Peters Township Library draws a crowd with Read Local/Eat Local
Jon Andreassi/Observer-Reporter
Annette Hostoffer shows off her children’s book, “Pittsburgh Dog & Frog,” at Read Local/Eat Local on Saturday.
Jon Andreassi/Observer-Reporter
Crowds lined up at the authors’ tables to browse their work at Saturday’s Read Local/Eat Local event at Peters Township Library.
Peters Township Public Library hosted more than 20 local authors over the weekend for the return of Read Local/Eat Local.
Despite a rainy morning Saturday, a large crowd turned out to meet with writers and buy their books.
The day began with a talk from New York Times best-selling author J.D. Barker, who recently co-authored, “Death of the Black Widow,” with James Patterson.
“It was a little stressful in the morning with the weather, so we moved J.D. Barker inside, but everyone adapted well,” said Illyanna Logan, assistant library director.
After Barker spoke, the authors set up their stations in the library’s parking lot. There were also food trucks from Jonny’s Seafood Shack, Wooden Peel Pizza and Millie’s Ice Cream.
One of the authors at Read Local was Robin Acton, a former crime reporter for the Herald-Standard and later the Tribune-Review. She took those experiences and turned them into a crime thriller, The Taker.
“Many cases over the years gave me the ideas for this,” Acton said.
This was the first time Acton had been to Read Local, and she said she was thrilled to receive an invitation.
“I think it’s a great event. There is so much local talent that people aren’t aware of. This area is rich in writers,” Acton said.
A wide variety of genres and topics were on display at Read Local. Anna Harsh, founder and director of Allegro Dance Company, was selling her memoir, “La Danza: Conflict, Passion, and Healing.”
Harsh wrote the book after three decades of work preserving and performing traditional Italian dances. A dance major in college, she researched the subject for her senior thesis.
“My family is from Italy. When I did my college thesis project, it kind of turned into a touring dance company. We’ve been touring for 30 years,” Harsh said.
For Harsh, Read Local was also an opportunity to connect with different writers.
“Being new, it’s really nice to get advice from others. I’m here not only to get experience, but to be inspired,” Harsh said.
Seeing a strong turnout for the event after taking two years off was a rewarding experience for Logan.
“It’s really being able to make that connection between these local authors and the community, and seeing both sides of that equation really enjoy themselves and get something out of that exchange.”