Over Here, Molly Pitcher

Molly Pitcher
(Stacy Roth of History on the Hoof)

Hear the tales of the legend of Molly Pitcher and the Battle of the Monmouth County as we celebrate NJ’s 350th birthday on November 15^th at 10:15am. Late June, 1778, Monmouth, New Jersey in the midst of one of the fiercest artillery duels of the American Revolution, a woman was observed doing something unusual: helping to fire a cannon! Thus sprang the legend of Molly Pitcher. “Over Here, Molly Pitcher” is an interpretive storytelling presentation highlighting the lives of women who “belonged to the army” during the American Revolution. This Molly’s “memories” are gathered from primary accounts and carefully selected secondary sources describing both the activities of camp followers, as well as observations from campaigns and encampments. The event hosted by the Ferro-Monte Chapter, National Society Daughters of the American Revolution is at the Roxbury Township Free Public Library 103 Main St, Succasunna, NJ on November 15th at 10:15am. Open to the public the lively presentation is performed by Stacy Roth from History on the Hoof. This program is funded by the Horizons Speakers Bureau of the New Jersey Council for the Humanities, a state partner of the National Endowment for the Humanities. For more information about the Horizons Speakers Bureau please visit http://njch.org/programs/hsb/.

If you have an interest in learning about your family tree, we can help you; maybe we can even find a Patriot among your leaves. Prospective members are always welcome. For information, email: NJDARFerroMonte@aol.com. 

The National Society Daughters of the American Revolution was founded in 1890 to promote patriotism, preserve American history, and support better education for our nation's children. Its members are descended from the patriots who won American independence during the Revolutionary War. With more than 165,000 members in approximately 3,000 chapters worldwide, DAR is one of the world's largest and most active service organizations. To learn more about the work of today's DAR, visit www.DAR.org.

Morristown Festival of Books Launches its One Community, One Book Initiative with the announcement of Providence by Lisa Colozza Cocca as the 2014 Featured Book

In this inaugural season, the Morristown Festival of Books introduces One Community One Book (OCOB) and its 2014 selection of Morris County resident’s YA novel, Providence.  The One Community, One Book committee, co-chaired by Roxbury resident Kim Armstrong and Morristown resident Michelle Russo, considered a wide variety books, before settling on Ms. Cocca’s Providence. The OCOB initiative encourages curiosity, dialogue and discovery by engaging community book groups, high school students and teachers, library patrons and the public at large in discussions using a single book that appeals to a diverse readership.  The One Book selection needs broad appeal to all ages of readers. Providence touches on loss and abandonment, the challenges of the elderly and keeping small communities vibrant. “As a member of the sandwich generation, I can easily relate to the multi-generation aspects of Providence and believe others will as well.” says Armstrong.

Lisa Colozza Cocca

“New Jersey is celebrating its 350 anniversary, so showcasing a local author was high on our wish list” continues Armstrong. Lisa Colozza Cocca, a Flanders resident, is a freelance writer and editor in educational publishing.  She is the author of numerous nonfiction titles for children and young adults, including Reconstruction and the Aftermath of the Civil War, Marquis de Lafayette: Fighting for America’s Freedom, and the Understanding Graphs series. When the sun goes down, Lisa is back at the computer writing. She is most excited about her debut YA novel, Providence (Merit Press/F&W Media). Lisa can be found at www.lisacolozzacocca.com.

Providence will be a recommended summer reading selection for Pingry and other area schools. Book clubs throughout the county will join in the discussions in the months surrounding the festival. Other events around the area include a June OCOB Kickoff at Kemmerer Harding Library and an in-depth panel discussion on the themes addressed in Providence. The Morris County libraries, which strengthen our communities by connecting people with ideas and information, are solidly behind the OCOB initiative and are participating in the planning of activities and events. Providence will be available at your local library and through the Bookworm in Bernardsville, the official bookseller of OCOB for the Festival.

The Morristown Festival of Books will take place on Sept 26-27 on South Street. As described by the event’s chair Linda Hellstrom from Morristown," it is designed to celebrate the power of the written word to challenge, transport and transform us, while bringing together our community in conversation." The festival model has been used successfully by communities around the world.

Lisa Colozza Cocca will be one of the 17 authors participating in the Friday – Saturday Festival.  The full author line-up and the schedule for Saturday will be published in June. For more information on One Community, One Book and the Morristown Book Festival, visit us on the web at: www.morristownfestivalofbooks.org, like us on Facebook at: Morristown Festival of Books and follow us on Twitter: @MorristownBooks

Questions? Go to info@morristownfestivalofbooks.org