A good book can introduce readers to another time, place or life. Attending author talks offer an extension of that experience! Listeners can hear a writer explain where a story begins, learn details that may not appear on the page and ask questions about the people, places and events behind a book.
That opportunity is at the heart of the Friends of the Colusa County Free Library’s 2026-27 Author’s Talks at the Library. The series brings writers and readers together for conversations about books, history and the experiences that inspire the written word.
The next program, Oct. 27, features local author Hal Tacker discussing Blue Fires at Dawn: The Story of Harold Tacker, his account of his father’s colorful flying career during the formative years of agricultural aviation. The program begins at 6:30 p.m. at the Colusa County Free Library, 738 Market St., Colusa.
The book follows Harold Tacker from his first flight with Fred Key in the Ole Miss through his early crop-dusting days in Mississippi. His adventures included flying in Nicaragua, a violent encounter with disgruntled crop dusters in Reynosa and a brief but profitable stint bootlegging for Louise Hathcock and the State Line Gang, whose exploits became associated with the stories behind the “Walking Tall” movies.
When the cotton-country economy faltered, California beckoned. Tacker and his family moved west, where he spent more than 30 years dusting, spraying and seeding fields in the Sacramento Valley. His life provides a window into an important period in aviation, from the waning barnstorming era to the development of agricultural flying into a modern industry.
In telling his father’s story, Hal Tacker also captures something of the lives of the many pilots who took risks and worked long hours to make a living doing what they loved: flying. Blue Fires at Dawn is available for checkout at the Colusa County Free Library, giving readers an opportunity to explore the book before or after Tacker’s presentation.
The Friends’ author series continues Nov. 17, Jan. 27 and March 2 with programs exploring Northern California history, circus life and the 100-year history of the Red Bluff Round-Up.
For readers, the evenings are a chance to go beyond the page and hear the human voice behind the story.