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Frank and Jane Gabor West Virginia Folklife Center to host Second Saturday event Impact
Fairmont State News

Frank and Jane Gabor West Virginia Folklife Center to host Second Saturday event

Apr 07, 2022

Fairmont State University’s Frank and Jane Gabor West Virginia Folklife Center will host Fairmont native and author, Diana Pishner Walker, as part of the “Second Saturday” event series on April 9. Walker will present two workshops taking place at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m.

The “Signing Books and Sharing Stories” workshop will begin at 11 a.m., intended for adults and teens interested in writing for children. During this session, Walker will detail her journey to becoming a published children’s author. The “Bunnies Everywhere!” workshop is appropriate for a young reader audience, and will begin at 1 p.m. The second session will include a reading from Walker’s award-winning books about a family of rabbits, followed by activities for children. Signed copies of her books will be available for purchase during the workshops.

Headline books released Walker’s second book, Hopping to America: A Rabbit’s Tale of Immigration, in April 2016. Illustrated by Ashley Belote, Hopping to America is the story of a rabbit family’s journey from Italy to Ellis Island and then to Clarksburg. The title won its first award from the New York Book Festival, and is currently on display at Ellis Island and available to be purchased by visitors in its gift shop. The next in the series, Hopping to America A Rabbit’s Tale of LaBefana, has won several awards including a Mom’s Choice Award, an Indie Book Award and a Creative Child Magazine Award. The third book in the series, Hopping to America A Rabbit’s Tale of a Wedding, has been awarded a Gold Mom’s Choice Award.

Walker was born in Clarksburg, and attended Notre Dame High School and Fairmont State. She resigned from a long-time position with the Marion County Board of Education, held for more than 25 years, to pursue a full-time career as an author.

“We are so delighted to host Diana Pishner Walker,” said Fairmont State University President, Mirta M. Martin. “Her award-winning, enchanting stories speak to the experience of so many families who settled in this region. Diana is a former Fairmont State student and a Fairmont resident, and it’s so wonderful to be able to celebrate and share her achievements.”

The Folklife Center’s Second Saturday events are open for free public attendance. To RSVP for Walker’s workshops, contact 304-367-4403 or fkirk@fairmontstate.edu.

Frank and Jane Gabor West Virginia Folklife CenterSecond Saturday eventsDiana Pishner WalkerMirta Martin