March and April 2026 Lunch With Books Programs!
Tuesday, March 3 at Noon: Heirlooms with Authors Richard Bernard and Pamela Manners
“Heirlooms” uses treasures from an old family chest to tell the forgotten stories of eight generations of American frontier women from Colonial Jamestown, VA, to Belmont County, OH, to the Oklahoma Dust Bowl of the 1930s. The chapters put aside the stereotypes of Farmer’s Wives and Dance Hall Girls to weave an intergenerational tapestry of domestic life, strife, and hope in this new country.
“Heirlooms” is the third novel by Dr. Pamela Manners, a retired Professor of Psychology at Troy University (Alabama). Her earlier works are “Emmy’s Time” (2015) and “Five Roads: A Novel” (2021). She lives in Alabama with her husband David Smart.
Pam’s childhood friend, Dr. Richard Bernard, is her coauthor. Professor of History and Graduate Dean Emeritus at the University of Central Oklahoma, Dr. Bernard has held several administrative posts, including vice president for academic affairs at Bethany College, WV, 1989-93. His previous works, all in U.S. history, include, “The Melting Pot and the Altar: Marital Assimilation in Early Twentieth-Century Wisconsin;” “Sunbelt Cities: Politics and Growth Since World War II” (co-editor and contributor); and “Snowbelt Cities: Metropolitan Politics in the Northeast and Midwest since World War II” (editor and contributor). He and his wife Terry live in Richard and Pam’s hometown of Edmond, Oklahoma. The women of Heirlooms are loosely based on Dr. Bernard’s ancestors.
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To watch our livestreams of these events, go to the Lunch With Books Facebook Page or the Lunch With Books YouTube page and look for the live link, which typically appears about five minutes before each program. The programs typically remain on these same sites as recordings (and on the library calendar pages) that can be watched at your convenience.
Tuesday, March 10 at Noon: Wheeling Poetry Series Featuring Jim Daniels
Jim Daniels is the recipient of the 2025-26 Michigan Author Award for lifetime achievement from the Library of Michigan and the Michigan Center for the Book. His new book, “Late Invocation for Magic: New and Selected Poems,” was published in January. He has authored over thirty collections of poetry, seven collections of fiction, four produced screenplays, and one collection of essays, “An Ignorance of Trees,” published in 2025, recently named a Michigan Notable Book. He has also edited many anthologies, including “RESPECT: The Poetry of Detroit Music.” He is a recipient of two National Endowment for the Arts Fellowships and two from the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts. Other writing awards include the Brittingham Prize, the Blue Lynx Prize, the Tillie Olsen Creative Writing Award, the Milton Kessler Award, five Michigan Notable Book Awards, and three Gold Medals in the Independent Publisher Book Awards, and his films have won awards in film festivals around the world. His work has been published in “The Best American Poetry” and Pushcart Prize volumes. He has read his poetry on Garrison Keillor’s “Prairie Home Companion,” and his poems were frequently featured on Keillor’s “Writer’s Almanac.” Poet laureates Billy Collins, Ted Kooser, and Tracy K. Smith all showcased his writing as part of their work to bring poetry to average Americans. During his long career, he has warmed up for singer-songwriter Lucinda Williams at the Three Rivers Arts Festival, read poems at a Jamestown Jammers AA baseball game, had his poem “Factory Love” displayed on a race car, and sent poetry into space as part of the Moon Arts Project. A native of Detroit, he lives in Pittsburgh, where he is the Thomas Stockham Baker University Professor Emeritus of English at Carnegie Mellon University. He currently teaches in the Alma College low-residency MFA Program. The Wheeling Poetry Series is curated and hosted by West Virginia Poet Laureate, Marc Harshman.
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To watch our livestreams of these events, go to the Lunch With Books Facebook Page or the Lunch With Books YouTube page and look for the live link, which typically appears about five minutes before each program. The programs typically remain on these same sites as recordings (and on the library calendar pages) that can be watched at your convenience.
Tuesday, March 17 at Noon: Celebrate St. Pat’s with Faire May
Join us for a rousing session of pure Irish music with the official Lunch With Books House Band, Faire May, all in honor of the Patron Saint of Ireland!
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To watch our livestreams of these events, go to the Lunch With Books Facebook Page or the Lunch With Books YouTube page and look for the live link, which typically appears about five minutes before each program. The programs typically remain on these same sites as recordings (and on the library calendar pages) that can be watched at your convenience.
Tuesday, March 24 at Noon: Driftwood with Jessica Whitehead
Note: This program has been rescheduled from Sept. 23, 2025
“I need a flood in my soul, to carry off all the old drift and the flimsy habits that have extended down to the water’s edge.”—Harlan Hubbard, Journals
Writer, artist, and sustainability pioneer Harlan Hubbard (1900–1988) lived a quiet, unassuming life, and yet he is thoroughly embedded in Kentucky’s historical memory. While some may know of Hubbard’s shantyboat sojourn on the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers with his wife, Anna, or of Payne Hollow, their hand-built homestead, few know the full story. After four decades of transformation, Hubbard emerged in middle age as the rightful heir to the Transcendentalist ethos, ready to envision a unique existence of simplicity and wild beauty akin to that of the revered Henry David Thoreau.
n this comprehensive biography, Jessica K. Whitehead reveals why Hubbard is beloved by his fellow Kentuckians and has been an inspiration to generations of readers interested in art, adventure, and environmentalism. Driftwood delves into Hubbard’s family background, education, and relationships, and into his theories on art, writing, music, and philosophy. Using journals, letters, paintings, manuscripts, and sketches, Whitehead pieces together the distinct phases of Hubbard’s life, providing new insights into his character and legacy. By examining his perspectives on creativity and responsible living, Whitehead connects the early Hubbard, who grappled with his identity and yearned for travel, with the confident and intentional Hubbard of Payne Hollow.
https://driftwoodharlanhubbard.com/
“Driftwood: The Life of Harlan Hubbard” is a complex portrait of a person who deserves a place alongside other iconic American thinkers and artists in the nation’s broad cultural history. It offers a vivid depiction of Hubbard, the traces he left behind, and his template for sustainability in our modern ecological landscape.
Presenter Jessica K. Whitehead is a writer and curator of collections at the Kentucky Derby Museum in Louisville, Kentucky, is coauthor of “The History of the Kentucky Derby in 75 Objects” and a contributor to “The Watercolors of Harlan Hubbard: From the Collection of Bill and Flo Caddell.”
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To watch our livestreams of these events, go to the Lunch With Books Facebook Page or the Lunch With Books YouTube page and look for the live link, which typically appears about five minutes before each program. The programs typically remain on these same sites as recordings (and on the library calendar pages) that can be watched at your convenience.
Tuesday, March 31 at Noon: Justice for Some. Entertainment for All.
Crime writer Andrew Welsh-Huggins is the author of more than a dozen novels, including the critically acclaimed thriller, “The Mailman,” and the Shamus Award-nominated Andy Hayes private eye series. Andrew also edited the anthology “Columbus Noir,” and his short stories have appeared in multiple magazines and anthologies, including The Best Mystery Stories of the Year 2021, 2024, and 2025. His nonfiction title, “No Winners Here Tonight,” is the definitive history of the death penalty in Ohio. Join Andrew for a program title: “Justice for some. Entertainment for all,” as he discusses his new thriller series featuring freelance courier Mercury Carter, including “The Mailman” and “The Delivery” (forthcoming in 2026). Publishers Weekly noted: “With full-throttle pacing from start to finish, this will have Jack Reacher fans hoping Carter is back in action soon.” Andrew will also discuss his Shamus Award-nominated private eye series featuring Andy Hayes, a former Ohio State and Cleveland Browns quarterback turned investigator, including the most recent title, “Sick To Death.” Andrew is a writer, reader, veteran pet feeder. He is Shamus, Derringer, and International Thriller Writers award-nominated. Find Andrew’s work and sign up for his newsletter at https://www.andrewwelshhuggins.com/.; Follow him on BookBub, GoodReads, and Shepherd; Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/awhcolumbus; Bluesky: @awhcolumbus.bsky.social; and Instagram: @awhcolumbus “The Mailman,” is available now!
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To watch our livestreams of these events, go to the Lunch With Books Facebook Page or the Lunch With Books YouTube page and look for the live link, which typically appears about five minutes before each program. The programs typically remain on these same sites as recordings (and on the library calendar pages) that can be watched at your convenience.
Tuesday, April 7 at Noon: Open Mic Poetry Slam!
Interested in helping your Ohio County Public Library to celebrate National Poetry Month? Patrons may do so by participating in the first ever Open Mic Poetry Slam at Lunch With Books on Tuesday, April 7 at Noon. Because time is limited, the Library will accept poets on a first come, first served basis. They ask that patrons keep his or her recitation under 5 minutes so that as many poets as possible can be accommodated. Please keep poems “library-friendly.” To access the Library’s sign-up form, scan the QR Code or go to https://tinyurl.com/OCPL-Poetry-Open-Mic.
Launched by the Academy of American Poets in April 1996, National Poetry Month is a special occasion that celebrates poets’ integral role in our culture and that poetry matters. Over the years, it has become the largest literary celebration in the world, with tens of millions of readers, students, K–12 teachers, librarians, booksellers, literary events curators, publishers, families, and—of course—poets, marking poetry’s important place in our lives.
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To watch our livestreams of these events, go to the Lunch With Books Facebook Page or the Lunch With Books YouTube page and look for the live link, which typically appears about five minutes before each program. The programs typically remain on these same sites as recordings (and on the library calendar pages) that can be watched at your convenience.
Tuesday, April 14 at Noon: Heroes of the Titanic
True stories of the April 14, 1912, disaster are far more interesting than the movie versions. This talk will feature several of the unsung heroes and heroines whose amazing stories have been largely forgotten. Peter Holloway, Judi Hendrickson, and Jeanne Finstein.
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To watch our livestreams of these events, go to the Lunch With Books Facebook Page or the Lunch With Books YouTube page and look for the live link, which typically appears about five minutes before each program. The programs typically remain on these same sites as recordings (and on the library calendar pages) that can be watched at your convenience.
Tuesday, April 21 at Noon: Scott Wallace
This talk by award winning winning writer and photographer, Scott Wallace, accompanied by the author’s photographs, offers a gripping frontline view of a war reporter’s quest for truth amid a landscape of death and deception, rich in storytelling and abiding relevance in today’s world.
Scott Wallace is an award-winning writer and photographer who covers armed conflict, the environment, and vanishing cultures in volatile frontier regions around the world. Formerly a correspondent in Latin America for CBS News, “Newsweek,” and “The Guardian,” he is the author of the award-winning photographic and narrative memoir, “Central America in the Crosshairs of War: On the Road from Vietnam to Iraq,” and the “New York Times” bestseller, “The Unconquered: In Search of the Amazon’s Last Uncontacted Tribes,” based on his firsthand experiences trekking through the land of an uncontacted Indigenous group deep in the Brazilian jungle. His written work has also appeared in “National Geographic,” “National Geographic Adventure,” the “New York Times,” “Washington Post,” “Harper’s,” and “Smithsonian,” among many others. His photography is represented by Getty Images and has been published in newspapers and magazines throughout the world. Currently an associate professor of journalism at the University of Connecticut, he is a graduate of Yale University and the University of Missouri School of Journalism.
“Scott Wallace’s ‘Central America in the Crosshairs of War; on the Road from Vietnam to Iraq’ is really several books at once that cohere into a magnificent whole. It is the evocative, at times nostalgic, at others harrowing, personal account of a young journalist’s coming of age during his first foreign journalism assignment, always keenly observant and thoughtful.” — “ReVista: Harvard Review of Latin America”
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To watch our livestreams of these events, go to the Lunch With Books Facebook Page or the Lunch With Books YouTube page and look for the live link, which typically appears about five minutes before each program. The programs typically remain on these same sites as recordings (and on the library calendar pages) that can be watched at your convenience.
Tuesday, April 23 (special Thursday Edition) at Noon: Staff Talent Show!
In celebration of National Library Week 2026 (April 19-25), several members of the staff of the Ohio County Public Library have agreed to showcase their wide-ranging talents for the entertainment of their loyal patrons. “Find Your Joy,” is an invitation for people of all backgrounds to explore and discover what sparks joy in them at the library. So, at a special Thurs. edition, these intrepid library pros will share some of what sparks joy in them, be it through song, dance, the written word, visual art, various crafts, feats of strength (unlikely), or even cooking/baking (more likely)!
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To watch our livestreams of these events, go to the Lunch With Books Facebook Page or the Lunch With Books YouTube page and look for the live link, which typically appears about five minutes before each program. The programs typically remain on these same sites as recordings (and on the library calendar pages) that can be watched at your convenience.
Tuesday, April 28 at Noon: From the Steel City to the White City
In “From the Steel City to the White City,” Zachary Brodt explores Western Pennsylvania’s representation at Chicago’s Columbian Exposition, the first major step in demonstrating that Pittsburgh was more than simply America’s crucible—it was also a region of developing culture and innovation. The 1893 Columbian Exposition presented a chance for the United States to prove to the world that it was an industrial giant ready to become a global superpower. At the same time, Pittsburgh, a commercial center that formerly served as a starting point for western expansion, found itself serving as a major transportation, and increasingly industrial, hub during this period of extensive growth. Natural resources like petroleum and coal allowed Western Pennsylvania to become one of the largest iron- and steel-producing regions in the world. The Chicago fairgrounds provided a lucrative opportunity for area companies not only to provide construction materials but to display the region’s many products. While Pittsburgh’s most famous contributions to the 1893 World’s Fair—alternating current electricity and the Ferris wheel—had a lasting impact on the United States and the world, other exhibits provided a snapshot of the area’s industries, natural resources, and inventions. The success of these exhibits, Brodt reveals, launched local companies into the twentieth century, ensuring a steady flow of work, money, and prestige.
Author Zachary L. Brodt is the University Archivist and Records Manager for the University of Pittsburgh Library System. He is the author of the book “From the Steel City to the White City: Western Pennsylvania and the World’s Columbian Exposition,” which explores Pittsburgh’s impact on the 1893 World’s Fair in Chicago and the exposition’s influence on Western Pennsylvania. Zach was the 2016 recipient of the Mid-Atlantic Regional Archives Conference’s Arline Custer Memorial Award for best article for “Strike Out: A Pirates Pitcher at the Battle of Homestead” and is a council member of the Pennsylvania Historical Association. He is currently completing a biography of Mary Croghan Schenley, a Pittsburgh heiress whose elopement started a transatlantic scandal and philanthropy became synonymous with the city’s Oakland neighborhood.
Praise for “From the Steel City to the White City:” A welcome addition to the literature on world’s fairs.
-Journal of American History
A must-read for all historians of the Steel City.
-Thomas White, Duquesne University
Zach Brodt weaves a fun and fascinating tale of two cities contributing to and learning from each other at Chicago’s 1893 World’s Fair. From the raucous Midway Plaisance with the first Ferris wheel to crowds beating a path to grab a Heinz pickle pin, Pittsburgh rallied the best of its industries and inventions while bringing back new ideas in architecture, urban planning, and leisure-time entertainment.
-Brian Butko, Heinz History Center
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To watch our livestreams of these events, go to the Lunch With Books Facebook Page or the Lunch With Books YouTube page and look for the live link, which typically appears about five minutes before each program. The programs typically remain on these same sites as recordings (and on the library calendar pages) that can be watched at your convenience.
