Schools
'Author Talks' with Betty Blake
"Author Talks: Their Works and Their Writing Lives" series welcomes Betty Blake, author of "Mix It Up, Make It Nice: Secrets of a Tennis Mom," at 1:30 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 24, in the main library's Memorial Room.
A Fairfield resident, Blake shares the story of her son, tennis star James Blake. He wore a back brace for 18 hours each day to correct severe scoliosis, never attended a tennis academy, received early tennis training on public tennis courts, grew up in New England's six-month outdoor tennis season, and yet rose to the top 30 in the tennis world. This isn't a story just about James's climb to prominence in the tennis world and a series of life-altering tragedies that he experienced. This is about a family who made education the top priority, not tennis. A first-class education was by design, a tennis career was not.
Blake's reflections address race relations in our society, individual identity and how her son's ethnicity helped them be at ease in any situation. This tennis mom shares secrets to raising a star and pays tribute to the father who inspired them.
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To register for this program, visit www.fairfieldpubliclibrary.org or call 203-256-3160. All programs at the Fairfield Library are free.
