Essayist, humorist Peter Smith to read from "A Cavalcade of Lesser Horrors" at Cook Park Library

Essayist, humorist Peter Smith will read from his new book, "A Cavalcade of Lesser Horrors" at the Cook Park Library. This free event is sponsored by Lake Forest Bookstore and the Cook Memorial Public Library District and is open to the public. Registration is required and can be done by calling (847) 362-2330 or going to webres.cooklib.org.

A regular contributor to Minnesota Public Radio, Peter Smith draws heavily on his experiences growing up in the Chicago area, including Libertyville, to write about a handful of small moments (and wonderfully-drawn characters) from his life--moments and characters that come back and make him wince decades after the fact. "Nothing so big as to scare you to death or so brutal as to cripple you for life," writes Smith, "just that steady drip-drip-drip of small stuff..."

Smith writes about a Baby Boomer's Chicago and Libertyville where garbage men steal tricycles. Deaf priests "hear" childhood confessions. Factories swelter and the concrete sweats in the summer heat. Old teachers struggle with a new generation even as newspapermen (his father worked for the Daily News and Sun Times) put the last edition of the afternoon to bed.

More than simply a memoir, this book touches on a multitude of experiences and themes that will resonate with readers everywhere. Books will be available for purchase at the event.

Peter Smith is a thirty-year veteran of Twin Cities advertising and a regular contributor to Morning Edition on Minnesota Public Radio. He writes magazine features, fiction, and occasional op-ed pieces. He is author of A Porch Sofa Almanac (Minnesota, 2010) He and his wife live in Hopkins, Minnesota.