LUCERNE, Calif. – On Friday, Oct. 23, at 5 p.m., Marymount California Lakeside Campus at “The Castle” in Lucerne will host a panel discussion related to the current Lake County Big Read focus on the novel “To Kill a Mockingbird” by Harper Lee.

The event is open to the public and free of charge.

Big Read coordinator Robin Fogel-Shrive commented on “how fortunate we are to have such a panel of dignitaries to make the connections between race relations as depicted in Mockingbird and the recently released Go Set a Watchman with the subsequent Civil Rights Movement as well as current issues.”

Prior to the panel, at 4 p.m., Marymount Executive Director Michelle Scully will lead a tour of the facility and answer questions about admissions and curriculum for all High School students and parents in attendance.

Moderator of the panel will be Tallman Hotel owner and Big Read committee member Bernie Butcher.

“I know the panel members well,” said Butcher, “and they’re all lively speakers with unique perspectives on the subject.”

Speakers include:

– Stanford University Professor of History Emeritus David M. Kennedy. Kennedy has focused on 20th Century U. S. History and won the Pulitzer Prize in 2000 for his major work “Freedom from Fear: The American People in Depression and War.” He is also co-author of the most widely used AP U. S. History textbook “American Pageant.”

– U.S. District Court Judge William Alsup. Alsup grew up in Mississippi in the 1950s and 1960s, graduating from Mississippi State University in 1967. After Harvard Law School, Alsup clerked for liberal Supreme Court Justice William O. Douglas. He practiced law in San Francisco before being confirmed by the Senate as a District Court Judge in 1999.

– Well-known Kelseyville Attorney Peter Windrem. Windrem grew up in Lake County and was attending the University of the Pacific in Stockton when he became involved in the southern civil rights movement in the 1960s. He subsequently earned his J. D. Degree at the University of Virginia before returning to practice in Lake County.

– Christopher Veach, director of the Lake County Libraries, is a sponsor of the October Big Read Program. “Especially with the controversy surrounding the recently released manuscript by Harper Lee, 'Go Set a Watchman,' this is a perfect time to explore both the literary and historical significance of 'Mockingbird,'” he said. “This panel should be both interesting and informative.”

The next evening, on Saturday, Oct. 24, the Tallman Hotel in Upper Lake will host a “Mockingbird”-themed mystery dinner based on an original script by Bert and Christine Hutt of MurderUs Productions in Lakeport.

Participants, who are encouraged to wear 1930s costume, will meet for cocktails in the Blue Wing Restaurant before proceeding to solve the mystery over a three-course dinner in the Tallman Dining Room.

Details about the panel may be obtained by contacting Bernie Butcher at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 707-245-0041.

For the mystery dinner please contact the Tallman Hotel at 707-275-2244, Extension 0.