You Are Cordially Invited ...

I will be reading from my book-in-progress next month, and I would love to have you (yes, you!) in the audience.

Ad design by the incomparable Doug Bratland

I will give two presentations on Monday, Nov. 23 — one at 3:15 p.m. at the Northfield Retirement Center Chapel, and one at 7 p.m. at the Northfield Senior Center. The presentations are open to the public and are part of the Vintage Band Festival’s 2015 educational series. I will speak for about 45 minutes and will also show pictures and answer questions about the book project.

(The second event in the VBF series is set for next Monday, Oct. 26, and features William “Bugler Bill” Crowder, a Civil War re-enactor and bugler historian. For more information, click here.)

Finding My Musical Family is a work of memoir and narrative nonfiction about my quest to uncover the legacy of my paternal great-grandfather, G. Oliver Riggs. G. Oliver was a real-life “music man” who directed town and boys’ bands in the Midwest from the late 19th Century through World War II. I have written nearly half of the anticipated 25 chapters and am hoping to complete a draft of the entire book by mid-May.

The reading will take place the Monday before Thanksgiving, which this year happens to fall on G. Oliver’s 145th birthday (Nov. 26). So, in honor of his birthday, cake and coffee will be served followed my evening presentation at the Northfield Senior Center. Yes, I am bribing you with cake! Please come!

The public reading is the capstone event for a grant I received last spring from the Southeastern Minnesota Arts Council (SEMAC). The grant has allowed me to hire Minneapolis writer/teacher/editor Kate Hopper to edit chapters of my book-in-progress, and to hire Northfield artist/musician/Renaissance man Doug Bratland to design an ad and poster for the event. I am thrilled to have both of these talented people associated with my book project and presentation.

I recently talked about the event, my family’s involvement in the local arts scene, and other topics on the KYMN radio show This Northfield Life with Brad Ness and Corey Butler. If you’re interested, you can listen to the 30-minute episode here: This Northfield Life: Joy Riggs

The Nov. 23 reading is made possible by the voters of Minnesota through a grant from the Southeastern Minnesota Arts Council thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts and cultural heritage fund.

Hooray for the arts and arts funding!