The Niles District Library and the Niles History Center will co-host a program called “The Ring Lardner Niles Never Knew,” at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 21 presented by Scott Topping. Many residents of Niles know that Lardner was an author, internationally known for his short stories, sports reporting and satire. One of his best-known works, “You Know Me Al,” was first published as a series of short stories in the Saturday Evening Post. His family home still stands on Bond Street.

Topping,  the Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at Southwestern Michigan College, will focus his talk on the work Lardner really loved: music and plays; genres which differ greatly from the writing which made him famous. Attendees will learn about the somber private life Lardner led behind his cheerful public personae, as well as the sophisticated humor and cutting commentary hidden from most readers by his chosen dialect.

The program is part of a new “Third Thursday” series on local history offered by the Niles District Library and Niles History Center. History Center Assistant Director Mollie Kruck Watson, who also works in Adult Services at the Library commended the partnership between the library and the history center.

“This series is a great way for the two organizations to collaborate and share our community’s rich history,” Watson said. 

Admission is free, though donations will be accepted to help support the program. Upcoming programs will include: “Fred ‘Killer’ Burke: the Most Dangerous Man in America in 1929” on Oct. 19 and “The War to End All Wars: A Centennial Perspective of World War One,” on Nov. 16. For more information, call the Niles District Library at (269) 683-8545 or the Niles History Center at (269) 845-4054.