Join Deep Vellum for a reading and conversation with Martin Fitzgerald on the occasion of his new book, The Umbrella Man and Other Stories (Biteback Publishing).
Fitzgerald will be joined by The City That Killed the President (Deep Vellum) author, Tim Cloward.
Come spiral about your Kennedy theories with us, and discover new stories from a day that would change the course of history.
The Umbrella Man and Other Stories: What We Talk About When We Talk About the JFK Assassination
“This is not a book about who killed John F. Kennedy or why he was assassinated. This is a book about memory, how we construct our shared history and what happens when your life is defined by a single, fleeting moment. It’s a celebration of human nature, of the joy of research and the freedom of an open mind. Above all, it reveals the stories of a group of real people who thought they had opted out of the main event on the day JFK came to Dallas, only to find themselves at the centre of the most scrutinised six seconds of the twentieth century.”
Martin Fitzgerald is an author and screenwriter from London. His first book, Ruth and Martin’s Album Club (2017), was a collection of reviews of classic albums written by celebrities upon hearing them for the first time. It featured contributions from Richard Osman, Ian Rankin, Bonnie Greer and many more.
In 2020, he wrote his first screenplay, Campbeltown ’69, which focuses on Paul and Linda McCartney during the break-up of the Beatles. It’s currently in pre-production and due to be shot in 2026.
Martin’s particular interest is taking well-worn stories, approaching them from a new angle and finding the comedy and absurdity within them.
Tim Cloward is a writer/educator who lives in Dallas, Texas. He holds a Ph.D. in Aesthetic Studies from the University of Texas at Dallas. The founder of the poetry/performance troupe Dancing Tongue, he has also worked with Poetry Circus and Question Authority, both acclaimed multi-disciplinary performance ensembles. A prominent arts organizer, he spent a decade as a contributor/programmer for the North Texas Literary organization, WordSpace. He currently teaches a Theory of Knowledge class at Uplift Atlas Academy, where he is helping establish an International Baccalaureate program for underserved urban students. He is married to singer/artist/poet Lisa Huffaker.