Book chats by the sea: Find out which bestselling authors are coming to Newport in July

NEWPORT – A trio of bestselling authors will be the featured guests at a series of free "Seaside Chats" this month on the lawn at Salve Regina University's Ochre Court, sponsored by the Pell Center and the Rhode Island Center for the Book.

On July 17, Colin Woodard, director of the Nationhood Lab at Salve's Pell Center for International Relations and Public Policy, will discuss his book "Union: The Struggle to Forge the Story of United States Nationhood," the story of how the myth of U.S. national unity was created and fought over in the 19th century, with reverberations that are still being felt today. And he'll also talk about his latest research at the Nationhood Lab, "A Story to Save America."

On July 25, author Dawn Tripp will discuss her new novel "Jackie," a fictional exploration of the multifaceted life of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis: her days in Newport, her early work as a photojournalist, her marriage to John F. Kennedy and tenure as first lady, the trauma of his assassination, her marriage to Aristotle Onassis, and her years as a book editor in New York City.

And on July 30, Curtis Sittenfeld will discuss her latest novel, "Romantic Comedy," about a comedy show writer whose stance on love changes when a pop star challenges her assumptions about how the dating rulebook works in real life.

Discussions will be led by Jim Ludes, executive director of the Pell Center. Admission is free, with lawn seating (bring your own lawn chair or blanket), and a reception with cash bar will follow. Advance registration is required at tinyurl.com/32sc7s27.

This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Free book events with trio of bestselling authors in Newport