February 4, 11 a.m.: Joseph-Beth in Lexington will host Valerie Askren as she signs copies of the third edition of Hike the Bluegrass and Beyond, which describes more than 100 hikes, urban walks, and public gardens, along with historical trivia, photos and maps, and side trip recommendations. Askren, who lives in Lexington, is also the author of Fly Fishing Kentucky, Backpacking Kentucky, Backcountry Cuisine, and Five-Star Trails: Louisville and Southern Indiana.
February 4, 4:00 p.m.: Lexington native John Winn Miller, an award-winning investigative reporter, foreign correspondent, editor, publisher, and screenwriter, will be in conversation with noted Kentucky journalist Tom Eblen as they discuss Miller's new book, The Hunt for the Peggy C. It's an adventure story about a ship’s captain, Jake Rogers, who begins World War II by transporting supplies—including contraband—to the highest bidders but soon finds himself emotionally involved as a German U-boat stalks his ship, endangering not only him and his crew but also a group of passengers who are Dutch Jews fleeing Nazi persecution. This event is hosted by Joseph-Beth in Lexington; RSVPs are encouraged but not required. If you’re in Cincinnati, come out for Miller’s event at Joseph-Beth Cincinnati on February 23 at 7:00 p.m.
February 7, 6:30 p.m.: Each month, the Carnegie Center in Lexington hosts the Kentucky Great Writers Series, and it’s always fascinating. This month, the authors will be Kiki Petrosino, reading from Bright: A Memoir; Michael Patrick F. Smith, reading from The Good Hand: A Memoir of Work, Brotherhood, and Transformation in an American Boomtown; and Charles Booker, reading from From the Hood to the Holler: A Story of Separate Worlds, Shared Dreams, and The Fight for America’s Future. This event can be experienced in person at the Carnegie Center—where the books featured will be available for purchase—or virtually, via a Facebook livestream.
February 16, 7:00 p.m.: Kathy Schulz, a proud Ohio native, wants everyone to know that the Underground Railroad mostly happened in Ohio and that it was “mostly above ground—not in tunnels!” To that end, she’s written The Underground Railroad in Ohio. It draws on new information and research while acknowledging and honoring the folklore that arose around the Underground Railroad, which helped thousands of enslaved people escape to new lives of freedom. Schulz will present the new book at this event at Joseph-Beth in Cincinnati; RSVPs are encouraged but not required.