Senior Friendship Centers Presents JOYFUL JOURNEYS Authors Series This Summer

Senior Friendship Centers announces the continuation of its popular monthly authors series, “Joyful Journeys.”

This free series celebrates the art of storytelling and highlights local authors. Each month, “Joyful Journeys” features a different author who will share their unique insights, captivating stories, and personal experiences. Attendees will have the opportunity to engage in lively discussions, participate in Q&A sessions, and connect with fellow literature enthusiasts.

These monthly events are on Thursdays, 5-6:30 p.m., at Senior Friendship Centers, 1888 Brother Geenen Way, Sarasota. “Joyful Journeys” is free, but registration is required at https://friendshipcenters.org/category/events/. For more information about Senior Friendship Centers, call 941-556-3269 or visit FriendshipCenters.org.

"We are thrilled to continue offering these lively book events to our community," says Declan J. Sheehy, chief development officer at Senior Friendship Centers. "This series not only brings joy and inspiration through literature but also fosters a sense of connection and camaraderie and gives a showcase to local talent.” 

Upcoming sessions in the “Joyful Journeys” series include:

• Thursday, June 27, 5-6:30 p.m.: Russ Stephens, author of “The Azbirmarine.” Children's book author Russ Stephens will share his tips and tricks on crafting captivating stories for young readers. Stephens is a graduate of Northwestern University, and after serving in the Korean War, earned his J.D. from the University of Illinois School of Law. He moved on to business management, has traveled to over 160 countries, and retired to Siesta Key. At 91, Russ completed his lifelong project: a children's book he's been crafting for about 80 years. His inspiring journey proves that age is just a number when it comes to creativity and determination. The book is illustrated by his granddaughter Alyssa Stewart. Hallie Peilet Young, an author, Emmy-nominated journalist, and the founder and CEO of “No Blues News,” a digital newscast that shines a light on people and organizations doing positive things, will interview Stephens at this event.

• Thursday, July 25, 5-6:30 p.m.: Estrella Engelhardt, author of “Letters to Jim: Memoir of a 40-Year Love Story.” This epistolary memoir and meditation on love and grief, romance and mourning was created from letters Engelhardt wrote to her departed soulmate. The book confronts the most difficult questions that arise when those we love are taken from us. Estrella Engelhardt has been a student of life for 82 years and the mother of two adult children and stepmother to five more. She has been involved in international folk dancing for 20 years and theater performance for 16 years. Engelhardt also became a massage therapist at age 55 and a hair stylist from the Vidal Sassoon Academy in 1975. She graduated Panama Canal College with a degree in physical education/psychology, and has traveled extensively throughout Europe, Mexico, Central and South America, Panama, Israel, and Scandinavia. “Letters to Jim” is her first book.

• Thursday, August 15, 5-6:30 p.m.: Dan Landon, author of “From the Back of the House: Memoir of a Broadway Theatre Manager.” Dan Landon was a Broadway theater manager for 37 years and worked on 50 shows and 9,000 performances. This is Landon's love letter to Broadway, and all the stars and luminaries that he met on the job, including Whoopi Goldberg, Bob Fosse, Bernadette Peters, Robert De Niro, Jessica Lange, Maggie Smith, Judi Dench, Paul McCartney, Stephen Sondheim and so many more. In these pages you'll meet them, too, as they wait in the wings, glow in the spotlight, and take their bows. Landon began his career in New York as an actor, appearing on Broadway (for one opening night) and Off-Broadway. He then turned to theater management, first at the American Place Theatre, and then for three decades at the Shubert Theatre. Landon is also a produced playwright and published novelist. He lived for many years in Montclair, New Jersey, with his wife, Lyle, and their three children. After his retirement, they moved to Bradenton, where he and his wife remain active in the theater scene. 

About Senior Friendship Centers 

The mission of Senior Friendship Centers is to build vibrant communities by advancing wellness, connection, and enrichment throughout the journey of aging. Since 1973 this organization has served people 50 and older in Sarasota, Charlotte, DeSoto, and Lee counties with programs and services including activity centers, lifelong learning, dining centers and meals delivered to the homebound, caregiver support, adult day services, supportive aging services, and volunteer opportunities. For more information about Senior Friendship Centers, call (941) 955-2122 or www.friendshipcenters.org. 

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