Literature in the Courtyard 2026

The Johann Fust Library Foundation is pleased to present Todd Purdum as our featured author at Literature in the Courtyard 2026. Former Library Foundation president and longtime board member Cotton Hanley endowed this special event, now in its fifth year, enabling us to bring prominent writers to the island.

Todd’s latest book – Desi Arnaz: The Man Who Invented Television – debuted in June 2025 to rave reviews from critics and readers. While most of us remember Lucille Ball as the great comic actress in I Love Lucy, few know that Desi Arnaz – the straight man and often bumbling bandleader who was her husband in the series and real life – is responsible for many of the early innovations in television. Norman Lear called him “a great businessman in the persona of a wonderful entertainer.”

Arnaz, born in Cuba to a wealthy family, fled to Miami during the Cuban Revolution of 1933 and eventually joined Xavier Cugat's band. The story of his rise to movie stardom, marriage to Lucy, and their successful entrepreneurship in the early days of television is told with great skill and a vivid style that brings the main characters to life.

A graduate of Princeton University, Purdum is a veteran journalist and author. His writing career of more than forty years started at The New York Times, where he covered politics from City Hall to the White House, later serving as diplomatic correspondent and Los Angeles Bureau Chief. He has written widely about politics and culture. Purdum’s three earlier books are also non-fiction, and include the widely acclaimed Something Wonderful: Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Broadway Revolution, which tells the remarkable story of the songwriters who are the heart of the classic American songbook.

Purdum and his wife, Dee Dee Myers, live in Los Angeles, where he teaches courses on media and government at the University of Southern California.

This event is full. Please call the foundation office at (941) 964-0211 to be added to the waitlist.