Ron Chernow to talk about 'Mark Twain' at Gold Coast Book Fair

The second Gold Coast Book Fair will kick off on May 16 with a man of history. Pulitzer Prize winner Ron Chernow, who has written biographies about some of the greatest figures in American history, will be the opening night guest.

Chernow will be on hand to speak to the crowd at the Long Island University's Krasnoff Theater in Greenvale about his newest book, "Mark Twain." Tickets for the event are $45-$60 and include a presigned copy of the book. To purchase, go to goldcoastforum.org/goldcoastbookfair. Additional copies of the book will be available for purchase.

Among Chernow's other works are his 2011 Pulitzer winner "Washington: A Life" about our nation's first President George Washington, and his biographies on the first Secretary of the Treasury Alexander Hamilton, 18th President Ulysses S. Grant and business tycoon John D. Rockefeller.

The book fair, which aims to shine a light on Long Island's literary scene, is a project of Gold Coast Forum, in collaboration with Oyster Bay Main Street Association, Long Island University and Theodore’s Books in Oyster Bay. Bethpage Federal Credit Union is also a major sponsor.

“The first Gold Coast Book Fair exceeded all our expectations. It proved that Long Islanders want to celebrate our literary heritage and establish our region as a major event for authors around the country. I’m excited about building on our success," former Rep. and owner of Theodore's Steve Israel said in a statement.

The inaugural book fair, which took place in June, featured a host of literary events at the LIU campus as well as music, food and more happenings in downtown Oyster Bay. Last year's guest authors included Elmont-raised novelist Alice McDermott, Sands Point-based Susan Isaacs and Freeport-raised Erik Larson.