The indefatigable Carole Goldberg’s support of writers and writing is a precious gift to the craft — and readers. Steve Courtney’s kindnesses are so valuable and so appreciated.
Next up thereafter at the Twain, the estimable Susan Schoenberger on March 3rd.

Here’s a copy of  former Courant copy editor Steve Courtney’s  press release about Horgan’s upcoming visit:

For many years, Denis Horgan has delighted Connecticut readers with his mixture of gentle musings, subtle but rapier-like wit, and occasional rage against the insanities of our world. For more than two decades he did

this in the pages of the Hartford Courant, providing a place you could quickly turn to for a bi-weekly fix of insight. For the past nine years this work has been online (www.denishorgan.com), and in recent times he’s turned his hand to fiction.

On Wednesday, Feb. 8, at 5:30 p.m., Horgan brings his compelling skill in relaying information to the stage at The Mark Twain House & Museum.

It’s an appropriate place. Horgan combines the laidback, self-effacing qualities of Sam Clemens’ neighbor, journalist and essayist Charles Dudley Warner, with the fire that led Twain himself to warm up his pen in hell.

Horgan’s latest book is “Ninety-Eight Point Six …and Other Stories” (Ladder Press), a collection of tales that relate to the story of human identity — how people are “defined by happenstance, by odd decisions and accumulations in their lives.” He will read from the book and speak on the subject “Storytelling: Our New Golden Age.”

“Yes, I will read from the book as well as discuss writing,” says Horgan: “both my own richly varied experiences and the opportunities now open to everyone that simply didn’t exist a few years ago. As traditional publishing lumbers along in some Dickensian business model, the world of the Web and its razzle-dazzle gear has created a golden age for storytellers.”

The event is free, and will be preceded by a reception at 5 p.m. A booksigning will follow the talk.

“Ninety-Eight Point Six” includes 13 brief, O. Henry-esque tales of human beings finding out, in odd ways, who they are — or wondering if they’ll ever know. The driver of a junker loaner car finds people treat him with a new respect, if not fear. A man meets his identity thief. A woman sets up a new life for herself on Facebook.

Denis Horgan says he was “born in a Boston taxicab during a Thanksgiving snowstorm which didn’t quite make it to the hospital on time. Whether auspicious or merely suspicious, such a beginning is likely to shape how you look on the world.”

After college and the Army, he started as a copyboy at the Boston Globe, and worked as reporter, editor, columnist for publications including the Bangkok World, the Washington Star and the Courant. He is the author of the essay collections “Sharks in the Bathtub and Flotsam: A Life in Debris” and the novel, “The Dawn of Days.” He has won many awards and honors for his work, and says his “principal vice is an addiction to the Boston Red Sox.”

http://writingatthemarktwainhouse.blogspot.com/2012/01/denis-horgan-speaks-here-february-8.html

Past and present Courant glitterati gathered in New Haven Monday night to help Lisa Chedekel and Lynne DeLucia mark the first anniversary of C-HIT.org.

They started the Connecticut Health Investigative Team web site Dec. 10, 2010, and a few former Courant journalists have written or taken photographs for the site.

It was great to see Bobbie Roessner, Tony Bacewicz, Kathy Colello, Doreen Madden, Marie Shanahan, Eric Gershon, Jeff Cohen, John Ferraro, Jenifer Frank, Jodie Mozdzer, George Gombossy, Arielle Levin Becker, Matthew Kauffman, Bonnie Phillips and Kim Martineau. (Hope I haven’t left anyone off the list).

New Haven Mayor John DeStefano stopped by too.

Jenifer Frank, Lynne DeLucia, Kate Farrish, John Ferraro

Mayor John DeStefano, Lisa Chedekel, Lynne DeLucia

Bobbie Roesnner, Kathy Colello

Kim Martineu, Lynne DeLucia

Marie Shanahan

Eric Gershon

Lisa Chedekel, Lynne DeLucia

Tony Bacewicz

George Gombossy, Lisa Chedekel

Here’s his obituary.

McNulty will join the discussion on The Courant’s decision to use a large graphic image of Moammar Gadhafi dead body.  The Poynter Institute reported that few U.S. newspapers did.

…after 16 years, my regular Courant column-writing days are over. Still doing columns for Hart. Business Journal, Waterbury R-A, and Banker & Tradesman, in Boston.

Larry has been writing for The Courant in some capacity or another for a long, long time; and of course everyone’s tenure must end sometime. It just seems like most of the recent endings are for the wrong reasons.

Larry Cohen, conservative dresser

Anyway, Larry, please forgive the resurrection of this photo from the collection of Henry McNulty. It was taken, I’m guessing, in the 70s, when the Courant was at the beginning of a long upward climb in popularity, influence and profitability.

So it is no surprise that she stays in character while announcing her departure from The Courant.

This is a huge loss for the newspaper and hopefully a fresh start for Helen, who has put many a deserving big shot — from the governor on down — in his place.

I’ll be hosting Denis and introducing him. In addition to being Denis’ friend from The Courant, I tutor third graders in Hartford with him during the school year through the ConnectiKids program (along with his wife Pat and my daughter Ali.)
Anyone who wants to come should drop me a line at katefarrish@live.com

TOLLAND – Author and journalist Denis Horgan will be featured Nov. 1 as the latest speaker in the popular Eaton-Dimock-King Authors Series sponsored by the Tolland Public Library and the Tolland Public Library Foundation.

Horgan, a former longtime columnist at The Hartford Courant, will speak and sign copies of his latest book, “Ninety-Eight Point Six…and other stories” at 7 p.m. The talk will be held at the Tolland Senior Center at 674 Tolland Stage Road due to construction at the library.

Horgan was born in a Boston taxi during a Thanksgiving snowstorm and started out as a copyboy at The Boston Globe. He went on to a distinguished career as an award-winning reporter, editor and columnist at the Bankok World, the Washington Star and The Courant.

In addition to his newly released collection of short stories, Horgan is the author of an essay collection, “Flotsam: A Life in Debris,” and a novel, “The Dawn of Days.”

An Army veteran, Horgan also volunteers his time tutoring school children in Hartford and runs a charity that sends baseball equipment to children in Cuba.

The lecture series, sponsored by the library and the Tolland Public Library Foundation, is made possible through the Phoebe Dimock King and Elizabeth C. King Eaton Endowment.

The endowment was created in 2009 through a generous bequest from the late Elizabeth C. King Eaton. The benefactor, whose grandfather was born in Tolland in 1888, was raised in town and like her mother, the late Phoebe Dimock King, spent her professional life as a librarian.

The event is free and open to the public, but registration is required. For more information or
to register, call the library at 860-871-3620.

Here are some photos. .. and some local coverage.