The “Wright Sister” with Harry Haskell

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Katharine Wright was not only the sister to her famous brothers, Orville and Wilbur, she also embodied the worldly, independent, and self-fulfilled New Woman of the early twentieth century.

In the final installment of Owls Head Transportation Museum's popular Winter Education Series, author Harry Haskell previews his new novel Maiden Flight, the true-life story of the “Wright sister,” Katharine, who left her world-famous brother Orville to marry the man she loved—the author’s grandfather and namesake. Drawing on intimate family letters, this engrossing book crosses the boundaries of fact and fiction to shed new light on an exceptional woman’s struggle for independence and fulfillment. In allowing Katharine to step outside of Wilbur and Orville’s shadow, Haskell sheds new light on the central role she played in their private lives as well as on her often misunderstood contribution to their scientific work. Above all, Maiden Flight celebrates Katharine’s abundant store of what she called “human nature”: her lively and perceptive outlook on life, her great capacity for both love and indignation, and her acute and sometimes crippling self-awareness.

A former acquiring editor for Yale University Press and classical music critic for the Kansas City Star, Harry Haskell is the grandson of the Star’s Pulitzer Prize-winning editor Henry J. (Harry) Haskell. He is the author of three previous books, including Boss-Busters and Sin Hounds: Kansas City and Its Star and The Early Music Revival: A History. He lives in Guilford, Connecticut, with his wife, Ellen Cordes, a librarian at Yale University, and their daughter Lucy.

All Owls Head Transportation Museum Winter Education Series programs are free to the public (suggested donation $10). They begin at 1:00 p.m. on their respective dates. Visitors wishing to view the Museum before or after attending a Winter Education Series Program will be charged standard museum admission of $14 for adults and $10 for visitors over 65. Museum admission is always free to youth under 18 as well as retired and active duty military (Uniformed Services ID required). To find out more about any Winter Education Series program please contact Curator and Education Director Ethan Yankura at ey@ohtm.org.

Event Date: 

Sat, 04/29/2017 - 1:00pm to 3:00pm

Event Location: 

Owls Head Transportation Museum

Address: 

117 Museum Street
Owls Head, ME 04854
United States

Contact Name: 

Ethan Yankura

Contact Phone: 

(207) 594-4418

Contact Email: