FSL upcoming lectures
Rolly Prager
Friends of SaddleBrooke Libraries (FSL) is pleased to announce lectures for October and November, part of the ongoing series offered to the SaddleBrooke community.
The Oct. 17 lecture features Greg McNamee, who will present “Cowpokes, Crooks and Cactus: Arizona in the Movies.” His talk will include Tyrone Power, Andy Devine, Katy Jurado, Steve McQueen and of course, John Wayne. From the earliest days of film, Arizona has been a setting and subject for hundreds of films. Some films, like Junior Bonner and Red River, are considered classics. Some may even be classics in the making, from Tombstone to Near Dark. In his talk, McNamee will look at the Grand Canyon State on the silver screen.
Gregory McNamee is a writer, editor, photographer and publisher. He has published 40 books and more than 5,000 articles. He is a research fellow at the Southwest Center of the University of Arizona and a lecturer at the Eller School of Management at the university.
The free lecture will begin at 4:00 p.m. at the MountainView Ballroom.
On Nov. 21, FSL will welcome Bob Simpson whose talk “History of SaddleBrooke and the Surrounding Area” will inform and perhaps surprise SaddleBrooke residents about the space we inhabit. As a SaddleBrooke Hiking Club leader, Bob includes a historical narrative of SaddleBrooke and surrounding areas to enrich the hiking experience. As he delved into the subject, he quickly realized how much local history waited to be explored. Eventually he took a break in leading hikes to focus on research. His initial goal of writing a manual for use by Hiking Club members would no longer suffice. The research would become the basis for two books that cover 144 square miles. Bob’s research discovered what he describes as “unsuspected new topics” such as old stone dams, Moqui script, Baca Float and bible translators. Bob sought out the current generation of pioneer families who prized the stories, souvenirs and photos of their ancestors. This is a rich vein of local history that Bob will share with us.
The lecture is at 4:00 p.m. in the MountainView Ballroom. There is a $5 fee for non-members.