F. Scott Fitzgerald was born in St. Paul on September 24, 1896. He spent his formative years and early adult life in Minnesota. Although he considered himself a failure, Fitzgerald became one of the most popular writers of the 1920s and is probably best known for his novel, The Great Gatsby, published in 1925. The novel deals with issues of decadence and excess and is widely interpreted as a cautionary tale. Much of his notoriety was his relationship with his “muse”, his wife, Zelda. Fitzgerald and Zelda became well-known figures in St. Paul society in the early 1920s for the parties held at their White Bear Lake cottage with friends, newspaper reporters and fans.
Join us at the Chisago Lakes Area Library on Tuesday, October 24 for “The Life and Works of F. Scott Fitzgerald” presented by staff from the Minnesota Historical Society. Come dressed in period attire (or not) and enter the world of the speakeasy as the Friends of the Chisago Lakes Area Library create the atmosphere of the Roaring 20s and serve refreshments starting at 6:00 pm.
Then at 6:30 pm join us as Minnesota Historical Society staff inform us about Fitzgerald’s early years, his relationship with his wife, Zelda and the impact of St. Paul on his stories and novels and his connections to the James J. Hill family and other prominent people of the time.There is still time to join the ECRL Reads program which runs till Thursday, November 16.
We must not forget the contributions to literature during the 1920s including great authors such as Ernest Hemmingway, Ezra Pound, T. S. Eliot, Langston Hughes and of course, Minnesota’s own, F. Scott Fitzgerald. The first ever ECRL Reads is taking place in East Central Regional Library’s six counties and are encouraging everyone to read the same book, Ice-Out by Minnesota author Mary Casanova. Ice-Out takes place in 1920s Minnesota during F. Scott Fitzgerald’s early years and the “great experiment” known as Prohibition.
The program is sponsored by East Central Regional Library and the Chisago Lake Area Library in partnership with the Friends of the Chisago Lakes Area Library. All programs are funded with money from Minnesota’s Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund.