The Umbrella Man and Other Stories with Martin Fitzgerald

The Umbrella Man and Other Stories: What We Talk About When We Talk About the Kennedy Assassination by screenwriter and author Martin Fitzgerald, is a collection of stories and personal encounters with individuals whose connection to the Kennedy assassination define their place in history, even six decades later. Join Fitzgerald at the Museum on Thursday, September 17 for a book signing and a panel discussion led by local Dallas historian, Sam Childers, and featuring City of Dallas Archivist John H. Slate and Stephen Fagin, Head of Curatorial at The Sixth Floor Museum, whose professional work and personal connections are explored in Fitzgerald's book. The panelists will take a deeper look at the enduring interest in the events of November 22, 1963, and why that day--and President Kennedy's legacy--continue to reverberate throughout global memory. Book signing will immediately follow program. Does not include Museum admission. Discount available for Museum Members, contact membership@jfk.org. PURCHASE TICKETS AbOUT THE author: 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. AbOUT THE panelists: John H. Slate is city archivist for the City of Dallas, where he has been responsible for historic city government records in the Dallas Municipal Archives since 2000. He possesses a BS in film studies and a Master's Degree in Library and Information Science from the University of Texas at Austin. He previously was curator/librarian at the Hertzberg Museum of the San Antonio Public Library and archivist at the Texas African American Photography Archive in Dallas. He's written numerous articles on archives, photography, music, and Texas history and is the author or co-author of four Arcadia Images of America series books: Historic Dallas Parks, Lost Austin, Dealey Plaza, and John F. Kennedy Sites in Dallas-Fort Worth. He is co-author with Kaye Lanning Minchew of Managing Local Government Archives (Rowman and Littlefield, 2016). Stephen Fagin, Head of Curatorial at The Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza, contributes to the institution's collections, exhibitions, educational and programming initiatives. Since joining the Museum in 2000, he has appeared in numerous documentaries and television programs and given hundreds of media interviews, including appearances on the Today Show and Good Morning America. Fagin, who holds degrees from Southern Methodist University and the University of Oklahoma, is also the author of Assassination and Commemoration (2013) and Associate Editor of Legacies Dallas History Journal. AbOUT THE moderator: Sam Childers is a historian, writer, and museum professional. He has served on the staffs of the Old Red Museum of Dallas County History and Culture, the Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza, the Margaret Mitchell House and Museum in Atlanta and the Friends of the LBJ National Historic Park. He is editorial assistant and frequent contributor to Legacies: A History Journal for Dallas and North Texas and is the author of Historic Dallas Hotels. Childers served for eight years on the City of Dallas Landmark Commission and was a member of the Dallas Heritage Village and the Friends of the SMU Libraries boards. Currently, he is a member of the curatorial staff at the George W. Bush Library.