And yes, tea will be served

Consider: 250 years ago the town of Boston was seething with rage: the mother country, Great Britain, had levied a punishing tax on their beloved drink, tea imported from China. There were two warring factions, the patriots who saw the tax as tyranny, and the Loyalists who clung to the powers in London.

Tea was about to be served, Boston style.

Like a fly on the wall, John Singleton Copley, noted painter, heard all the arguments as he painted portraits of both patriots and Loyalists. 

As the ferment came to a head in late 1773, Copley saw himself in a unique position to get the two sides together. A timid man, he still volunteered to get them to see eye-to-eye. As American history was being made, he played a part in it.

Local writer Emily Marks has penned a historical novel about the artist, What the Painter Heard, The Life and Times of John Singleton Copley. She discusses the book in a December 16 talk at the Sonoma Community Center. 276 E. Napa St. 4:30 pm. Free.

And of course, English breakfast tea will be served.