Annual Arts & Literary Series 2012: Author Presentations & Book Signings

When:
Sunset Center, San Carlos Street and Ninth Avenue

Where:
Wednesday, January 11.

Carmel Public Library Foundation Presents its Annual Arts & Literary Series 2011-2012 Authors. The goal of the 2011-2012 season is to create awareness for the Library Foundation’s mission with talks and book signings First event of the series! Douglas Smith, The Pearl January 10 at 7 p.m. Sunset Center, Carpenter Hall About The Pearl: Filled with a remarkable cast of characters and set against the backdrop of imperial Russia, this tale of forbidden romance could be the stuff of a great historical novel. But in fact The Pearl tells a true tale, reconstructed in part from archival documents that have lain untouched for centuries. Douglas Smith presents the most complete and accurate account ever written of the illicit love between Count Nicholas Sheremetev (1751-1809), Russia's richest aristocrat, and Praskovia Kovalyova (1768-1803), his serf and the greatest opera diva of her time. Blessed with a beautiful voice, Praskovia began her training in Nicholas's operatic company as a young girl. Like all the members of Nicholas's troupe, Praskovia was one of his own serfs. But unlike the others, she utterly captured her master's heart. The book reconstructs Praskovia's stage career as “The Pearl” and the heartbreaking details of her romance with Nicholas—years of torment before their secret marriage, the outrage of the aristocracy when news of the marriage emerged, Praskovia's death only days after delivering a son, and the unyielding despair that followed Nicholas to the end of his life. Written with grace and style, The Pearl sheds light on the world of the Russian aristocracy, music history, and Russian attitudes toward serfdom. But above all, the book tells a haunting story of love against all odds. Background on Douglas Smith: Douglas Smith is an awarding-winning historian and translator and a Resident Scholar at the University of Washington’s Henry M. Jackson School of International Studies. He studied German and Russian at the University of Vermont and has a doctorate in history from UCLA. Over the past twenty-five years Smith has made many trips to Russia. In the 1980s, he was a Russian-speaking guide on the U. S. State Department’s exhibition “Information USA” that traveled throughout the USSR. He has worked as a Soviet affairs analyst at Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty in Munich, Germany specializing in Russian nationalism and served as an interpreter for late President Reagan. Smith has taught and lectured widely in the United States, Britain, and Europe and has appeared in documentaries for A&E and National Geographic. A regular contributor to The Seattle Times, he is the recipient of numerous awards and distinctions, including a Fulbright scholarship and a residency at the Rockefeller Foundation’s Bellagio Study Center. His newest book, White Bone: The Destruction of the Russian Aristocracy, is scheduled for publication in 2012 with Farrar, Straus & Giroux Save the dates for upcoming events. T. J. Stiles, The First Tycoon : The Epic Life of Cornelius Vanderbilt March 6, 2012 at 7 p.m. Sunset Center, Carpenter Hall Yiyun Li, The Vagrants April 10 at 7 p.m. Sunset Center, Carpenter Hall Jerry Fielder, Curator & Director Estate of Yousuf Karsh May 15 at 7 p.m. Sunset Center, Carpenter Hall The Carmel Public Library Foundation’s mission is to raise vital funds for Harrison Memorial Library that will ensure free Library service in perpetuity. Every book, CD, DVD, all the services, equipment, resources and programs are funded by charitable donations. There is a $10 suggested contribution. Seating is limited, so please arrive early! Proceeds benefit Harrison Memorial Library. Questions? Call the Foundation at (831) 624-2811. www.carmelpubliclibraryfoundation.org