arts & entertainment

Humor and storytelling will be a welcomed event in early 2025 and who else but Dave Barry could bring his iconic laughter and quick wit to the Treasure Coast.  “An Evening with Dave Barry” will be our premier fundraiser for the 2025 season and our presenting sponsor will be the Joanne & James Mitchell Foundation.  “Plan now to attend Thursday, January 23, 2025 at the Community Church of Vero Beach,” said Dr. Jacque Jacobs, LRJF President.    She added, ” You will find event details on our website, LRJF.org. We hope you will think about gifting a ticket to folks with upcoming birthdays or for the December holidays.  We look forward to sharing smiles with our community in the new year ahead.” 

Dave Barry is an author and humorist who won a Pulitzer Prize for his syndicated column, which ran in more than 500 newspapers and was the inspiration for the TV show Dave’s World. He has also written dozens of bestselling books, including Lessons From Lucy: The Simple Joys of an Old, Happy Dog. His newest novel, Swamp Story, was published by Simon and Schuster in June of 2023.

Along with Ridley Pearson, Barry wrote the bestselling Starcatchersseries of young-adult novels, one of which was adapted as the Tony-award winning Broadway play Peter and the Starcatcher.

Barry once set fire to a pair of underpants with a Barbie doll on national television. He is also largely responsible for the popularity of International Talk Like a Pirate Day, although it was not his idea. In recognition of Barry’s achievements, the city of Grand Forks, North Dakota, named a sewage lifting station after him. Very few authors have attained this honor. Steve Martin has been quoted as saying, “I’m frankly tired of Dave Barry being so funny.”

“An Evening with Dave Barry” will include an hour-long presentation from 6:30-7:30pm followed by an hourlong book signing where attendees may bring their favorite Dave Barry book or choose to purchase one on-site.   In addition to the general presentation, LRJF will offer an exclusive “Happy Hour with Dave” from 5:00-6:00 pm with limited tickets which include a reception, a signed book, the opportunity to meet Dave Barry, as well as, entry to the main presentation.   Tickets can be purchased on LRJF.org.

LRJF provides a much-needed haven for storytellers: a safe place to bring those experiences that have shaped one’s life and imagination to words on paper. Of course, the Foundation helps our community in many other wonderful ways. For example, preserving Laura’s historic house not only shows how people lived before the invention of concrete blocks and air conditioning, but also provides the Foundation with its mission: to follow Laura’s lead in the cultivation of the love of language and the possibilities of literature.

LRJF is dedicated to preserving the author’s home and the Florida-friendly garden surrounding it while nurturing writers of all ages through a series of literary offerings including writers’ groups, summer camps, workshops, and poetry festivals. The Foundation honors writer Laura (Riding) Jackson’s belief in the promise of language by creating community through the literary arts.   The Laura (Riding) Jackson Foundation (LRJF) is a 501(c)3 non-profit, with more than thirty years in Indian River County.