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Health & Fitness

Record-Breaking Turnout for Talks By André Dubus, Alexi Zentner and Marcie Cuff at Spoken Interludes

Three dynamic speakers attracted a record-breaking 270 book-reading enthusiasts to the Riverview hall in Hastings on Hudson last night (June 9, 2014). The audience was the largest gathering in the history of the Spoken Interludes' author-reading program, now in its nineteenth year. 

Created by Irvington resident DeLauné Michel, the Spoken Interludes' events combine dinner with appearances by authors of recently published novels and nonfiction books. 

The speakers did not disappoint. Wit and humor ruled the night. The guest speakers drew ongoing response (resounding applause and abundant laughter) as they described their work, revealed motivations that inspired it, read briefly from their books, and fielded questions.

Dubus talked about his latest book Dirty Love, Zentner described his new novel Lobster Kings and Marcie Cuff described the experiences that inspired her to write her debut book This Book Was a Tree: Ideas, Adventures, and Inspiration for Discovering the Natural World.

André Dubus III

Dubus is the author of House of Sand and Fog (a number-oneNew York Times bestseller and Oprah's Book Club pick), The Garden of Last Days, and Townie. For Townie, he earned an American Academy of Arts and Letters Award in Literature. A "townie" is one of the locals growing up often uncomfortably in a university community.

House of Sand and Fog was produced as a movie in 2003 and distributed by DreamWorks Pictures; it starred Ben Kingsley, Jennifer Connelly and Shohreh Aghdashloo and was nominated for three Academy Awards.

Honors Dubus has received include a Guggenheim fellowship and two Pushcart Prizes. He grew up and lives in the Boston area.

Alexi Zentner

Alexi Zentner described and read from his new novel Lobster Kings.

His previous work was Touch, a 2011 novel set in a remote Canadian logging town where magical and mystical things happen. It has been published in ten languages. He is an O. Henry Jury Prize story winner.

Born and raised in Kitchener, Canada, he was a creative writing instructor at Cornell University where he also received an MFA degree and is now a professor at Binghamton University. An Ithaca, NY resident, he holds dual citizenships in the U.S.A. and Canada.

Marcie Cuff

Marcie Cuff introduced her debut book This Book Was a Tree: Ideas, Adventures, and Inspiration for Discovering the Natural World.

She is a nature columnist and writs a blog called Mossy about innovative projects for participation by the whole family, hands-on parenting, and related photography. She holds a masters degree in secondary science teaching and is the garden coordinator at an elementary school and the organizer of a community vegetable garden. 

The buffet Indian dinner was catered by chef Navjot Arora of the restaurant Chutney Masala (in Irvington). 

Information about the Spoken Interludes programs is available at www.spokeninterludes.com.

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