December 2, Thursday Club Dinner – starting with cocktails at 5:30 p.m.
Program for the evening—The Academy of Vocal Arts: Carte de Visite. Scott Guzielek presents a musical calling card, the essence of this vibrant Philadelphia institution.
The AVA’s mission is to be the world’s premier institution for training young artists to become international opera soloists. Scott Guzielek is vice president and general manager of the AVA, responsible for overall administrative management as well as development of relationships with the community, donors, and partner organizations throughout greater Philadelphia. Joining him for this evening at the Inn will be soprano Renée Richardson and tenor Zachary Rioux, accompanied by Elise Auerbach. These artists will offer a wide range of operatic selections to demonstrate the comprehensive training that AVA Resident Artists receive during their four year, tuition-free program.
December 6, Quarterback Roundtable – 12:30 to 1:45 p.m.
Ruth Morelli is our Quarterback.
December 9, Thursday Luncheon Roundtable – 12:30 to 1:45 p.m.
Speaker is Innmate Peter Conn. His topic—The (GUILTY!) Pleasure of Detective Fiction. This is a guided tour through the history of detective fiction, with comments on Sherlock Holmes, Miss Marple, Sam Spade, and others, in an effort to answer that famous question from Edmund Wilson, “Who Cares Who Killed Roger Ackroyd?”
Peter retired from Penn as Vartan Gregorian Professor of English and Professor of Education. His publications include Adoption: A Brief Social and Cultural History and Literature in America, which was a main selection of Associated Book Clubs (UK). His Pearl S. Buck: A Cultural Biography was listed in Notable Books of the Year 1996 by the New York Times, and in the year’s best books by Publishers Weekly and Library Journal. And here, it’s particularly relevant to credit Peter’s 2011 novel under cover of the nom de plume Timothy Wright, or maybe Wright’s putative editor, Zachary Peters: Who Killed Warren G. Harding? If you can track down a copy, you’ll find it’s a satisfying blend of detective fiction, mystery, and history, complete with edifying footnotes!
December 13, Quarterback Roundtable – 12:30 to 1:45 p.m.
Alan Penziner is our Quarterback.
December 17, Holiday Luncheon, starting at 11:30 a.m.
Festivities start upstairs with Fish House Punch and continue in the dining room with an enticing menu and entertainment by Innmates who have volunteered their talents.
December 20 – January 2, closed for the holidays
The Inn reopens with a Quarterback Roundtable Luncheon on Monday, January 3.