Bring your Jane Austen Book Club to Our Next Picnic!

“Bebris provides another feast for Janeites in…this well-told tale.”

-Publisher’s Weekly

Austen fans will take delight in the next Thurber House Summer Literary Picnic guest, Carrie Bebris. Winner of several mystery awards, including the Daphne du Maurier Award, Bebris is best known for her beloved Mr. & Mrs. Darcy mystery series. Capturing Austen’s Regency England, Bebris entangles Austen’s characters in intrigue, with sharp dialogue, romantic interplay, and a dash of gothic atmosphere.

Her latest novel, The Intrigue at Highbury (Or Emma’s Match), introduces Mr. & Mrs. Darcy to Mr. & Mrs. Knightley.  On the way to visit a friend, Mr. & Mrs. Darcy are robbed by gypsies outside of Highbury. When the Darcys seek out the magistrate, Mr. Knightley, they find that he has a mystery of his own to solve, the death of Mr. Edgar Churchill. The Darcys and the Knightleys join forces to investigate these crimes, and discover a connection between them.

Dinner for the evening from Party Panache is a chicken salad with cranberries and toasted pecans on croissants, fresh fruit salad and delectable key lime bars.

Don’t forget to bring your lawn chair, blanket, wine or other favorite beverage, and enjoy an evening of fun and friends. For more information on the full Literary Picnic author schedule, menus and how to order tickets, visit our website or call (614) 464-1032, ext 11.

Start your summer with the 2010 Summer Literary Picnics!

Join us for five evenings of good food, good friends, and great books at the 2010 Literary Picnics! From Thurber whimsy and Austen intrigue to global pandemic and harrowing mystery – our picnics hold something for everybody!

Picnics are every other Wednesday on the Thurber House lawn. Catered dinner is served at 6:15 p.m. and the readings start at 7:00 p.m. You can also feel free to bring your own picnic fare! Come early for special tours of Thurber House by our Young Docents, which start at 5:20 p.m!

Here’s the line-up:

• June 14: A Thurber Treat, hosted by Cheri Mitchell, Executive Director, BalletMet
• June 30: Carrie Bebris, The Intrigue at Highbury (or Emma’s Match)
• July 14: New Voices: Carla Buckley, Sarah Gridley, and Paula McLain
• July 28: Craig McDonald, Print the Legend
• August 11: Sharon Davies, Rising Road: A True Tale of Love, Race, and Religion in America

Don’t forget to bring your lawn chair, blanket, wine or other favorite beverage, and enjoy an evening of fun and friends. For more information on the full Literary Picnic author schedule, menus and how to order tickets, visit our website or call (614) 464-1032, ext 11.

A Special Master Class with Jennifer Crusie!

Jennifer Crusie

Have you ever asked yourself–”Do I have what it takes to make a bestseller list?” Well, now is your chance to get one step closer to answering that question by taking a one-day master class with the master of fiction, Jennifer Crusie!

Crusie is the author of over 15 novels and has earned a place on quite a few bestseller lists, including The New York Times, Publisher’s Weekly, USA Today, and the Wall Street Journal–and she’s at your disposal!

This master class will focus on basic elements of fiction writing including sharpening the central conflict; revising and using classic plot structures and character arcs; and unifying the story through theme. Participants are asked to bring a synopsis of their novel, and the first and last pages to work through these elements in the class.

Date: Saturday, June 19, 2010

Time: 1–4 p.m. Wine and cheese reception to follow the class

Location: Thurber Center, 91 Jefferson Avenue, Columbus, OH 43215

Price: $150 non-refundable

A limited number of scholarships are available!

There is still time, but hurry because this class is limited to only twenty! The registration deadline is Friday, June 11.

For more information, and the PDF registration form, visit our website at www.thurberhouse.org