AUGUSTA — The Kennebec Historical Society’s May Facebook live presentation will be about the book “Orphans Preferred: The Twisted Truth and Lasting Legend of the Pony Express.” Author Christopher Corbett will give a virtual talk at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, May 19.
“Orphans Preferred” was an attempt to explore an American tall tale, according to a news release. Rooted in fact and layered with fabrications and outright lies, there are few memories of the Old West more endearing or enduring than that of the Pony Express. But many of those memories are not true.
The frontier lore of the Pony Express includes Horace Greeley, the British explorer Sir Richard Burton, Mark Twain, Wild Bill Hickok, Buffalo Bill Cody and such legendary Hollywood directors such as the Maine-born John Ford.
Corbett is also author of “The Poker Bride: The First Chinese in the Wild West” (Atlantic Monthly) and the novel “Vacationland” (Viking). A former editor with the Associated Press, he started his career at the Maine Times and later worked as a reporter for the Portland Press Herald and Central Maine Morning Sentinel. Corbett has taught journalism in the University of Maryland System for 30 years and is a native of Waterville, and a graduate of Northwestern University.
To view this presentation, visit the KHS Facebook page, it also will be available to watch later. Questions can be submitted in the comments section during the presentation.
The link to the KHS Facebook page is facebook.com/KHS1891.
For questions about the program, call Scott Wood, executive director, at 207-622-7718.
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