian Desserts and Other Delights,” and offering a cooking demonstration on Sunday, Nov. 16, at 4 p.m.

Advance registration is advised and can be made on the library’s website: www.hotchkisslibraryofsharon.org

Latest News

Meet the Candidates: Salisbury

Get to know your candidates ahead of the 2025 municipal election. In Salisbury, Curtis Rand (D) is running unopposed for his 11th term as first selectman. There are three candidates for selectman. Below, each candidate offered information about themselves and their goals for the town.


Keep ReadingShow less
Fire claims old factory in Torrington
Stephanie Januszewski

Crews battled raging flames in the early hours of Sunday, Sept. 28, when an abandoned factory on High Street in Torrington caught fire. At 1 a.m. ladder trucks were deployed around the brick building to contain the fire, an effort which persisted well into daybreak. By 8 a.m., crews had still not entered the building due to unsafe conditions. No injuries were reported. The cause of the fire was unknown. Multiple departments responded from as far as Plainville and residents reported the smell of smoke from miles away. High Street remained closed on Monday with rubble in the road. The building once housed the Hendey Machine Company, which was among the largest employers in Torrington prior to the firm’s closure in the 1950s.

Horses heal: Time Out Foundation partners with Healing Hoofbeats in Lakeville

Corinne Kalser, MD, left, talks about the benefits of animals as therapy partners, as Renee Bouffard, LCSW, of Healing Hoofbeats of CT, on right, watches Harry Potter, a young horse at Time Out.In the background, Finnegan, lead horse at Time Out comes to see what’s going on.

L. Tomaino
“Horses and other livestock maintain their wild instincts. They sense what we are feeling and that makes them amazing therapy partners.”
— Renee Bouffard, LCSW

In 2008, Time Out Foundation became an official rescue and therapeutic riding facility, fulfilling a lifelong dream of founder, Corinne Kalser, M.D.With her husband, David McArthur, LCSW, and the rest of their staff, they offer a haven for children and adults through gentle, relaxed therapies centered around animals — rescued horses, dogs, cats, and goats — on their 35-acre farm in Lakeville.

To ensure the foundation continues, Kalser is partnering with Healing Hoofbeats of CT, an organization with a similar philosophy of care.

Keep ReadingShow less
A peaceful end at East Mountain House

The living room is light, airy, and quiet, with works from local artists on the walls...and no television.

Patrick L. Sullivan

Craig Davis and Keavy Bedell have opened East Mountain House in Lakeville. It is an end-of-life facility — a home, really — that can accomodate up to two guests at a time. The first guest arrived in mid-September.

The house, at 14 Bostwick St., is the one Davis shared with his wife Sandy Dennis, who died in 2020. Davis said her spirit lives on in the house itself and in the approach taken for the guests.

Keep ReadingShow less