Senior Friendship Centers in Sarasota host monthly book series
“Joyful Journeys,” a free monthly book series celebrating the art of storytelling and highlighting local authors, returns to Senior Friendship Centers in Sarasota on June 27.
Each month, Joyful Journeys features a different author who shares insights, compelling stories, and personal experiences. Attendees have the opportunity to participate in discussions, participate in Q&A sessions, and network with other literature lovers. Monthly events are held on Thursdays from 5:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. at the Senior Friendship Centers, 1888 Brother Geenen Way.
“We are thrilled to continue to offer these vibrant book events to our community,” said Declan Sheehy, Chief Development Officer at Senior Friendship Centers. “Not only does this series bring joy and inspiration through literature, but it also fosters a sense of connection and camaraderie and provides a platform for local talent.”
Registration is required at friendshipcenters.org/category/events. Joyful Journeys sessions include:
· Thursday, June 27 (5:00-6:30 p.m.): Russ Stephens, author of The Azbirmarine. Russ Stephens, 91, will share his tips and tricks for writing compelling stories for young readers. A graduate of Northwestern University and a Korean War veteran, Stephens graduated from the University of Illinois School of Law. He switched to business, traveled to over 160 countries and retired to Siesta Key. The book was illustrated by his granddaughter, Alyssa Stewart. Hallie Peilet Young, an Emmy-nominated journalist and founder and CEO of No Blues News, will interview Stephens at the event.
· Thursday, July 25: Estrella Engelhardt, author of Letters to Jim: Memoir of a 40-Year Love Story. This epic memoir and meditation on love and heartbreak, romance and grief, was created from letters Engelhardt wrote to her deceased soul mate. Engelhardt, 82, is a mother of two adults and stepmother to five others. She has been involved in international folk dance for 20 years and theater performance for 16. Engelhardt also became a massage therapist at age 55 and a hairdresser at the Vidal Sassoon Academy in 1975. She graduated from Panama Canal College with a degree in physical education/psychology and has traveled extensively in Europe, Mexico, Central and South America, Panama, Israel and Scandinavia. Letters to Jim is her first book.
· Thursday, August 15: Dan Landon, author of From the Back of the House: Memoir of a Broadway Theater Manager. Landon was a Broadway theater manager for 37 years, working on 50 shows and 9,000 performances. This is Landon’s love letter to Broadway and all the stars and celebrities he met while doing that job, including Whoopi Goldberg, Bob Fosse, Bernadette Peters, Robert De Niro, Jessica Lange, Maggie Smith, Judi Dench, Paul McCartney, Stephen Sondheim and others. Landon began his career as an actor in New York, appearing on Broadway (for one opening night) and Off-Broadway. He then turned to theater management, first at the American Place Theater and then at the Shubert Theater for three decades. Landon is also a produced playwright and published novelist. He lived in Montclair, NJ with his wife, Lyle, and their three children. After retiring, they moved to Bradenton, where he and his wife remain active in the theater community.
For more information about Senior Friendship Centers, call 941-556-3269 or visit FriendshipCenters.org.
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