Reading an abridged version of this famous early American story, Fred Zilian will delight us with the beautiful prose of Washington Irving, tickle our imaginations with Irving’s descriptions of Ichabod Crane, Katrina van Tassel, Brom Bones, and Sleepy Hollow, and quicken our hearts when Ichabod meets the Headless Horseman. Several pieces of classical music will punctuate the reading which will last 1 hour, 15 minutes, with a 5-minute intermission in the middle.
After a 21-year career as an infantry officer in the Army, Fred Zilian was an educator at Portsmouth Abbey School, 1992-2015, where he taught history, ethics, and German. He was an adjunct professor (history and politics) at Salve Regina University, 2016-2022. He now lectures on a wide variety of subjects and offers tours of Newport & Boston and of the Battle of Rhode Island (1778).
Zilian holds a Ph.D. in international relations/strategic studies from the Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies, Johns Hopkins University. He is the author of numerous articles, essays, and book reviews on history, American society, Germany, religion, music, education, climate change, and globalization in numerous publications from the Wall Street Journal to the Newport Daily News.
This program is free and open to the public but seating is limited. Please sign up online starting October 6 or call the library at 683-9457 to reserve your seat.