By 1808Delaware
A year spent following Johnny Appleseed’s path gives a writer plenty to talk about. Add apple cider slushies, trees connected to the legendary planter and an evening inside a newly renovated barn, and the conversation takes on a distinctly autumnal flavor.
The Friends of the Delaware County District Library will welcome New York Times bestselling author Isaac Fitzgerald on Thursday, September 17, for a discussion of his new book, American Rambler: Walking the Trail of Johnny Appleseed. The event begins at 6:00 PM at Preservation Parks’ Bicentennial Barn at McCammon Creek Park, 6840 Bale Kenyon Road in Lewis Center. Tickets are $40 and include a hardcover copy of the book.
A familiar legend and a personal journey
Johnny Appleseed provides the route, but Fitzgerald’s own life is part of the terrain. Blending history, memoir and travelogue, American Rambler follows a yearlong journey tracing John Chapman, the man remembered as Johnny Appleseed, from Massachusetts through Ohio to Indiana. Fitzgerald walks, drives and travels by water, exploring the landscapes and places that preserve Chapman’s story.
According to the Friends’ description of the book, that route stretches from Chapman’s birthplace in Leominster, Massachusetts, to his final resting place in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Along the way, Fitzgerald considers both the historical figure and the mythology surrounding him, while examining his own experiences with grief, family and belonging.
For Ohio readers, the journey offers a chance to see familiar regional lore through the eyes of a contemporary traveler. The book’s combination of personal reflection and historical exploration also gives the evening several paths for discussion, from the stories Americans inherit to what sends someone out looking for a connection to them.
Apples beyond the page
The evening’s apple connections will extend well beyond the book’s cover as guests will be served apple cider slushies and can shop offerings from Stillwater Valley Orchard and Apiary, including authenticated Johnny Appleseed trees. Other items will include culinary seasonings, fruit preserves, herbal teas, salves and tinctures, local honey, apple cider vinegar and beeswax candles.
Registration opens at 5:30 PM, giving visitors time to browse before the discussion begins. Friends board member Monte Stevens will moderate the conversation, followed by an audience Q&A and book signing. The event is scheduled to conclude at 8:00 PM.
Beanbag Books, the family-owned Delaware bookstore, will also have Fitzgerald’s earlier books available for purchase.
An author with stories for different generations
Fitzgerald is the author of the New York Times bestseller Dirtbag, Massachusetts and the bestselling children’s book How to Be a Pirate. He also appears frequently on The Today Show. His visit is presented by an organization with its own longstanding local roots. Founded in 2007, the Friends of the Delaware County District Library is an all-volunteer nonprofit supporting the library through advocacy, community awareness, fundraising and volunteer work.
Tickets and additional information are available on the Friends’ author visits page.
