The Public Library for Union County

Kevin Williams, editor of “The Amish Cook” syndicated newspaper column, and friend of the late Elizabeth Coblentz and of her daughter Lovina Eicher, will talk about his experiences with the Amish community at 7 p.m. on Tues., July 26, at Degenstein Community Library in Sunbury. The free event is presented as part of the 2011 Read Across the Valley project “Living Simple, Living Plain.”
Williams has been involved with the Amish community since 1991 when he first began editing and promoting Coblentz’s column. In addition to the column, which includes updates family activities along with recipes and is now written by Eicher, Williams has collaborated on three “Amish Cook” books and recently finished a memoir.
The Read Across the Valley project is a cooperative effort of one academic and 13 public libraries: Beavertown Community Library, Degenstein Community Library, Herr Memorial Library, James V. Brown Library, McClure Community Library, Middleburg Community Library, Milton Public Library, Montgomery House Warrior Run Area Public Library, Priestly-Forsyth Memorial Library, The Public Library for Union County, Selinsgrove Community Library, Blough-Weis Library of Susquehanna University, Thomas Beaver Free Library, and West End Library.
Williams’ presentation is the first of four that are scheduled in the area through mid-October. With the goal of exploring regional cultures, promoting reading, and building a sense of community by encouraging residents to talk about what they read, Read Across the Valley member libraries also have invited Marta Perry, author of a new series of “Amish Suspense” books, Tamar Myers, whose books feature characters based on her religious upbringing, and Dr. Donald B. Kraybill, co-author of “Amish Grace: How Forgiveness Transcended Tragedy,” to speak.
The doors will open at 6 p.m. for Kevin Williams’ presentation at Degenstein Community Library, located at 40 South Fifth Street, in Sunbury. There is no reserved seating.
Williams’ presentation is sponsored by the Pennsylvania Humanities Council and the National Endowment for the Humanities’ “We the People” initiative. Additional Read Across the Valley sponsors include Kohl’s, Sam’s Club, Sunbury Broadcasting Corp., and the Wal-Mart Foundation.
For more information about the Kevin Williams presentation, call 570-286-2461. For more information about Read Across the Valley, look on Facebook or visit www.readacrossvalley.org