Pulitzer Prize Winner Stacy Schiff Set for Writers on a NE Stage, 10/29

The Music Hall's Writers on a New England Stage series will present Pulitzer Prize-winning and #1 New York Times bestselling author Stacy Schiff on Thursday, October 29, 2015. Ms. Schiff will discuss her just-released book THE WITCHES, a riveting account unpacking the mystery of the Salem Witch Trials.

The 7:30pm event includes an author presentation followed by an onstage interview with Virginia Prescott, host of New Hampshire Public Radio's "Word of Mouth." It will be held at The Music Hall's Historic Theater at 28 Chestnut Street, in downtown Portsmouth, New Hampshire.

"Stacy Schiff is one of today's top nonfiction writers, a master at breathing life into history, bringing forward the mystery and drama of the past, particularly the untold stories of women," said Margaret Talcott, Producer of the celebrated author series. "Beyond that, her writing is beautiful and compelling. I look forward to learning how she untangled the horrifying truth in the famous tale of the Salem Witch Trials."

ABOUT THE BOOK

It began in 1692, over an exceptionally raw Massachusetts winter, when a minister's daughter began to scream and convulse. It ended less than a year later, but not before 19 men and women had been hanged and an elderly man crushed to death.

The panic spread quickly, involving the most educated men and prominent politicians in the colony. Neighbors accused neighbors, parents and children each other. Aside from suffrage, the Salem Witch Trials represent the only moment when women played the central role in American history. In curious ways, the trials would shape the future republic.

As psychologically thrilling as it is historically seminal, THE WITCHES is Stacy Schiff's account of this fantastical story--the first great American mystery unveiled fully for the first time by one of our most acclaimed historians.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

STACY SCHIFF is the author of Véra (Mrs. Vladimir Nabokov), winner of the Pulitzer Prize; Saint-Exupéry, a Pulitzer Prize finalist; A Great Improvisation: Franklin, France, and the Birth of America, winner of the George Washington Book Prize, the Ambassador Award in American Studies, and the Gilbert Chinard Prize of the Institut Français d'Amérique; and Cleopatra: A Life, a #1 New York Times bestseller. Ms. Schiff has received fellowships from the Guggenheim Foundation and the National Endowment for the Humanities and was a Director's Fellow at the Cullman Center for Scholars and Writers at the New York Public Library. She was awarded a 2006 Academy Award in Literature from the American Academy of Arts and Letters. In 2011, she was named a Library Lion by the New York Public Library. Ms. Schiff has written for The New Yorker, the New York Times, the Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times, and the Boston Globe, among other publications. She lives in New York City.

TICKETS

The ticket package for Writers on a New England Stage: Stacy Schiff on Thursday, October 29, at 7:30pm is $13.75 ($11.75 for members).

Book: THE WITCHES

For each 1-2 tickets sold, the purchase of a book voucher ($32 hardcover) is required. Vouchers can be redeemed on the event night for signed copies of the book. Packages can be purchased through The Music Hall Box Office, located at 28 Chestnut Street, Portsmouth, or over the phone at 603.436.2400.

About Writers on a New England Stage

Each literary evening features an author presentation followed by an onstage interview with Virginia Prescott, host of New Hampshire Public Radio's "Word of Mouth." Live music performed by the award-winning house band Dreadnaught. Shows are rebroadcast on NH Public Radio.

Writers on a New England Stage is Partnership Between The Music Hall and New Hampshire Public Radio

Presenting Sponsors: The University of New Hampshire; The Sedoric Group of Wells Fargo Advisors

Media Sponsor: Yankee Magazine

Series Sponsor: Piscataqua Landscaping & Tree Service

Evening Sponsor: Seacoast Area Libraries

Season Sponsors: Carey & Giampa Realtors; Portwalk Place; the River House Restaurant

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