The Mark Twain House & Museum is holding a virtual gala this year due to the pandemic and some big names in music and literature are taking part.
It’s all for free, but donations are welcome.
The event, “A Writer's Home, A Home for Writers,” will be on the night of Friday, Nov. 6 and David Baldacci, Jimmy Buffett, Brad Paisley, John Grisham, Jodi Picoult, Ron Chernow, Dr. Christina Greer, Jodi Picoult and Sophfronia Scott are taking part. More participants are yet to be announced, according to the website. It starts at 8 p.m.
You will need to register at MarkTwainHouse.org/gala to take part.
While the event is free, you can add on an add-on at-home party picnic for $75, which will be available for pick-up at the museum. It’s open to residents of Greater Hartford and includes savory and sweet treats from the Old Wethersfield Country Store.
You can also make a donation online.
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Pieter Roos, the executive director of the Mark Twain House & Museum said that they wanted to expand the scope of the gala to bring in fans from around the world amid the pandemic.
Participants will also get glimpses of Twain's Hartford home.
Who’s Who at the Mark Twain House & Museum
- David Baldacci: author of dozens of thriller novels, most of which have debuted at #1 on The New York Times Bestseller List.
- Jimmy Buffett: a multi-platinum recording artist with many albums, sold-out tours, books, a Broadway musical, and a chain of Margaritaville restaurants.
- Historian Ron Chernow: author of biographies of Ulysses S. Grant, George Washington, John D. Rockefeller, and Alexander Hamilton, which became the basis of the hit musical, “Hamilton.”
- Dr. Christian Greer: associate professor of Political Science and American Studies at Fordham University and author of, “Black Ethnics: Race, Immigration, and the Pursuit of the American Dream.”
- John Grisham: author of popular legal thrillers, nine of which have been turned into major Hollywood films.
- Brad Paisley: hit country artist with three GRAMMYs, two American Music Awards, 14 Academy of Country Music Awards and 14 Country Music Association Awards.
- Jodi Picoult: acclaimed author who latest novel, “The Book of Two Ways,” debuted at #1 on the New York Times Bestseller List.
- Sophfronia Scott: award-winning journalist, novelist, essayist, memoirist, teacher and short story writer. Ms. Scott's novels include “All I Need to Get By” and “Unforgivable Love.”
There will also be an online auction. You can pre-register for the auction when you register. Bidding begins in late October.
