ANNA — As the county nears the halfway point of the Shelby County Bicentennial, the celebrations continue with the next in a series of lectures. On July 14 at 2 p.m., Bobbie Malone, author of the book “Lois Lenski: Storycatcher,” will give a presentation on the life and writings of noted children’s author, Lois Lenski.
The lecture on Lois Lenski will be held at St. Jacob Lutheran Church in Anna. The lecture series is sponsored by Steve and Peggy Baker.
For those who are not aware, Lenski spent part of her childhood in Anna as her father, R. C. H. Lenski, was minister of St. Jacob Lutheran Church in that community for several years in the early 1900’s. Her most famous writing could be “Strawberry Girl,” however two of her books directly or indirectly deal with her life in and around Anna. “Skipping Village – A Town of Not So Long Ago” is a fictional tale of the village of Greenhill. However the map of Greenhill displayed at the book’s beginning closely resembles Anna during the childhood of Lenski. “Journey into Childhood – The Autobiography of Lois Lenski” devotes a chapter to her Anna beginnings. Both are highly prized and most difficult to find, especially in good condition.
Bobbie Malone has written several books and chose to dedicate one to the story of Lois Lenski as a result of reading that author’s publications as a child herself. Her talk will highlight the significance of Anna in the writings of Lenski as well as her career as a nationally known children’s author and illustrator.
Bobbie’s husband, Bill, is also a noted writer in the genre of country music. He might favor the audience with a few words on that topic.
“Lois Lenski: Storycatcher” by Bobbie and “Country Music USA” by Bill will be available on July 14. Pre-orders are recommended and the couple will autograph the books.
For additional information or to pre-order either of the books, contact Greg and Priscilla Wilt at 937-497-8118 or 937-726-4805.
