Susan Orlean to Discuss New Book 'Rin Tin Tin'

The Music Hall’s Writers in the Loft series welcomes the coast-to-coast bestselling author Susan Orlean on Tuesday, October 16. The acclaimed novelist and journalist will visit Portsmouth with her latest bestseller RIN TIN TIN, the celebrated portrait of America’s first movie star dog and of our country in the last century. The 7pm event will be held at the Music Hall Loft.

“Many know Susan Orlean for her dazzling bestseller The Orchid Thief, others follow her insights in The New Yorker, and yet more have come to know her through RIN TIN TIN, which was  featured  for 12 weeks on the New York Times bestseller list and mounted many other bestseller lists throughout the country, including the Los Angeles Times’ (6 weeks) and The Boston Globe’s (12 weeks).  RIN TIN TIN was voted one of the New York Times’ 100 Notable Books of 2011 and made it on to O Magazine’s list of Best Nonfiction Books.   It was truly one of the most acclaimed books of 2011, and we are thrilled to have her here with the paperback edition,” said Margaret Talcott, Associate Producer of Writers in the Loft.

ABOUT THE BOOK

Rin Tin Tin’s journey from orphaned puppy to movie star and international icon begins on a World War I battlefield, when an American soldier, Lee Duncan, discovered the newborn German shepherd in the ruins of a bombed-out dog kennel. Back in California, the dog’s athleticism and acting ability drew the attention of Warner Bros and over the next ten years, “Rinty” starred in twenty-three blockbuster silent films that made him the most famous dog in the world. During the decades that followed, Rinty and his descendants rose and fell with the times, making a tumultuous journey from silent films to talkies, from black-and-white to color, from radio programs to one of the most popular television shows of the baby boom era, “The Adventures of Rin-Tin-Tin.”

Spanning 90 years, this “enormously satisfying story about a dog and the man who believed in him” (USA TODAY) is an irresistible blend of history, human interest, and masterful storytelling—a dazzling celebration of a great American dog by one of our most gifted writers.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Susan Orlean has been a staff writer at The New Yorker since 1992. She attended the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor before moving to Portland, Oregon in an attempt to put off law school. She lucked into a job writing for a tiny, now-defunct monthly magazine, which led to a job at an alternative newsweekly in Portland where she wrote music reviews and feature pieces. She’s written for Rolling Stone and The Village Voice, as well as The Boston Globe before settling into her staff writing position at The New Yorker.

She is the author of seven books, including RIN TIN TIN, Saturday Night, and The Orchid Thief, which was made into the Academy Award–winning film Adaptation. She lives with her family and her animals in upstate New York and may be reached at SusanOrlean.com and Twitter.com/SusanOrlean.

ABOUT EVENT TICKETS AND THE BOOK

The ticket package for Writers in the Loft: Susan Orlean on Tuesday, October 16 at 7pm is $30 ($27 for Music Hall members). In addition to a reserved seat, the package includes a copy of the book RIN TIN TIN ($16), a bar beverage, and book signing meet-and-greet. Packages can be purchased through The Music Hall Box Office, located at 28 Chestnut Street, Portsmouth, over the phone at 603-436-2400 or online at www.themusichall.org.   Packages can also be purchased on the night of the event, if available, at The Music Hall Loft Box office at 131 Congress Street, beginning at 6:00 pm for the 7:00 pm event.  

Submitted by Magaret Talcott, associate producer, Writers on a New England Stage and Writers in the Loft, the Music Hall and Music Hall Loft, Portsmouth