Wellesley Books Newsletter April 3rd, 2024 | |
I think it's safe to say that everyone is feeling a little dreary from all of this gray weather, but we must remember that the rain is in preparation for spring! Already we are seeing signs of colorful flowers and new green leaves to brighten up our days. (Although you can get plenty of spirit-lifting books here at the store if you can't wait!) We are celebrating National Poetry Month this April, so see below for the list of talented poets joining us for events. | |
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TOMORROW
Thursday, April 4th at 6:30 PM (in-person)
Ruth Behar, the Pura Belpré Award-winning author of Lucky Broken Girl and Letters from Cuba, joins us to discuss her new book, Across So Many Seas. Ruth will be in conversation with Susan Lynn Meyer, author of A Sky Full of Song.
Spanning over 500 years, Ruth Behar's epic novel tells the stories of four girls from different generations of a Jewish family, many of them forced to leave their country to start a new life.
Though many years and many seas separate these girls, they are united by a love of music and poetry, a desire to belong and to matter, a passion for learning, and their longing for a home where all are welcome. And each is lucky to stand on the shoulders of their courageous ancestors.
"As lyrical as it is epic, Across So Many Seas reminds us that while the past may be another country, it's also a living, breathing song of sadness and joy that helps define who we are." –Alan Gratz, New York Times bestselling author of Refugee
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Celebrate National Poetry Month! | |
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Monday, April 8th at 7pm PM (in-person)
First up headlining our National Poetry Month events are Charles Coe and Catherine Marenghi.
Charles was a 2017 artist-in-residence for the city of Boston, where he created an oral history project focused on residents of Mission Hill. He has been chosen as a “Literary Light” by the Associates of the Boston Public Library. He is an adjunct professor of English at Salve Regina University in Newport, Rhode Island, and at Bay Path University, in Longmeadow, Massachusetts, where he teaches in both MFA writing programs. He serves on the Steering Committee of the Boston Chapter of the National Writers Union, a labor union that serves freelance writers.
The granddaughter of immigrants, Catherine was born and raised in Milford, Massachusetts, a town where she has deep roots and a lifelong connection. She is an active member of the vibrant literary community of San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, where she has served on the board of the San Miguel Poetry Cafe and, with poet Judyth Hill, co-founded the Poetry Mesa, an international community serving poets and poetry.
Click the RSVP button for more information on the event and the authors' book selections.
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Tuesday, April 9th at 7pm PM (in-person)
On this night, we welcome Wellesley native Sarah Levine to discuss her collection Each Knuckle with Sugar.
Each Knuckle with Sugar is a soft yet powerful deep-dive into love and grief told through multiple fascinating perspectives.
"Sarah Levine’s award-winning debut collection introduces us to Herman and Begonia, two people who embark on a love affair as they try to find a way out of a landscape stripped bare by loneliness and grief. There is a strangeness, an intensity, a blurring of the real and the surreal that makes this tale of love and loss intimate and authentic."—Martín Espada, author of Floaters, National Book Award Winner
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Monday, April 22nd at 7pm PM (in-person)
On this night, we welcome Wellesley College professor Octavio R. González to discuss his new collection Limerence.
“[González’s] language is rich without being baroque; his lines are a dance until they are a gut punch. At the core of this gorgeous collection is a body of sonnets about the endlessly desiring body. At the core of both bodies is the heart.” —Evie Shockey, author of Suddenly We, The New Black and Renegade Poetics
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Monday, April 29th at 7pm PM (in-person)
For our final event, we welcome poets Jason Tandon and January Gill O'Neil. They will be reading from their works, Glitter Road and This Far North.
Jason Tandon is the author of five books of poetry, including This Far North (Black Lawrence Press, 2023) and The Actual World (Black Lawrence Press, 2019). His poems have appeared in Ploughshares, Prairie Schooner, The Southern Review, Beloit Poetry Journal, Alaska Quarterly Review, and elsewhere.
January Gill O'Neil is an associate professor at Salem State University and the author of Glitter Road (February 2024), Rewilding (2018), Misery Islands (2014), and Underlife (2009), all published by CavanKerry Press. From 2012-2018, she served as the executive director of the Massachusetts Poetry Festival. The recipient of fellowships from the Massachusetts Cultural Council, Cave Canem, and the Barbara Deming Memorial Fund, O'Neil was the 2019-2020 John and Renée Grisham Writer-in-Residence at the University of Mississippi, Oxford. She currently serves as the 2022-2024 board chair of the Association of Writers and Writing Programs (AWP). O'Neil lives in Beverly, MA.
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Bookseller Recommendations | |
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Jerry recommends: In Memoriam by Alice Winn
A story of true love between two British soldiers before, during and after WWI. From boarding school dynamics to battle field conditions and brutality, this narrative evokes a true feeling of the atmosphere of those times. The love story moves from school-boy unrequited crush to a mature, loving relationship, with many ups/downs during the War. There are remarkable scenes of both intolerance and tolerance with the two main characters and others in regards to sexuality, as well as those objecting to fight in the war. There is much to learn from this compelling debut novel with both horrifically detailed battle scenes as well as truly tender moments of love.
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Kali recommends: The New Life by Tom Crewe
Travel back in time to 19th-century London, where two men unite to write a groundbreaking academic journal covering sexual freedom. With enthralling detail, this book shows the harsh reality of being gay in the late 1890s, while also providing the reader with glimpses of happiness, as well as hope for a better future. Based on real-life people, this is one of the most engaging historical novels I've read to date.
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Bookseller Recommendations for Young Readers | |
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1999 is the best year ever! Right? Well, according to some, it's the historical era most worth visiting. According to others, the impending doom of Y2K underscores every thought, anxiety, and action--or lack thereof. As the story progresses, friends and acquaintances take turns calming and reassuring each other in the face of UNCERTAINTY, then having anxiety attacks about other sources of uncertainty for themselves. They discover what they can and can't control, they rely on companionship, and they learn to make room for the possibility of positive, rather than negative, outcomes.
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New Books for Young Adults | |
These fun felted flowers and sleepy owl planter holders from Fair Trade Home and Garden are sure to bring cheer to any home! They are hand-made in Nepal by an artisan group. Support globally and locally with every purchase! | |
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Sally is a 7 month old rescue mutt originally from Arizona, adopted from Forever Home Rescue in Medfield, Massachusetts. Likes: bunnies. Dislikes: water. She loves playing with her sister Junebug and her other litter mates, who live close by! | | |
Thank you for supporting your community independent bookstore!
Sincerely,
Sarah Cyr
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