Ian Frazier is the author of Travels in Siberia, Great Plains, On the Rez, Lamentations of the Father, and Coyote v. Acme, and a frequent contributor to The New Yorker. Ian was the winner of The 1st Thurber Prize for American Humor in Writing in 1997 (Coyote v. Acme) and won The Thurber Prize again in 2009 for Lamentations of the Father, making him the only two-time Thurber Prize winner.

For the past fifteen years, Ian Frazier has been walking the Bronx. Paradise Bronx reveals the amazingly rich and tumultuous history of this amazingly various piece of our greatest city. From Jonas Bronck, who bought land from the local Native Americans, to the formerly gang-wracked South Bronx that gave birth to hip-hop, Frazier’s loving exploration is a moving tour de force about the polyglot culture that is America today.

During the Revolution, when the Bronx was unclaimed territory known as the Neutral Ground, some of the war’s decisive battles were fought here by George Washington’s troops. Gouverneur Morris, one of the most colorful Founding Fathers, owned a huge swath of the Bronx, where he lived when he was not in Paris during the French Revolution or helping write the US Constitution.

Frazier shows us how the coming of the railroads and the subways drove the settling of the Bronx by various waves of immigration— Irish, Italian, Jewish (think the Grand Concourse), African American, Caribbean, Puerto Rican (J.Lo is one of the borough’s most famous citizens). The romance of the Yankees, the disaster of the Cross Bronx Expressway, the invention of rap and hip-hop, the resurgence of community as the borough’s communities learn mutual aid—all are investigated, recounted, and celebrated in Frazier’s inimitable voice.

This is a book like no other about a quintessential American city and the resilience and beauty of its citizens.

After the event, you will have the opportunity to ask questions, meet the author, and get your book signed.

Come celebrate Halloween at Thurber House with ghostly stories, fall crafts, tours of haunted Thurber House, a spooky creative writing workshop, sweet treats, a pumpkin carving/painting contest, a ghost raffle, and more!

We’re hosting three separate programs on Saturday, October 26:

• 1-3 pm | Family-Friendly Event | FREE

• 3:30-5:30 pm | Spooky Creative Writing Workshop for Adults/Teens | $30 (includes admission to the adult event and a tour)

• 6-8 pm | Adult Event (18+) | $15 (includes event and tour)

You can register for one, two, or all three programs. All programs will be based at Thurber Center (91 Jefferson Avenue, Columbus, OH 43215). For the 6-8 pm adult event, tours of Thurber House will leave from Thurber Center. Costumes are welcome!

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‣ Family-Friendly Event | 1-3 pm

During this FREE family-friendly drop-in event, come hear strange and spooky tales about what goes bump in the night from award-winning storyteller Lyn Ford, enjoy fall-themed activities and crafts, and grab some sweet treats! Feel free to dress up in costume. You can stop by any time between 1-3 pm. Minors must be accompanied by an adult.

Award-winning, internationally acclaimed storyteller Lyn Ford is one of the top twenty ghost storytellers in the country. In this workshop, Lyn will lead you on a journey to discover tales, folklore, and ideas from Appalachia's haunted hills and valleys and Ohio's spooky cities and cemeteries. Gather tips, resources, and reflections to use as prompts for your own short stories and verse, developed in the dark shadows of your imagination.

Drop in any time between 6-8 pm for ghostly stories, tours of haunted Thurber House, seasonal treats, and more! Adult Halloween fans and paranormal enthusiasts will be treated to an evening of spooky/horror short story readings from local writers, including the internationally acclaimed storyteller Lyn Ford and members of the Horror Writers Association, as well as tours of Thurber House (which will be specially decorated for Halloween).

‣ Pumpkin Carving/Painting Contest

Calling all pumpkin artists! Grab your favorite pumpkin and decorate it for the chance to win first, second, or third place in our pumpkin carving/painting contest. Free to enter. Cash prizes!

‣ "Evening with the Ghosts" Raffle

Want to win a private “Evening with the Ghosts” at Thurber House with professional paranormal investigator James A. Willis? Sure you do! Willis is teaming up with the Thurber House to offer one lucky winner and a guest the chance to accompany him on a private ghost investigation, tour, and discussion of his research/findings/ghostly reports at Thurber House. All raffle proceeds directly support Thurber House.