History comes alive through houses

SHARON — The Hotchkiss Library of Sharon’s Summer Book Signing fundraiser will be held Friday, Aug. 3, 6 to 8 p.m. Narrative historian Hugh Howard will be one of the more than 30 authors and illustrators signing copies of their latest books, which will be available for purchase.He will also be one of the five authors taking part in author dinners following the signing. Howard said in an interview with The Lakeville Journal that he will be autographing copies of his most recent book, published in January, “Mr. and Mrs. Madison’s War.” It’s a portrait, he said, of “President James Madison, who declared the war, and of Dolley Madison, his partner in marriage, politics and war.”Asked how he became a writer of history, Howard replied, “It was an evolution. The first writing in a historical vein I did concerned architecture. That was because I have an affinity for and a modest gift for working on antique buildings. It gradually evolved from a hands-on thing to a brains-on thing.”In addition to a book about architect Frank Lloyd Wright, Howard has also written books about “the discipline of preservation.”He is most interested in buildings from the late 18th and early 19th centuries, before the machine age. Learning about those buildings, he said, made him curious about the people who lived in them. “The most important professional step for me was when I got interested in Thomas Jefferson, which led to two books including one about the Founding Fathers. Thomas Jefferson played a very large role in my discovering that I like writing about history.”Howard has been earning his living as a professional writer for 28 years. He lives full time in East Chatham in Columbia County, N.Y.His next project is an illustrated book coming out in the fall called “Houses of the Presidents,” which is a follow-up to a book he wrote a few years ago called “Houses of the Founding Fathers.”He described it as a mix of architectural history, biographical sketches, social history and other elements that, together, offer insights into different periods of American history.The Reagan ranch is included as is George and Martha Washington’s home in Mount Vernon. There are 24 presidents featured in the book and several others who are catalogued more briefly.Next up for Howard is “Houses of the Civil War,” due out in 2014. Howard was asked what he liked best about writing. His answer, “Lots of things, but the simplest answer is I get to go back to school with every book. I am not writing about the same thing every time. I am not necessarily an expert on something when I start the research but by the time I’ve finished, I have learned a great deal. I understand something about the time period and the personalities and places involved.”When asked what he would write if not history, the author said, “If I had a gift for writing fiction that would be a lot of fun, but I don’t think I do. One of the virtues of writing about history is these days there are a lot of different kinds of history. It isn’t just telling the story of George Washington cutting down the tree. We are interested in Martha, we are interested in the house he lived in, we are interested in who the servants were and what the slaves did, what they ate and what they grew on the farm. We are interested in what crafts people of the time did and how they traveled, how long it took. I don’t think I will ever run out of history to write about.”Admission to the book signing is $25 per person. Wine and hors d’oeuvres will be served. Tickets for the dinners are $150 per person. Hosting the Howard dinner are Ian and Monique Lowitt. Elaine LaRoche will host a dinner with former White House Communications Director Nicolle Wallace, author of the novel, “It’s Classified.”Rob Fish will host Alan Shayne and Norman Sunshine, authors of “Double Life: A Love Story from Broadway to Hollywood.” The dinner for Salisbury’s Roxanne Bok (“Horsekeeping: One Woman’s Tale of Barn and Country Life”) will be held at the home of interior designer Matthew Patrick Smythe.And Lynden and Leigh Miller will welcome Barbara Paul Robinson, author of “Rosemary Verey: The Life and Lessons of a Legendary Gardener.”All dinners begin at 8 p.m. Seating is limited and reservations are required. For information, call the library at 860-364-5041.