Hamilton College students and community members gathered to listen to Natalie Babbitt, renowned author and illustrator, on Thursday, February 5. The former Clinton resident and wife of former Kirkland College president Sam Babbitt was eager to return to the Hill. Babbitt is the author and/or illustrator of more than a dozen well-loved books for children, including the contemporary classic Tuck Everlasting. The Kirkland Project sponsored the reading.
Babbitt humbly began her lecture by thanking the audience for attending her reading; "I wouldn't even come to see me!" she joked. She explained that she typically reads from her most famous book, Tuck Everlasting; however, as she wrote the book 27 years ago and has been reading it to audiences since its publication, she decided to switch things up a bit and share some of her new material.
Babbitt's most recent literary endeavor, currently titled Jack Plank Tells Tales, has been her focus for the past 3 years. The novel, as Babbitt explained, is a collection of short stories told by an ex-pirate named Jack Plank. Plank's ship, the Averis, and the men on board struggle to make ends meet. Jack regrettably cannot plunder very well, and as the worst pirate aboard the ship, is fired. He is sent off to the coast of Jamaica, where he is left to find both a place to stay and a new job.
Fortunately, Jack meets and befriends a small family; he becomes particularly fond of the young Cassie, who vows to help him find a job as quickly as possible. While searching for a new occupation on the island, Jack's is reminded of many wild stories her heard while working on the Averis. Jack recounts colorful tales of trolls, mermaids, and sea creatures that somehow touched the lives of his former shipmates.
An audience full of adults and children alike listened attentively to Babbitt's colorful voice. When the reading was over, Babbitt again thanked her audience for their support. A book-signing immediately followed the reading where children and adults alike could meet and thank Natalie Babbitt for revisiting the Clinton community and for her major contributions to children's literary fiction.
-- by Emily Lemanczyk '05
