FOSEL 10/11/13 FOSEL 10/11/13

Which of the Mayoral Candidates Will Give Bostonians the Best Public Library System: Candidate Rep. Marty Walsh Responds

One of the two candidates for mayor of Boston, Rep. Marty Walsh, has responded quickly and fully to the seven public-library questions posed by FOSEL two days ago. Below are the original questions, with the answers provided by Joyce Linehan, policy director for the Walsh campaign, in bold italics. As soon as we hear from At-large Councillor John Connolly, we will post his comments, as well. And your questions will receive the same attention, too.

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LIBRARY HOURS: the 25 branch libraries, which service the vast majority of 625,000 Bostonians, are closed most evenings, Sundays and, in summer, Saturdays as well. The Copley Library, however, within walking distance of the 20,000 residents of the Back Bay, is open four nights a week, Saturdays and, except in the summer, Sundays. In other words, most of Boston’s residents and their families whose taxes pay for the BPL, can’t use their local library when they are off work. As mayor, will you make sure all libraries in the system are open nights and weekends to reflect the specific need for local access?

WALSH: The Boston Public Library is a cornerstone of my vision for the future of Boston, in the sense that it represents access, information, and the potential for lifelong learning and community building. The library represents the best of Boston’s history and its recognition of the value of education at all levels. I would support expanded hours to ensure that more people can use the library at their convenience. I also believe that this will allow the library to consider flex-time for its staff, which I believe will support a workforce that needs flexibility for child care and other needs. I would take into account public surveys and the library’s own statistics about use to ensure that staff and other resources are allocated to best use.

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LIBRARY GOVERNANCE: there are no required standards of professional library expertise or library advocacy to be appointed to the nine-member BPL board of trustees. There are no term limits. There is no requirement to show up at public meetings (and some trustees seldom do). There is no public vetting process for library trustees, nor a public confirmation process to make sure the public gets the best library advocates possible to meet the library’s needs. Board seats do not reflect specific library interests, either, as is the case elsewhere: for example, the interests of branch libraries differ from those of the Copley Library; young adults have different needs than seniors; book acquisition specialists have different concerns than book or art conservators.

As mayor, would you set standards for library trustees and their performance, and consider appointing those who would be qualified advocates for specific library and neighborhood concerns?

WALSH: I would strongly support a revision of standards for the BPL Board of Trustees. Accountability and transparency are key in all areas of policy for my administration. Just as I intend to seek the most highly qualified Superintendent of Schools and Chief of Police, I feel that every city department should be guided and led by people who have experience in the field, are aware of best practices, and have a vision of how to improve and support the departments they are in charge of.

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LIBRARY CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS: Which local libraries get renovated, or where new ones are built, is governed by mysterious forces. There is no transparent long-term capital plan, nor is a specific public process in place, by which libraries are upgraded equitably, or new ones built where needed, or handicapped-accessibility ensured. As mayor, will you institute a transparent and fair capital plan to upgrade all BPL libraries equitably where needed, or build new ones, as part of a public process?

WALSH: The foundation of a Walsh Administration will be ethics and transparency, including financial disclosure. Just as many schools are in need of capital improvement, the library branches in our neighborhoods, which support after-school learning and programming, need to be maintained at the highest standards with access to up-to-date technology, and safe and healthy buildings. Long-term capital improvements in both areas are critical needs, and ones that we would address as part of a comprehensive review of city property.

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BUILDING NEW LIBRARIES: Downtown Crossing is increasing its residential footprint. It is also a transportation hub where many young adults from all over the city hang out with little to do. As such, they can become easy targets for unfair and unnecessary criminalization by law enforcement. Nearby Chinatown, moreover, lost its library decades ago. As mayor, would you consider building an architecturally exciting downtown library with an outstanding young-adult department and a strong Asian profile that also replaces the long-lost Chinatown branch?

WALSH: Yes. A revitalized downtown area is where we see the most potential for growth as people return to living in the city in the next decades. Providing the kinds of resources which support families and empty-nesters who live here would definitely include library services. In addition, Marty feels that each library branch has the possibility of reflecting the richness of its neighborhood and its cultural diversity. The Walsh Administration will support and support all Bostonians.

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THE BPL FOUNDATION: the BPL fundraising arm was created to repair the McKim building almost two decades ago, and will target its future campaign on the long-overdue Johnson Building renovation. It does not focus on branch libraries, however, or their local Friends groups’ capital-improvement issues. But branches could use the Foundation’s help. The East Boston library, for example, has14 iconic WPA paintings that will cost $150,000 to restore before they can be installed in the new East Boston library. Their tiny Friends group is left on its own to raise the funds for it. As mayor, would you direct the BPL Foundation to expand its mission and assist local Friends groups who want to preserve cultural and historic landmarks of importance to their neighborhood libraries?

WALSH: Yes. The Boston Public Library is comprised of many parts, and its neighborhood branches are a key component of library services. Just as I intend to bring municipal services to “little city halls” throughout Boston’s neighborhoods, library services are not confined to the main branch at Copley. The Library and the City should be proud that the first branch library in the country was opened in East Boston in 1870, and we are about to open a new branch in that neighborhood. Many of the branch buildings have architectural or historical significance, and should be restored. Others are in need of considerable repair and should be upgraded or replaced. The BPL Foundation should leverage support for the library to be part of this vision of the Library’s future, and I would direct them to do so.

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LIBRARY TRUST FUNDS: these are meant to enrich the public library beyond capital and operational allocations from the city’s General Fund, not to substitute for it. But in the case of the disputed Kirstein Business branch closing in 2009, two Kirstein trust funds that paid for the maintenance of that building and its collection, are now used to offset operational expenses at the Copley Library. How? Trustees approved moving the business collection out of the Kirstein’s own beautiful building and into the dank basement of the Copley Library. The emptied Kirstein library building, located on prime real estate downtown, moreover, is used by the city for office space, at no obvious benefit to the BPL. As mayor, how will you ensure that library trust funds are used for library enrichment only, not to offset operational or General Fund expenses?

WALSH: Generous individuals who wish to support the library should feel confident that their legacy will be safely and respectfully administered by the library. While it is possible that original intentions can become no longer viable, all efforts should be exhausted prior to breaking a trust. I feel that if Library Trustees have been carefully vetted and the process is public and transparent, there would be much less likelihood of such a process being a cause for misunderstanding and anger. Further, the Library should consider social entrepreneurship and increased fundraising efforts to offset the decrease in state and federal funding that many non-profit organizations are facing in the current fiscal climate. As Mayor, I intend to review all city property and resources to ensure the best allocation of resources throughout all the departments.

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STABILIZING LIBRARY FUNDING:Between 2008 and 2010 no one from the BPL or the city advocated for Boston’s library funding at the Legislature, so state funding declined. Trustees, moreover, who are appointed exclusively by the mayor, tend to not oppose mayoral proposals to cut the library budget, or fight for library budget increases, adding to the financial decline of the BPL. Would you support a dedicated tax for public libraries as part of the property tax, or come up with another fiscal instrument, to ensure a long-term strategy to stabilize and expand the BPL budget to meet the exponential growth in demand for library services and community space?

WALSH: Before considering additional taxes for the library, I would like to review the current budget of the library and ensure that it is operating in a fiscally responsible manner. Since ensuring a high quality education is key to my administration, I would not foresee considering cuts to library services. Just as I have pledged to provide universal pre-K education to all 4 year olds, I intend to make sure that libraries are open and available in all the neighborhoods to support this. While it is valuable to have lobbying services for the library, the people of Boston are the most powerful lobbyists themselves. When there was the threat of cuts to the library, they made their voices heard. I stood firm in the legislature to support the neighborhood branches, and I would do so even more firmly as Mayor. I would look forward to working with Library Administration and the Trustees to ensure a healthy and long-term plan for the expansion and success of the entire BPL system.

FOSEL 10/6/13 FOSEL 10/6/13

Which of the Mayoral Candidates Will Give Bostonians the Best Public Library System? Seven Public-Library Questions for the Mayoral Candidates: What Are Yours?

Boston is fortunate to have two contenders in the mayoral race who denounced the branch library closings proposed by Mayor Menino in 2010.

John Connolly spoke out against the proposal to shutter up to a third of the BPL’s branches when he was at-large city councillor. And Marty Walsh, as state representative of the 13th District, was part of the Boston delegation that threatened to cut millions in state funding to the BPL should any branch libraries be closed. And none were closed. However, the BPL is still a weak system, battered by decades of neglect, opaque decision-making, under-funding, and a leadership structure that is largely dependent on the good graces of the mayor of Boston. So here are seven questions for John Connolly and Marty Walsh, the answers to which may help you decide who could be the BPL’s knight in shining armor and give Bostonians the stellar library system they deserve.

LIBRARY HOURS: the 25 branch libraries, which service the vast majority of 625,000 Bostonians, are closed most evenings, Sundays and, in summer, Saturdays as well. The Copley Library, however, within walking distance of the 20,000 residents of the Back Bay, is open four nights a week, Saturdays and, except in the summer, Sundays. In other words, most of Boston's residents and their families whose taxes pay for the BPL, can't use their local library when they are off work. As mayor, will you make sure all libraries in the system are open nights and weekends to reflect the specific need for local access?

LIBRARY GOVERNANCE: BPL trustees can approve budgets, hire or fire BPL presidents, close libraries or keep them open. Yet, there are no required standards of professional library expertise or library advocacy to be appointed to the nine-member BPL board of trustees. There are no term limits. There is no requirement to show up at public meetings (and some trustees seldom do). There is no public vetting process for library trustees, nor a public confirmation process to make sure the library gets the best advocates possible to meet the public's needs. Board seats do not reflect specific library interests, either, as is the case elsewhere: for example, the interests of branch libraries differ from those of the Copley Library; young adults have different needs than seniors; book acquisition specialists have different concerns than book or art conservators. As mayor, would you set standards for library trustees and their performance, and consider appointing those who would be qualified advocates for specific library and neighborhood concerns?

BUILDING NEW LIBRARIES: Downtown Crossing is increasing its residential footprint. It is also a transportation hub where many young adults from all over the city hang out with little to do. As such, they can become easy targets for unfair and unneccesary criminalization by law enforcement. Nearby Chinatown, moreover, lost its library decades ago. As mayor, would you consider building an architecturally exciting downtown library with an outstanding young-adult department and a strong Asian profile that also replaces the long-lost Chinatown branch?

THE BPL FOUNDATION

: the BPL fundraising arm was created to repair the McKim building almost two decades ago, and will target its future campaign on the long-overdue Johnson Building renovation. It does not focus on branch libraries, however, or their local Friends groups' capital-improvement issues. But branches could use the Foundation's help. The East Boston Meridian library branch, for example, has 14 iconic WPA paintings that will cost $150,000 to restore before they can be installed in the new East Boston library. Their tiny Friends group is left on its own to raise the funds for it.

As mayor, would you direct the BPL Foundation to expand its mission and assist local Friends groups who want to preserve cultural and historic landmarks of importance to their neighborhood libraries?

LIBRARY TRUST FUNDS: these are meant to enrich the public library beyond capital and operational allocations from the city's General Fund, not to substitute for it. But in the case of the disputed Kirstein Business branch closing in 2009, two Kirstein trust funds that paid for the maintenance of that building and its collection, are now used to offset operational expenses at the Copley Library. How? Trustees approved moving the business collection out of the Kirstein's own beautiful building and into the dank basement of the Copley Library. The emptied Kirstein library building, located on prime real estate downtown, moreover, is used by the city for office space, at no obvious benefit to the BPL. As mayor, how will you ensure that library trust funds are used for library enrichment only, not to offset operational or General Fund expenses?

STABILIZING LIBRARY FUNDING:Between 2008 and 2010 no one from the BPL or the city advocated for Boston's library funding at the Legislature, so state funding declined. Trustees, moreover, who are appointed exclusively by the mayor, tend to not oppose mayoral proposals to cut the library budget, or fight for library budget increases, which further destabilizes the financial picture at the BPL. Would you support a dedicated tax for public libraries as part of the property tax, or come up with another fiscal instrument, to ensure a long-term strategy to stabilize and expand the BPL budget to meet the exponential growth in demand for library services and community space?

FOSEL 9/25/13 FOSEL 9/25/13

BPL Trustees Vote to Accept More Than Half a Million in Gifts to Library System, Including a $6,700 Donation by FOSEL to Make the SE Branch Fully Handicapped Accessible

At their most recent public meeting at the Adams Street Library in Dorchester, the BPL trustees voted to accept $503, 078.96 worth of donations during the 2013 fiscal year from different sources, including the MA Library Commissioners' Board ($147,350), Harvard University ($5,900), library patrons and many library Friends groups. Among them was a gift of $6,700 raised by FOSEL to make the South End branch fully handicapped accessible. FOSEL's was the next-to-largest gift to the BPL in the fiscal year, exceeded only by a donation from the Citywide Friends of the BPL for more than $28,000 for a variety of goals, including museum passes and audio-visual equipment.

*Head librarian Anne Smart and FOSEL board member Glyn Polson at newly refurbished library counter; library clerk Deborah Madrey is behind the counter.*

The official gifts to the BPL are only part of the story of local contributions to neighborhood libraries, suggesting a fertile source for fundraising should the BPL Foundation suddenly wake up and decide to partner withbranch libraries on matters of concern to neighborhood patrons. For example, a previous FOSEL board member paid more than $7,000 to have the library's oak tables restored several years ago, something that was never entered in the BPL's Gifts Received book. FOSEL also installed and maintains plantings in the tree pits around the library to the tune of thousands of dollars. FOSEL had the rugs cleaned. We refurbished the very popular seating area for yet more thousands. We purchased a lectern, book displays and computer tables, among other items. (We have asked the BPL several times to replace the broken pavement in front of the library, thus far without results. We also requested the five oaks in Library Park be trimmed, as their dead limbs and branches present a danger to park users. So far, no results.)

Most recently, FOSEL paid for a complete refurbishing of the South End branch's library counter. The wooden surface not only looked old and worn but also caused splinters in the hands of the staff when checking books in and out. The red vinyl upholstery facing the patrons was faded and torn, with the foam backing hanging out. Thanks to the excellent work of local contractor Jack Crane and long-time South End upholsterer John Egan, the counters are gleaming and smooth, the upholstery beautifully installed, and the staff is thrilled. FOSEL spent about $3,000 for the project, funds raised from you, our neighbors and supporters. A special thanks to long-time library volunteer Virginia Eskin, who brought the deteriorated counter to our attention and pushed us to get it done.

FOSEL 9/25/13 FOSEL 9/25/13

Danielle Legros Georges's Reading of her Recent Work Ranged Far and Wide, Including Translations from the French of Haitian Poet Ida Faubert

The first South End Writes guest of the season, Danielle Legros Georges, found a small but attentive audience that, by the time the reading was over, had become mesmerized by the poet's performance. Novelist Sue Miller, who introduced the Haitian-born writer she first met while serving with her on the Pen New England board, characterized the poet's 2001 book, Maroon, as one "it was necessary to have," the poems giving her "more pleasure each time I read them." Miller described Legros Georges's poems as deeply varied in both tone and subject, ranging from the ironic to the elegiac to the openly political; from the diaspora of the immigrant experience to the simple act of showering with a lover. Legros Georges read from Maroon, as well as newer work, including poetry by the 19th-century Haitian poet, Ida Faubert. Legros Georges, who is also an essayist and translator, read these first in French, then in English. Faubert was a daughter of a colonial Haitian president in the late 19th century, and is considered a major author in Haiti's literary cannon. She received the prestigious Chevalier de l'Ordre Honneur et Merite from the French government in 1956.

A powerful rendition of a poem Legros Georges composed about the catastrophic 2010 earthquake in Haiti, Intersection, consisted of one phrase, read some dozen times at varied intensity, with the poet's hands slowly rising. The phrase was, The earth shook; a portal opened; I walked though it. For those few minutes, the audience walked through the portal with Legros Georges, known for her dynamic performances, into the ash and earth.

The South End Writeshas booked another poet, Colin D. Halloran, who served with the U.S. Army in Afghanistan in 2006. A former public school teacher, Colin works with students and teachers to find ways in which poetry can inform the media’s and historians’ portrayals of war. His debut collection of poems, Shortly Thereafter, won the 2012 Main Street Rag Poetry Book Award. His reading is scheduled for Tuesday, April 8, 2014.

FOSEL 8/31/13 FOSEL 8/31/13

FOSEL's Final Summer Concert on Aug. 27 with WeJazzUp and Vocalists Pat Loomis and Wali Ali Had a Large Crowd Dancing in Library Park

There couldn't have been a better ending to the four jazz and blues concerts in Library Park last Tuesday. The weather was Vintage South End Summer Night: balmy bordering on the sultry. Locals hung out on their roof decks, back decks, stoops and sidewalk benches. Well over a hundred people were sitting on boulders and chairs, standing around clapping to the beat, hanging over the fences. Some just got off the Number 43 bus going down Tremont Street to find out what the fuss in the park was all about.

Others came down from their roof decks when they heard the music start up with WeJazzUp, featuring pianist Frank Wilkins and vocalists Pat Loomis and Wali Ali. When Loomis started to sing On Broadway, the crowd became electrified; by the time Wali Ali --formerly the lead guitarist for The Temptations-- got around to the last song of the evening, Let's Stay Together, a crowd was dancing on the worn-out pavement of Library Park.

Two young women who brought over platters of delicious wraps and sandwiches, free, from California Pizza Kitchen: They had spent many happy hours in the South End Library as children; now they wanted 'to give back.' FOSEL volunteers sliced up four watermelons. Measured by the number of watermelons consumed starting with the first performance on July 9 (two watermelons) to the second and third (three watermelons), the final concert was, among other things, a four-watermelon night.

Apart from the WeJazzUp appearance on August 27, the series featured Pat Loomis and Friends (July 9), Zeke Martin and Oracle (July 23), and the Charlie Brown Blues Band (August 13). It was sponsored by FOSEL and funded by the Ann H. Symington Foundation. We thank the staff of the South End Library and head librarian Anne Smart for their support. And we thank the volunteers who set up the chairs, put them back, plugged in extension cords, cleaned up the debris, purchased the watermelons and passed slices around.

And special thanks to graphic designer Mary Owens who produced the beautiful posters for the concerts. Next year....more concerts

FOSEL 8/27/13 FOSEL 8/27/13

Tonight's Concert with WeJazzUp and Vocalists Wali Ali and Pat Loomis Will Take Place Outdoors in Library Park OR Indoors, Inside the Library

Today's variable weather will not deter WeJazzUpfrom performing tonight's gig, the last in the series of four Jazz and Blues concerts sponsored by FOSEL. The band, with pianist Frank Wilkins, will have the first two vocalists of the season, one none other thanWali Ali, whose musical credits in addition to singing include having been the lead guitarist for The Temptations, Eddie Kendricks, Teena Marie, Rick James Patrice Rushen, Marvin Gaye, The Jacksons, Aretha Franklin, The Undisputed Truth and Norman Connors. The second singer is the musically versatile saxophonist Pat Loomis,who helped organize the summer series. His son, Antonio, performed two weeks ago in Library Park with the award-winning Charlie Brown Blues Band, which showcased five Boston Arts Academy music students.

The concerts are free. Bring chairs. Enjoy the sliced watermelon provided by FOSEL. The Jazz and Blues series is funded by a generous donation by the Ann H. Symington Foundation. The park is located on Tremont Street between West Newton Street and Rutland Square. Seating is limited. The music starts at 6:30 PM and ends around 8:00 PM. Restrooms are available inside the library which is open on Tuesday nights. The South End branch is fully handicapped accessible.

FOSEL 8/11/13 FOSEL 8/11/13

Finally: a Self-Checkout Machine Will Come to the South End Library Soon, to Be Combined with Patrons' Shelves for "Holds"

Self-checkout for Kids in the Minneapolis-Hennepin County Library System

Self-checkout machines will be coming to the BPL's branches at last, and to the South End branch specifically, within the next few months. "We'd hoped to have one installed by July," reported Christine Schonhart, BPL's Director of Branch Library Services, "but the bidding process stalled because the machine that was offered didn't work with our new Integrated Library System." Schonhart hopes a compatible self-checkout can be installed this fall, and to combine it with a 'self-hold' shelf where patrons can pick up the materials they ordered on-line. Among other advantages, a 'self-hold' area increases patrons' personal privacy about what materials they check out. The news about the acquisition of self-service equipment is part of the BPL's recent Branch Facilities Review, which focuses on the extent to which the branches are equipped to provide library services.

Why it took so long for the BPL to get up to speed with self-service technology can be attributed, in part, to the cost of the machines and the persistent under-funding of the public library system in Boston. Many other cities endowed their libraries with self-checkouts years ago, freeing up staff to do more high-octane tasks. The arrival of Amy Ryan as president of the BPL in 2008 may have pushed the issue to the fore since her previous employer, the Minneapolis-Hennepin County Library system, had self-checkouts in all its locations, including pint-sized versions in the Children's Departments, where the littlest generation learned self-checkout as they learned to pull favorite books off the shelf.

Two BPL trustees, current chair Jeff Rudman, and former trustee A. Raymond Tye --who passed away in 2010,-- generously paid for the first few BPL self-checkout machines from their personal funds a couple of years ago. These self-checkout machines are located in the Johnson building's entrance hall, sometimes hard to notice in the cavernous space that makes up that part of the downtown library, a problem that will hopefully be remedied soon with BPL plans to renovate the Johnson Building. At the time, the trustees were told each machine would cost about $25,000 but the price tag ranges anywhere from $20,000 to more than one million dollars, according to industry information. This YouTube video link explains how to use them.

The BPL self-checkouts in the Johnson Building, too, are combined with a self-hold area where library users can pick up the library treasure they ordered. Self-checkout systems that enable patrons to pick up their own holds during regular library hours are among the most popular self-service offerings, according to a 2010 article on self-service options inLibrary Journal. The article also mentioned that shifting tasks to users freed up staff to do other responsibilities, including a chronic backup from growing circulation.

FOSEL 8/4/13 FOSEL 8/4/13

The Third of the Summer's Library Park Jazz-and-Blues Concert Will Take Place Tuesday, August 13 at 6:30 PM, Featuring the Award-winning Charlie Brown Blues Band

the Charlie Bown Blues Band Concert August 13

FOSEL ordered dry weather for the Charlie Brown Blues Band concert on Tuesday, August 13, something we forgot to do for the Zeke Martin and Oracle performance on July 23, with the predictable result. We were rained out. The event had to move inside the South End library where drummer Martin's high-octane performance may have left the book shelves slightly out of place.But since the alternative was no music at all, some two dozen jazz-and-blues aficionados braved the branch's cookbook section, chick-lit paperback displays, librarians' desks and DVD racks to squeeze themselves into the make-shift rows of chairs. Then they sat back as the library turned into a sound stage. It was worth it.

In addition to drummer Zeke Martin, the Oracle band showcased bass player Joseph Sumrell; guitarist Scott Tarulli; and Rusty Hughes on keyboard. The playlist included one of the band's favorites, "In the Middle," composed by Sumrell, followed by "Traffic," a creation by Hughes, featuring the sensational Martin drumming segment that left the library's furniture slightly ashake. It was followed by a nice rendering of Bob Hebb's "Sunny," which led into "Skinny," from Martin's first CD, Landscapes. "Shade Dance," which came next, is another number composed by a band member, guitarist Tarulli; the final two were "In Motion." from the Martin CD Funky Stuff; and "It Ain't You," from their latest CD, Four. No, there were no copies available for sale. "I forgot. Don't tell my wife," said Zeke Martin. "She'll kill me."

The Charlie Brown Blues Band, playing at 6:30 PM on Tuesday, August 13, is made up of a group of five highschool students from the Boston Arts Academy.They include Faraday Julien Fontimus, Christoff Glaude, Leshawn Harris, Antonio Shiel-Loomis and Joshua Sutherland. This year, the band won the 2013 Fidelity Investments Young Artists Competition and played with the Boston Pops at Symphony Hall on May 29. You may recall Antonio Shiel-Loomis, the son of saxophonist Pat Loomis, who played guitar for the first summer concert performance in Library Park on July 9.

The concerts are free. Bring chairs. Enjoy the sliced watermelon provided by FOSEL. Check this web site for weather-related changes. The Jazz and Blues series is funded by a generous donation by the Ann H. Symington Foundation.

The final concert will be on Tuesday, August 27 at 6:30 PM with pianist Frank Wilkin's group, WeJazzUp.

FOSEL 7/21/13 FOSEL 7/21/13

Phil Gambone's June 18 Talk Tracing His Father's WWII Route Concluded the 2012-2013 SE Writes; New Season to Resume September 10 with Poet Danielle LeGros Georges

Among the bric-a-brac left by author Phil Gambone's father, a soldier in the Fifth Armored Victory Division that landed in Normandy in July 1944, were a handful of souvenir maps of the route the soldiers took when they fought themselves across occupied Europe, from Utah Beach to Berlin. But when they actually did the fighting and dying, they didn't know where they were. It was a closely held secret until they received the souvenir maps when the war was over in May 1945. War secrets ended, but silence about the war took its place. The father was unable to speak of what he experienced during that war; the son acquired silences of his own, as a gay man, and a student at Harvard during the 1960s who was opposed to the Vietnam War. Unfolding the story embedded in his father's war mementos and the unfinished business of who father and son were as men became the subject of Gambone's latest book-in-progress, As Far As I Can Tell: Retracing my Father's WWII Route Across Europe.

As the last author of the 2012-2013 South End Writes series, Gambone described his father as a man of few words, even before the war. He was too shy to ask the vivacious young woman who became Gambone's mother to marry him: she had to ask (and he immediately accepted). While other GIs sent copious mail home, Gambone's dad left a paltry record of six greeting cards. Gambone since discovered that the reluctance to talk about the war is universal among veterans, even those who fought the so-called good war that brought victory. "There seemed to be no way to connect the carnage they had seen with the civil life they lived afterward," Gambone told the spell-bound audience at the South End Library in June. "Your father said the war was horrible," his mother told him. But in retracing the route of the Fifth Armored in Europe during several trips in the last few years, Gambone said his father revealed himself as a man of courage and stamina, and the author began to berate himself for the lack of attention he had paid paid to his dad.

They would meet regularly at The Wursthaus in Cambridge for lunch, but Gambone said he felt they didn't have a lot in common. "The lunches were uncomfortable, stiff," he said. "I wish now we'd talked more but then our conversations were perfunctory." The quest to understand his father became one about finding himself and discovering his own values. He reminded himself that despite the vast destruction that played out in Europe during the Second World War, the same continent was also known for what it had built in previous centuries: transportation networks, exquisite buildings, museums, cathedrals, bridges. Following in his father's steps, he also had to acknowledge what it was that he himself valued, what he one day might want to fight for, thereby, as he put it, " unlocking the silence of each of the men we came to be."

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The next SOUTH END WRITES series will resume Tuesday, September 10, with a reading by Haitian-American poet Danielle Legros Georges. The essayist and translator is the author of a book of poems, Maroon (Curbstone Press, 2001). Her work has appeared

in numerous literary journals and anthologies, and been featured on National Public Radio, The Bill Moyers Journal (PBS), and The Voice of America programs. Her awards for writing include MacDowell Colony and LEF fellowships, and the PEN New England Discovery Award. She is a visiting faculty member of the William Joiner Center, University of Massachusetts Boston, and leads the Greater Brockton Society for Poetry and the Arts Poetry Workshop.

FOSEL HAS ALSO BOOKED THE FOLLOWING AUTHORS:

Tuesday, October 1: George Cuddy, who wrote the e-book Where Hash Rules, about Charlie's Sandwich Shoppe on Columbus Avenue, famous for many reasons, most recently the visit by President Barack Obama who ordered a cheeseburger with lettuce, tomato, mustard and fries to go, while in town for a fundraiser.

Tuesday, October 22: bestselling thriller writer Joe Finder, author of among other books Paranoia, Company Men, Killer Instinct and Power Play. The movie version of Paranoia is scheduled for release in a theater near you in August. It is directed by Robert Luketic and stars Liam Hemsworth, Gary Oldman, Harrison Ford, Lucas Till, Amber Heard, Embeth Davidtz, Julian McMahon, Josh Holloway and Richard Dreyfuss.

Wednesday, November 13: Megan Marshall, author of the award-winning The Peabody Sisters, will read from her most recent biography, the widely praised Margaret Fuller: a New American Life. Those of you who attended the dynamic SEWrites reading by April Bernard(Miss Fuller) in February may recall her admiring comments about the upcoming Fuller biography by Marshall.

Tuesday, December 3: J. Courtney Sullivan, bestselling author and former New York Times writer whose novels include Commencement,Maine -- winner of the Best Book of the Year by Time magazine-- and, most recently, The Engagegements.

Tuesday, January 14, 2014: South Ender Christopher Castellani, whose recent novel All This Talk of Love got a great review in the New York Times Book Review earlier this year. Previous work includes A Kiss from Maddalena, winner of the 2004 Massachusetts Book Award, and The Saint of Lost Things, a BookkSense Notable Award. Castellani is the artistic director of Boston's creative-writing center Grub Street.

Tuesday, February 25: novelist, short-story writer, editor and teacher of creative writing, Michael Lowenthal will read fromhis most recent The Paternity Test, which describes the voyage of a gay couple trying to save a marriage by having a baby. His previous work includes Charity Girl and The Same Embrace. During Lowenthal's valedictorian speech at Dartmouth College in 1990, he revealed he was gay, prompting The Dartmouth Review to editorialize that he had 'ruined the ceremony.' The New York Times reported he received a standing ovation, however, so all was not lost.

FOSEL 7/15/13 FOSEL 7/15/13

Library Pop Quiz: Which of Five Activities Took Place at the South End Branch Last Tuesday, July 9?

Written and reported by Ruth Rothstein, FOSEL board member

POP QUIZ!

Quick, take out a sheet of paper and number one through five. Which of these activities were taking place Tuesday night July 9 at the South End Library?

*A Library Park crowd for Pat Loomis on July 9*

1. A Jazz concert featuring a well-known local jazz band

2. A Shakespeare reading from an upcoming production of the Commonwealth Shakespeare Company

3. An Art Opening Reception of new paintings, old masters’ style

4. A meeting of local politicos strategizing for the upcoming city-wide elections that includes a once-in-two-decades mayoral race

5. All of the Above!

Did you get an A? Yes, all of these activities were taking place under one roof of the BPL’s South End branch Tuesday evening on Tremont Street, each one free and accessible to the public: the Pat Loomis jazz concert took place in the library’s park next door; Zen O’Connor’s art exhibit was on display on the first floor; Judith Klau’s talk about Two Gentlemen of Verona settled in the upstairs community room; and the politicos’ Ward 4 Democratic meeting featuring Rep. Byron Rushing and at-large City Council candidate Michelle Wu, among other luminaries, brainstormed in the Children’s Room.

“A plethora of riches,” said Helaine Simmons of East Springfield Street.

“Something for everyone,” Margie Cohen of West Brookline Street observed.

“Every corner, crack and cranny, there was something going on,“ cracked library regular John Jones of West Newton Street.

Whether your cultural tastes skew towards music, theater, art or politics, that night of July 9 the South End library offered residents a taste of all of these: and you didn’t have to leave the neighborhood. Once again, our local library proves itself an invaluable resource for all. As this month continues, on Tuesday, July 16th artist Zen O'Conor will give a gallery talk illuminating his work. The next FOSEL-sponsored jazz concert with Zeke Martin and Oracle is scheduled for 6:30 the evening of July 23rd. Don’t miss out, be sure to include the SE Library in your summer plans.

FOSEL 7/7/13 FOSEL 7/7/13

Tuesday Night, July 9, at the SE Library Means: Jazz with Pat Loomis in Library Park; an Artist Talk by Painter Zen O'Conor Inside; and Henna Tatoos with Nimmi Sehgal, if This Is Still Not Good Enuf

Tuesday July 9 by 6:30 PM the South End branch should be hopping: Pat Loomis and his band will kick of FOSEL's first steps into the summer-concert scene at Library Park, weather permitting. Check this web site for last-minute cancelations should the thunderstorm system roving over New England decide to hit on defenseless library patrons..

Indoors, also at 6:30 PM, Scottish artist Zen O’Conor will open his show of oil paintings with a talk about his work. O'Conor, who lives in the Piano Craft Guild artist building, was trained in classic French and Flemish oil painting techniques and will show his work at the library during July. In August, he'll return to Scotland to teach at the Gallery of Realist Art.

Finally, should neither music nor art exhibits catch your fancy, how about a henna tatoo from Nimmi Seghal? Check this link for details. Ms. Seghal has delivered tatoos at the branch previously and, should you miss her on Tuesday July 9, is scheduled to return to the South End Library on August 27 at 6:30 PM.

Both the jazz concert and the henna tatoo event have been sponsored by FOSEL, that means YOU, and many thanks for that. The art exhibit was organized by members of the Piano Factory, a group that supports local artists, with support of the staff of the South End Library. All events are free. For further questions, call the library staff at 617 536-8241.

LAST MINUTE ADDITION: South End resident and Shakespeare fan Judith Klau will talk about Two Gentlemen of Verona on Tuesday, July 9 at 6:30 PM in the upstairs conference room, which is wheelchair accessible. This play will be performed at the Boston Common until July 26 in a production by the Commonwealth Shakespeare Company.

FOSEL 7/1/13 FOSEL 7/1/13

BPL Leadership Tells Landmarks Commissioners its Johnson Building's Protected Design Stands in the Way of Delivering 21st-Century Library Services

*BPL Central Library's building, encased by a chastity belt of granite plinths, creating an unwelcoming, defensive street image*

The BPL campaign to dramatically revamp Copley Library's evil twin, otherwise known as the Johnson building, gathered significant steam last Tuesday when the Library's executives, trustees and hired architects pleaded with the Boston Landmarks Commission to not have the building's landmark designation stand in the way of critically needed changes. The cavernous 1972 addition to the beloved and mostly restored McKim Building of the Central Library in Copley Square has long been criticized for its unwelcoming, gloomy and hard-to-navigate space. The BPL recently requested public comments about the building; hundreds were received, mostly negative, some scathing, others thoughtful and expressing hope for a better library.

That hope may be rewarded or quashed by the 17-member Boston Landmarks Commission in whose hands rests the landmark status of the four areas of the Johnson building targeted for change. They include most of the 97 vertical plinths strapped around the site like a granite chastity belt; the Boylston Street lobby, visually maimed by both Soviet-style security apparatus and walls that prevent easy interior access to the McKim building; Deferrari Hall, located in the center where a lonely BPL reference desk librarian holds sway; as well as the entire Central Library block --including its landscaping, now squeezed between the plinths and the building-- where the one-million-square-foot structure designed by acclaimed late-modernist architect Philip Johnson is located on Boylston Street at Exeter.

"The Johnson building never worked," BPL president Amy Ryan told the Landmark commissioners. "It doesn’t engage the

visitor, it is not connected to the streetscape, it needs to improve navigation and create a space that is inviting. It should make itself into a true destination for people from Boston, the state and all over the world. There aren’t enough restrooms, there’s a lack of connection between the buildings, the lobby isn’t good. For a city of the this stature, we can do better. This is the moment to make the Boston library the best in the world."

William Rawn Associates, the architects working with the BPL to breathe new life into the Central Library, hopes to get approval for proposed changes that, while early in the design process, have already been received enthusiastically by the BPL which has held a handful of public meetings on the subject since late last year. The renovations include taking down the granite plinths on Boylston and Exeter streets --leaving the ones on Blagden Street-- so as to visually reconnect the interior of the library to the exterior life on the streets; replacing the Boylston-Street mullioned single-pane windows of the so-called Boston Room with high-performing clear glass without mullions; and removing the lobby's interior walls to open up the space for, among other improvements, easy access to the McKim building and newly designed book-browsing and exhibit areas. Initial digital designs of the reconfigured street-level space showed a bustling area transformed by clear signage, warm-colored materials, numerous informational meeting points and even a wavey ceiling.

Both the chairman of the Library Board, attorney Jeff Rudman, and trustee Rep. Byron Rushing, who as a South End legislator represents the largest Victorian landmark district in the country, made the case to the Landmark commissioners that the Library's mission, "Free to All," is undermined by the current design of the Johnson building. "There are two landmarks before you," Rudman told the commissioners. "One is the Johnson building; the other is the tradition of a democratic education as envisioned by the founders of the library. The Johnson building in its current state does not fulfill the intent of the library’s founders. It’s not welcoming. It says, ‘stay back.'” Rudman, who several years ago spearheaded Mayor Thomas Menino's unfortunate's efforts to close up to a third of the BPL's branches, eloquently completed last Tuesday's testimony by pointing out that in today's era of growing economic inequality, the library can be the 'first responder.' “I am asking you to join with us to fight inequality. It can’t be done if you won’t come in. Preserving the tradition of self-education is more important than plinths,” he suggested to the commissioners.

Johnson Building Improvement Project's Graphic Design of Hundreds of Public-Comments

For their part, the Landmark commissioners listened respectfully but expressed concerns about design elements that mattered 'should not be thrown away.' "Buildings are landmarked for a reason," one commissioner pointed out, adding that the plinths, for example, matched design elements of the McKim building. But Boston Architectural College president, Ted Landsmark, testified in response that a number of Philip Johnson's iconic buildings were subsequently modified for 'utilitarian and esthetic reasons,' including the Elmer Holms Bobst library at New York University. Commissioners also focused on the future of libraries in general, to which BPL president Ryan responded that both digitization and foot traffic had vastly increased in libraries everywhere. Replacing mullioned glass windows with glass walls that has no mullions brought some questions, and having functional and programmatic unity for the different elements of the proposed uses of space inside the library was another issue.

The Johnson Building Improvement Project has thus far benefited from full-throated political and budgetary supported by outgoing Mayor Menino. Also in play is the deep public-library expertise of the architectural firm of William Rawn (Cambridge Public Library, Mattapan, East Boston, and even the New York Public Library in the 1980s) as well as an engaged and well-connected eight-member Community Advisory Committee of downtown residents established under the BPL's strategic plan.

An important and controversial aspect of the project involves unresolved details surrounding the commercialization of some of the street-level publicly owned space in the Johnson building on Exeter and Boylston Streets. Lower-level areas around the Rabb Lecture Hall are also seen as possibilities for functions that could generate income for the BPL. So far, the word has been that any commercialization has to be "mission compatible" with the library's. The Children's Library, currently located at street level target for commercialization, will be more than doubled in size and move to the light-flooded second floor, with its own elevator access. An up-to-date teen space would be moved to that level, as well.

The BPL's application for approval to landmarked spaces will take up to five months. Regular updates will be available on both the BPL and the FOSEL web sites. Previous FOSEL coverage includes these links, one and two. The illustrated word posters were created by the BPL based on the many public comments received about the Johnson building.

FOSEL 6/29/13 FOSEL 6/29/13

Four Jazz and Blues Concerts Will Be Coming to Library Park in July and August, Starting Tuesday, July 9, at 6:30 PM, with Pat Loomis and His Band

Last summer's outdoor jazz concert with saxophonist Pat Loomis received such enthusiastic response that FOSEL decided to organize a small jazz and blues music series with two concerts each in July (the 9th and the 23rd) and August (the 13th and the 27th). Loomis himself recruited three other bands. A generous local donor paid for the concerts. The Boston Parks Department issued the permits. A long extension cord will allow the bands to move from the space-with-the-cracked-sidewalk between the South End Library and Library Park into the park itself. All you have to do is come when the music commences and...enjoy. Loomis will play the first concert on July 9.

The second July performance will feature Oracle, with drummer Zeke Martin. The son of American jazz drummer Stu Martin, Zeke claims he was born with drumsticks in his hands but further developed his technique in the Jazz & Percussion Ensembles and Band when he attended Cambridge Rindge & Latin High School. He received the Pasquale and Mary Reale Music Award and performed the percussion solo at the CRLS Graduation. His band, The Zeke Martin Project, won Best Jazz CD at New England Urban Music Awards in 2009. Zeke coaches drumming and teaches at Music and Arts Center in Newton and Milford, and at Northeastern University.

The August concerts on the 13th and 27th are showcasing, respectively, The Charlie Brown Blues Band and WeJazzUp with Frank Wilkins at the keyboard. The Charlie Brown Blues Band, a group of five highschool students from the Boston Arts Academy, won the 2013 Fidelity Investments Young Artists Competition and played with the Boston Pops at Symphony Hall on May 29.

The four events are free and open to all. They will take place on Tuesdays when the South End library is open at night, which means restroom facilities will be available.

FOSEL 6/8/13 FOSEL 6/8/13

Filmmaker Alice Stone Returns to "The South End Writes" With an Update on Her Documentary, "Angelo Unwritten" Tuesday June 11 at 6:30 PM

South End filmmaker Alice Stone will present what may be the final installment of her feature-length documentary, "Angelo Unwritten," on Tuesday, June 11 at 6:30 PM at the South End Library. Examining the complicated path of a Latino youngster, Angelo, who is placed in foster care with a Caucasian couple at age 12 , the film puts a compelling spotlight on what goes into the making of a family in the context of foster care. The focus has been on his biological family who couldn't care for him, the social workers who defended Angelo's interests as they saw it, and the fiercely loyal foster parents who often groped in the dark for the right answers on how to raise Angelo. In that, most parents viewing the movie will find kinship with those who loved, cared for and were exasperated by Angelo.

Stone's 2012 video clips told the tale of of Angelo having been removed from his foster home at age 17, after the teen had started getting into trouble. The foster parents asked for a routine five-day respite, but it turned into a seven-month separation, against their wishes. Angelo since rejoined his foster parents but, at age 18, is no longer technically in their custody. Nevertheless, they are trying to become a family again. The documentary will follow the family as Angelo makes his way toward high school graduation this year. A Boston Globe's reviewer of last year's video clip of Angelo Unwritten described it as "a not uncommon tale of a child adopted out of foster care who runs into a host of difficulties growing up. The film so far is crisply edited and deeply felt, but this is just a nine-minute snippet of what looks like an epic tale that will no doubt be challenging to put together." Filmmaker Stone recently raised funds through Kickstart for this documentary.

Alice Stone graduated from Harvard College and made the 1994 short film about women motorcyclists, She Lives to Ride. She created a reality television series, Ding Dong Feng Shui, and has written and directed four comedy shorts, two of which continue to screen at the Coolidge Corner Theater in Brookline, MA. The author of four screenplays, Stone co-wrote and edited the documentary feature, Goodbye Baby (New Day Films), about international adoption from the Guatemalan perspective, and edited the feature, No Turning Back, about a human rights activist. She began her career editing political music videos for Peter Gabriel, Jackson Browne and others, and was an assistant editor on The Silence of the Lambs and The Crucible, among other projects.

The next and final reading of the 2012/2013 South End Writes season is Tuesday, June 18, 6:30 p.m. when Philip Gambone, the South End author of Travels in a Gay Nation; Beijng: a Novel; and The Language We Use Up Here, will present his most recent work-in-progress, As Far As I Can Tell: Tracing the World War II Route of My Father Across Europe. Gambone has just returned from his third trip to Europe shadowing the footsteps of his father who never spoke about his war experience.

FOSEL 5/26/13 FOSEL 5/26/13

South End Writes Speakers Dennis Lehane (5/14) and Alice Hoffman (5/21) Say Having Access to Public Libraries as Children Was Critical to Their Development as Writers

In closely timed appearances at the South End Library this month, two very different but equally successful Boston-based authors singled out community libraries as institutions that gave them the unique chance to find themselves as readers, thinkers and writers."I'm here because of the library," was the unequivocal statement Dennis Lehanemade before a standing-room only crowd in mid-May. "It's like A plus B is C. If you remove B, I wouldn't be here."

Alice Hoffman seconded he motion a week later before another standing-room only crowd at the South End branch when she said, "It gave me a special feeling when I could take out as many books as I wanted from my library in Melbourne on Long Island. That's how I was able to choose other worlds. I was an escapist reader, as I am an escapist writer."

*Dennis Lehane and fans at the South End Library*

Dennis Lehane choose not to read from his recent novel, Live by Night, but instead talked about what it took to turn himself into a writer. "Ten thousand hours," he said. "That's what it takes to become good." Lehane said he came from a literary family. "They were storytellers," he explained. "We'd visit relatives on weekends, and they'd tell stories. Eight weeks later, they'd tell the same stories, except they'd be different. They had tweaked them." At a local bar where his father would take him for a ginger ale with a straw, storytelling was a blood sport with little tolerance for a slow-moving tale. "Turn the set back on Jimmy," customers would shout when they heard an inauthentic or unfocused account. What would carry the day was the authentic tragedies of the working class he came from, leavened by humor: "I got screwed. But I keyed his car. And I slept with his sister. And told her brother about it." Finally, Lehane said, there was nothing else he could do except make up stories and get people to believe them. "My fear was I’d end up serving beers at Vaughn’s and someone’d say, ‘Hey Hemingway, pour me another Bud.’" Reading urban novels by writers like Richard Price --The Wanderers, Clocker-- changed his life. The characters were a revelation, he said. "I knew those people, what was in their kitchens," Lehane said. "I'd found my subject."

"Many authors talk about themselves but I like to escape from my life," commented Alice Hoffman when describing her writing life a week later. She added she realizes "increasingly how autobiographical my work actually is." By way of explaining both the escape attempt and the discovery her work may be about her life after all, Hoffman took as an example an earlier novel, The Ice Queen. "It's about a girl struck by lightning who survived it. I may have been writing about myself, as a survivor, of cancer. But I removed myself from the circumstances of it,” she said. "Often the writer is the last to know what the book is about.”

*Alice Hoffman signing books at the library*

The genus of The Dovekeepers was hearing from a guide while visiting her son, an archeologist working in Israel, that there might have been women survivors from the siege in Massada.“That’s when I knew I had a novel,” she said. “These were my themes: love, loss, survival, and women in war who need to protect their children." Visiting Massada in the summer when it was 105 degrees and no one else was there, she found the experience "so mystical, it was as if I could almost hear the women,” she said. A nearby museum with many artifacts from those times further brought the people who lived there to life.“There’s a lack of women’s voices in history,” Hoffman observed: in The Dovekeepers the four female narrators describe their lives at Massada, and the intertwining arts of magic, herbs, medicine, and even witchcraft which, though outlawed, was the territory of women. It took Hoffman five years to write this book. “Had I known how much research I’d needed to do for The Dovekeepers, I never would have done it,” she said. She found a mentor in Richard Elliott Friedman, a biblical scholar at the University of Georgia who happened to be a visiting scholar at Brandeis where Hoffman teaches. “It was a huge gift to have a mentor. It changed my life and my career,” she said. “Whenever I had a question, he’d say, ‘don’t worry, I’ll call my rabbi.’”

Hoffman's next book is a “really little non-fiction book,” she said, which talks about ten things to do when you’re diagnosed with breast cancer. The author helped found the Hoffman Breast Center at Mount Auburn Hospital. The five favorite books of Dennis Lehane and Alice Hoffman can be found under The South End Reads tab.

FOSEL 5/15/13 FOSEL 5/15/13

The Boston Public Library Has Purchased More Than 2,400 Books on Grieving and Anxiety to Help Adults and Children Cope With the Trauma and Loss After the Marathon Bombings

At a budget hearing before the Boston City Council earlier this month, BPL president Amy Ryan told the councilors that the library purchased more than 2,000 books on coping with anxiety, grieving and loss after the Marathon bombings. In addition, even though the main library at Copley Square was forced to close for a week due to its close proximity to the bombing site, all the 25 branches were open the next day. "They were crowded," reported Ryan. "People were busy checking in with one another. Libraries are community spaces." According to Catherine Willis, Chief of Technical and Digital Services at the BPL, a total of 2,410 books were ordered on the subject of loss and anxiety. The cost for the books would have been more than $30,000 but the vendor gave the BPL a 'sizeable' discount to bring the final amount down to around $15,000. The books have begun to arrive at libraries throughout the system, including the South End Library.

South End Library's children's librarian Margaret Gardner collected several links for library patrons, including:

1. Tips for parents and teachers on how to deal with children's fear of war and terrorism from the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP)

2. Talking to children about violence, also by NASP

3. Talking with kids about news, sponsored by PBS Parents

4. Times of Grief and Sadness, a list of 19 books for children from the BPL web site's Boston PL Kids Lists.

Gardner told FOSEL that kids and teens who have been at the South End branch since the bombings have expressed themselves through art, which she plans to continue to do. Two teens created "the dove of peace" in the front window facing Tremont Street the first week after the bombing, and another teen artist made the two doves of peace by the circulation counter, with hand prints and words from younger children.

Below is the full list of the BPL's books that are, or will soon be arriving at a library near you, and the number of copies available.

ADULT:

Aikman, Becky. Saturday night widows : the adventures of six friends remaking their lives

Albano, Anne Marie. You and your anxious child : free your child from fears and worries and create a joyful family life

Amend, Allison. A nearly perfect copy : a novel

Askew, Rilla. Kind of kin

Backhaus, Jeff. Hikikomori and the rental sister : a novel

Bacon, Armen. Griefland : an intimate portrait of love, loss, and unlikely friendship

Bateman, Tracey Victoria. The widow of Saunders Creek : a novel

Baudrillard, Jean The Spirit of Terrorism : And Other Essays

Beattie, Melody. The grief club : the secret to getting through all kinds of change

Bedford, Lisa. Survival mom : how to prepare your family for everyday disasters and worst-case scenarios

Berger, Susan A. The five ways we grieve : finding your personal path to healing after the loss of a loved one

Bessette, Alicia. A pinch of love

Bien, Thomas. The Buddha's Way of Happiness : healing sorrow, transforming negative emotion & finding well-being in the present moment

Blaustein, Margaret. Treating traumatic stress in children and adolescents : how to foster resilience through attachment, self-regulation, and competency

Brach, Tara. True refuge : finding peace and freedom in your own awakened heart

Brantley, Jeffrey. Calming your anxious mind : how mindfulness & compassion can free you from anxiety, fear, & panic

Brown, Erica, 1966- Happier endings : overcoming the fear of death

Bstan-Êdzin-rgya-mtsho, Dalai Lama XIV, 1935- The wisdom of compassion : stories of remarkable encounters and timeless insights

Burns, Donna M. When kids are grieving : addressing grief and loss in school

Chansky, Tamar Ellsas. Freeing your child from anxiety : powerful, practical strategies to overcome your child's fears, phobias, and worries

ChoÌˆdroÌˆn, Pema. Comfortable with uncertainty : 108 teachings on cultivating fearlessness and compassion

ChoÌˆdroÌˆn, Pema. The places that scare you : a guide to fearlessness in difficult times

ChoÌˆdroÌˆn, Pema. When things fall apart : heart advice for difficult times

Chopra, Deepak. God : a story of Revelation

Cloyed, Deborah. The summer we came to life

Coetzee, J. M., 1940- Slow man

Cohen, Judith A. Treating trauma and traumatic grief in children and adolescents / A Clinician's Guide

Cohen, Leah Hager. The grief of others

Cooper, Gwen, 1971- Love saves the day : a novel

Cope, Pam. Jantsen's gift : a true story of grief, rescue, and grace

Dahlie, Michael. The best of youth : a novel

De Becker, Gavin. The gift of fear : survival signals that protect us from violence

De Feo, Ronald. Solo pass

Deits, Bob, 1933- Life after loss : a practical guide to renewing your life after experiencing major loss

Deraniyagala, Sonali. Wave

Didion, Joan. The year of magical thinking

Dreher, Rod. The little way of Ruthie Leming : a Southern girl, a small town, and the secret of a good life

Dunn, Bill. Through a season of grief : devotions for your journey from mourning to joy

Ellmann, Lucy, 1956- Mimi : a novel

Emerson, David, 1969- Overcoming trauma through yoga : reclaiming your body

Ericsson, Stephanie, 1953- Companion through the darkness : inner dialogues on grief

Evans, Richard Paul. The road to grace

Frankl, Viktor E. (Viktor Emil), 1905-1997. Man's search for meaning

Frazier, Ian. The cursing mommy's book of days

Friedman, Russell. Moving beyond loss : real answers to real questions from real people

Gaiman, Neil. Fragile things : short fictions and wonders

Gewirtz, Matthew D. The gift of grief : finding peace, transformation, and renewed life after great sorrow

Gil, Eliana Working with children to heal interpersonal trauma : the power of play

Gilbert, Kellie Coates. Mother of Pearl

Goldman, Linda, 1946- Great answers to difficult questions about death : what children need to know

Gonzales, Laurence, 1947- Surviving survival : the art and science of resilience

Gordon, Terry A. No storm lasts forever : transforming suffering into insight

Greenspan, Miriam. Healing through the dark emotions : the wisdom of grief, fear, and despair

Greenwood, T. (Tammy) The hungry season

Guthrie, Nancy O love that will not let me go : facing death with courageous confidence in God

Hall, Louisa, 1982- The carriage house : a novel

Hance, Jackie. I'll see you again : a memoir

Henkin, Joshua. The world without you

Hickman, Martha Whitmore, 1925- Healing after loss : daily meditations for working through grief

Higgins, Lisa Verge. The proper care and maintenance of friendship

Hinton, J. Lynne. Welcome back to Pie Town

Hodges, Samuel J Grieving with hope : finding comfort as you journey through loss

Holland, Debra. The essential guide to grief and grieving

Hunter, John, 1954- author. World peace and other 4th-grade achievements

Isaacs, Florence. My deepest sympathies : meaningful sentiments for condolence notes, plus a guide to eulogies

Jacobson, Don When God makes lemonade : true stories that amaze and encourage

James, John W. The grief recovery handbook : the action program for moving beyond death, divorce, and other losses including health career, and faith

James, John W. When children grieve : for adults to help children deal with death, divorce, pet loss, moving, and other losses

Kabat-Zinn, Jon. Wherever you go, there you are : mindfulness meditation in everyday life

Kimball, Michael, 1967- Big Ray : a novel

King, Claire, 1980- The Night Rainbow

Kinkade, Thomas, 1958-2012. A wandering heart

Klein, Daniel M. Nothing serious : a novel

Kolf, June Cerza. When will I stop hurting? : dealing with a recent death

Kornfield, Jack The Art Of Forgiveness, Lovingkindess, And Peace

Krueger, William Kent. Ordinary grace : a novel

KuÌˆbler-Ross, Elisabeth. On death and dying : what the dying have to teach doctors, nurses, clergy, and their own families

KuÌˆbler-Ross, Elisabeth. On grief and grieving : finding the meaning of grief through the five stages of loss

Kultgen, Chad, 1976- The average American marriage : a novel

Kumar, Sameet M. Grieving mindfully : a compassionate and spiritual guide to coping with loss

Kushner, Harold S. The book of Job : when bad things happened to a good person

Kushner, Harold S. When bad things happen to good people

Lankford, Adam, 1979- The myth of martyrdom : what really drives suicide bombers, rampage shooters, and other self-destructive killers

Latiolais, Michelle. Widow : stories

Lavigne, Michael. The wanting

Lee, Ashton. The Cherry Cola Book Club

Lee, Deborah. The compassionate-mind guide to recovering from trauma and PTSD : using compassion-focused therapy to overcome flashbacks, shame, guilt, and fear

Lee, Linda Francis. Emily and Einstein / A Novel of Second Chances

Levine, Peter A. Trauma-proofing your kids : a parents' guide for instilling confidence, joy and resilience

Levine, Peter A. Waking the tiger : healing trauma : the innate capacity to transform overwhelming experiences

Lewis, C. S. (Clive Staples), 1898-1963. A grief observed

Malchiodi, Cathy A. The art therapy sourcebook

Marasco, Ron. About grief : insights, setbacks, grace notes, taboos

Martin, John D. I can't stop crying : it's so hard when someone you love dies

Martinez, J. Michael (James Michael) Terrorist attacks on American soil : from the Civil War era to the present

Matta, Christy. The stress response : how dialectical behavior therapy can free you from needless anxiety, worry, anger, & other symptoms of stress

Miller, Serena, 1950- Hidden mercies : a novel

Milliken, Maureen. The afterlife survey : a Rabbi, a CEO, a dog walker, and others on the universal question - what comes next?

NhaÌÌ‚t H?anh, ThiÌch Anger : wisdom for cooling the flames

NhaÌÌ‚t H?anh, ThiÌch. Fear : essential wisdom for getting through the storm

Nugent, Benjamin. Good kids : a novel

Odell, Jonathan, 1951- The healing : a novel

Orange, Cynthia. Shock waves : a practical guide to living with a loved one's PTSD

Paisley, Michelle Yoga for a Broken Heart : A Spiritual Guide to Healing from Break-Up, Loss, Death or Divorce

Peretti, Frank E. Illusion : a novel

Podrug, Junius. The disaster survival bible

Punnett, Ian, 1960- How to pray when you're pissed at God / Or Anyone Else for That Matter

Quick, Matthew, 1973- The silver linings playbook

Rando, Therese A. How to go on living when someone you love dies

Raney, Deborah. After all

Rapp, Emily. The still point of the turning world

Rathkey, Julia Wilcox. What children need when they grieve : the four essentials : routine, love, honesty, and security

Ratner, Austin. In the land of the living : a novel

Ritchie, Cinthia. Dolls behaving badly : a novel

Rogers, Michael Allen, 1949- What happens after I die?

Rothbaum, Barbara Olasov. Reclaiming your life from a traumatic experience : workbook

Rothschild, Babette. Trauma essentials : the go-to guide

Rupp, Joyce. My soul feels lean : poems of loss and restoration

Scheunemann, Frauke. Puppy love

Schonfeld, David J., 1959- The grieving student : a teacher's guide

Schrank, Ben. Love is a canoe

Schuster, Marc, 1973- The grievers

Simons, Paullina, 1963- Children of liberty

Smith, Haywood, 1949- Out of warranty

Smolinski, Jill. Objects of my affection

Sorensen, Julia. Overcoming loss : activities and stories to help transform children's grief and loss

Spencer, Elizabeth DuPont, 1966- The anxiety cure for kids : a guide for parents

Spencer, Katherine, 1955- The Way Home : Thomas Kinkade's Angel Island

Stahl, Bob. Calming the rush of panic : a mindfulness-based stress reduction guide to freeing yourself from panic attacks & living a vital life

Stavlund, Mike. A force of will : the reshaping of faith in a year of grief

Stearns, Ann Kaiser. Living through personal crisis

Stern, Robin. Project rebirth : survival and the strength of the human spirit from 9/11 survivors

Stewart, Carla. Broken wings : a novel

Stothard, Anna. The pink hotel

Sussman, Ellen, 1954- The Paradise Guest House : a novel

Tappouni, Therese Amrhein The Gifts of Grief : Finding Light in the Darkness of Loss

Thoene, Bodie, 1951- When Jesus wept

Tipping, Colin C Radical forgiveness : a revolutionary five-stage process to : heal relationships, let go of anger and blame, find peace in any situation

Tirch, Dennis D., 1968- The compassionate-mind guide to overcoming anxiety : using compassion-focused therapy to calm worry, panic, and fear

Trout, Nick. The patron saint of lost dogs

Welshons, John E. Awakening from grief : finding the way back to joy

West, Spencer, 1981- Standing tall : my journey

Westberg, Granger E Good Grief

Westfall, John. Getting past what you'll never get over : help for dealing with life's hurts

Whitson, Stephanie Grace. The message on the quilt

Wilde, Samantha. I'll take what she has : a novel

Wilder, Thornton, 1897-1975. The bridge of San Luis Rey

Williams, Mark. Mindfulness : an eight-week plan for finding peace in a frantic world

Williams, Mary Beth. The PTSD workbook / Simple, Effective Techniques for Overcoming Traumatic Stress Symptoms

Wiseman, John "Lofty" SAS Urban Survival Handbook : How to Protect Yourself Against Terrorism, Natural Disasters, Fires, Home Invasions, and Everyday Health and Safety Hazards

Wolf, Elaine. Danny's mom : a novel

Wolfelt, Alan D. The Mourner's Book of Faith : 30 Days of Enlightenment

Wolfelt, Alan D., Ph.D. The Mourner's Book of Courage : 30 Days of Encouragemen

Wolfelt, Alan. Healing your grieving heart : 100 practical ideas

Wolfelt, Alan. The wilderness of grief : finding your way

Wong, David, 1975 Jan. 10- This book is full of spiders : seriously, dude, don't touch it

Yancey, Philip Where Is God When It Hurts?

Yancey, Philip. Disappointment with God : three questions no one asks aloud

Yang, Jeffrey Time of grief : mourning poems

Chicken soup for the soul : grieving and recovery : 101 inspirational and comforting stories about surviving the loss of a loved one

Life after trauma : a workbook for healing

Poems of mourning

Alcorn, Randy C. Heaven for kids

CHILD/TEEN

Aliki Feelings

Annunziata, Jane Sometimes I'm scared

Applegate, Katherine. The one and only Ivan

Arnold, Elana K. Sacred

Bergren, Lisa Tawn. God gave us heaven

Blos, Joan W. A gathering of days : a novel

Bodeen, S. A. (Stephanie A.), 1965- The raft

Brody, Jessica. Unremembered

Brown, Laurene Krasny. When dinosaurs die : a guide to understanding deat

Bunting, Eve, 1928- Rudi's pond

Burpo, Todd. Heaven is for real for kids

Buscaglia, Leo F. The fall of Freddie the leaf : a story of life for all ages

Cassidy, Sara. Windfall

Coker, Rachel. Interrupted : a life beyond words

Cook, Julia Grief is Like a Snowflake

Cormier, Robert. After the first death

Crist, James J. What to do when you're scared & worried : a guide for kids

Crowe, Carole. Waiting for dolphins

Emberley, Ed. Glad monster, sad monster : a book about feelings

Eubanks, Sonja Death and dying

Fitzgerald, Helen. The grieving teen : a guide for teenagers and their friends

Fritts, Mary Bahr, 1946- If Nathan were here

Geithner, Carole. If only

Goldman, Linda, 1946- Children also grieve : talking about death and healing

Gootman, Marilyn E., 1944- When a friend dies : a book for teens about grieving & healing

Graff, Lisa (Lisa Colleen), 1981- Umbrella summer

Guanci, Anne Marie. David and the worry beast : helping children cope with anxiety

Hainsworth, Emily. Through to you

Hanson, Warren. The next place

Heegaard, Marge When Someone Very Special Dies : Children Can Learn to Cope With Grief

Heegaard, Marge When Something Terrible Happens : Children Learn to Cope With Grief

Holmes, Margaret M., 1944 A terrible thing happened

Huebner, Dawn. What to do when you worry too much : a kid's guide to overcoming anxiety

Kaplow, Julie B., 1974- Samantha Jane's missing smile : a story about coping with the loss of a parent

Klise, Kate. Little Rabbit and the Night Mare

LaFleur, Suzanne M. Love, Aubrey

Laybourne, Emmy. Monument 14

Lewis, Beverly, 1949- What is God like?

Lewis, Stewart. You have seven messages

Loewen, Nancy, 1964- Saying good-bye to Uncle Joe : what to expect when someone you love dies

Loth, Sebastian. Remembering Crystal

Lowry, Lois. A summer to die

Martin, Ann M., 1955- Welcome to Camden Falls

Mayfield, Sue. Living with bereavement

Meiners, Cheri J., 1957- When I feel afraid

Mellonie, Bryan. Lifetimes : the beautiful way to explain death to children

Mills, Joyce C., 1944- Gentle Willow : a story for children about dying

Myers, Edward, 1950- Teens, loss, and grief : the ultimate teen guide

O'Brien, Anne Sibley. A path of stars

Palmer, Pat, 1928- I wish I could hold your hand-- : a child's guide to grief and loss

Payne, Lauren Murphy, 1956- Just because I am : a child's book of affirmation

Penn, Audrey, 1947- The kissing hand

Penn, Audrey, 1947- Chester Raccoon and the acorn full of memories

Pennypacker, Sara, 1951- Stuart goes to school

Posesorski, Sherie. Shadow boxing

Rock, Lois, 1953- When good-bye is forever

Romain, Trevor. What on earth do you do when someone dies?

Romain, Trevor. Stress can really get on your nerves!

Rosen, Michael, 1946- Michael Rosen's sad book

Seuss, Dr. My many colored days

Shaw, Susan, 1951- One of the survivors

Spelman, Cornelia. When I miss you

Tangvald, Christine Harder, 1941- Someone I love died

Vail, Rachel. Sometimes I'm Bombaloo

Varley, Susan. Badger's parting gifts

Verdick, Elizabeth. How to take the grrrr out of anger

Vigna, Judith. Saying goodbye to Daddy

Violi, Jen. Putting makeup on dead people

Wagenbach, Debbie. The grouchies

Wild, Margaret, 1948- Harry & Hopper

Wilhelm, Hans, 1945- I'll always love you

Winsch, Jane Loretta. After the funeral

Wolfelt, Alan. Healing your grieving heart for teens : 100 practical ideas

Wolff, Ferida, 1946- Is a worry worrying you?

FOSEL 5/15/13 FOSEL 5/15/13

The Annual South End Library Book Sale to Be Held Saturday, May 18, from 10 AM to 1 PM at Library Park; Gently-used Book Drop Off Till Thursday Night at the Branch

FOSEL volunteers have been sorting through the many books that were deposited at the South End branch for months: textbooks and encyclopedias will be chucked but children's books, cookbooks, collections of essays, short stories, novels, science and garden books will get the nod. They will be on display for perusal and sale at Library Park this coming Saturday, May 18 from 10 AM till 1 PM when rain clouds will disappear and a special-order bright and sunny day is supposed to be delivered. All proceeds will go directly to the library staff for programming use and supplies.

No early birds, please.

If you need a book bag for your purchases, FOSEL's beautiful and sturdy library bags made will be available for sale at $10. Check those book shelves in your home for any books you loved but no longer need: someone else will likely love them, too.

FOSEL 5/14/13 FOSEL 5/14/13

Children's Programming for May, June and July at South End Library in Full Swing

Leave room in your summer schedule for these exciting programs at the South End Library.

Special events to note:

Tween & Teen Dance Workshop, with Jerusha Aman

June 4, 6:30-7:30

Join Jerusha, from Urbanity Dance, in trying the latest contemporary and hip-hop moves!

The View from Anne Frank's Window

June 6, 4:00 -5:00

Explore what Anne Frank could see from her window in the Secret Annex, and combine it all in a special "views and visions" collage.

Mixed-Media Collage for Tween/Teens: Make a Summer Journal

July 2, 6:30-8:00

Learn how to create your own collage journal to preserve summer fun and memories.

Ongoing weekly programming includes:

Toddler Story Time: Mondays at 10:30

Preschool Story Time: Wednesdays at 10:30

Lego Club: every third Wednesday from 4:00 to 5:00

Art Journal Making (for 4th through 10th graders,) with artist and graphic designer Mary Owens: the last Thursday of every month, from 4:00 to 5:00

For more programming see the South End Library calendar on the Boston Public Library web site, link below:

http://www.bpl.org/branches/se_calendar.htm

FOSEL 5/5/13 FOSEL 5/5/13

Never Mind the Global Perspective: Locals Flock to the South End Branch Library to Listen to Authors Who Write About Their Town

When the day begins with the New York Times, the Boston Globe and the South End News, invariably I go for the neighborhood paper first. I am not alone in my skewed judgment: local wins. At the South End Library's most recent readings, local won again when, small and large, but always enthusiastic audiences listened intently to two authors talking about their very different books, both playing in Boston. April 23 saw Joe Gallo present a slideshow about his outstanding illustrated guide to local public sculptures and reliefs, Boston Bronze and Stone Speak to Us; a week later, South End author Barbara Shapiro talked to a standing-room only audience about her 2012 suspense thriller The Art Forger, set in Boston and based on the theft of half a billion dollars worth of art from the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in 1990.

Joe Gallo, Next to the Women's Memorial Pedestal

Joe Gallo researched, wrote and published his book after walking through the city made him curious about its public art. He'd had a successful career as an educator and entrepreneur and wanted "to give back to the public." The self-published Boston Bronze and Stone Speak to Us is an excellent guide to the city's sculptures and statues, with beautiful photographs, informative maps showing numbered stars linking sculptures to page numbers for easy exploration. The impassioned author likes to point out that the three women depicted in the Boston Women's Memorial on Commonwealth Avenue --Lucy Stone, Abigail Adams and Phyllis Wheatley-- lean on and stand against their pedestals but none stand ON them...Gallo hopes to publish another edition of his book, in which he hopes to include at least some of the many works of public art he could not put in the current version.

Barbara Shapiro's sixth novel, The Art Forger, was picked up by a publisher other than herself, "after 26 years in the trenches," as she put it. Standing in front of a spellbound audience, she debunked Virginia Woolf's belief that women need "a room of their own" to write in: "All I needed was a working husband with benefits," she said. She is now returning the favor to him, she added. While she was at it, she sent another notion sailing, too, namely "to only write what you know." "After my 11th novel I ran out of things I knew. I wanted to write what I could learn about, " she told the amused audience. Thus, she immersed herself in the life of "Belle," as she came to call Isabelle Stewart Gardner, and the mind-numbing theft of 13 works of her collected art, none of which found, none of which insured (could there be a connection?). Moving to the South End eight years ago where she became involved with the local art community, plus an accidental Google link to the words "art forgery," finally allowed Shapiro to combine the four story strands that had been playing in her head. She wrote an enthralling tale of wealthy Bostonians, struggling artists, the art forgery world and art theft, all set in our town. Her next novel is in an editor's hands so..stay tuned. Shapiro's five favorite books are listed under the South End Reads tab on this web site.

NEXT SOUTH END WRITES READINGS:

Tuesday, May 14, 6:30 p.m.

Dennis Lehane

The spectacularly successful author who grew up in Dorchester and is ALSO one of the nine BPL trustees, last week won the 2013 Edgar Award for his latest novel, Live by Night. Set in Boston in the 1920s, the New York Times’ reviewer called the book a “sentence-by-sentence pleasure.” The Edgars are named for the poet Edgar Allen Poe, and given to the best writers of mystery fiction, non-fiction and television. Previous novels include, among others, Gone Baby Gone, Shutter Island and Mystic River --all made into fabulous movies-- and The Given Day.

Tuesday, May 21, 6:30 p.m.

Alice Hoffman

Alice Hoffman has published a total of twenty-one novels, three books of short fiction, and eight books for children and young adults. Her novel, Here on Earth, an Oprah Book Club choice, was a modern reworking of some of the themes of Emily Bronte’s masterpiece Wuthering Heights. Hoffman’s work has been published in more than twenty translations and some one hundred foreign editions. Her novels have received mention as notable books of the year by The New York Times, Entertainment Weekly, The Los Angeles Times, Library Journal, and People Magazine. The distinguished author wrote the original screenplay “Independence Day,” a film starring Kathleen Quinlan and Diane Wiest. Her teen novel. Aquamarine, was made into a film starring Emma Roberts. Her short fiction and non-fiction have appeared in The New York Times, The Boston Globe Magazine, Kenyon Review, The Los Angeles Times, Architectural Digest, Harvard Review, Ploughshares and other magazines. Her latest, The Dovekeepers, a historical novel describing the AD70 massacre at Masada from the point of view of four women at the fortress before it fell during the Jewish-Roman war, is the most recent of the nearly two dozen novels by Hoffman and just came out in paperback. She will be introduced at this talk by another distinguished writer, Sue Miller.

Tuesday, June 11, 6:30 p.m.

Alice Stone,

the local filmmaker whose mesmerizing documentary, Angelo Unwritten, has followed the life of a teenager adopted out of foster care when he was twelve, will return with an update of new material gathered since December 2011.

Tuesday, June 18, 6:30 p.m.

Philip Gambone

will return to read from his current work-in-progress, retracing the steps of his father who, as a soldier, was sent to Europe during the Second World War.

FOSEL 4/26/13 FOSEL 4/26/13

After a Sad Week in Boston, FOSEL Resumes its Author Series Tuesday, April 30, with Barbara Shapiro (The Art Forger), Followed by Dennis Lehane (Live by Night), May 14 and Other Speakers

Nothing will be as it was before April 15's disastrous events, although it may seem that way: The gardens in front of the library are in bloom as they were last year; so are the trees in Library Park. The Hubway bikes have been reinstalled at the corner of West Newton Street and the trash bins on the block still overflow from time to time, just as always.

FOSEL is preparing for next Tuesday's reading and is looking for a date to have Doug Bauer return, the author who was scheduled to read on April 16 from What Happens Next?: Matters of Life and Death. It is a title that could not have been more appropriate for the occasion. But we needed to pause.

We resume the The South End Writes series on Tuesday, April 30 with a reading by Barbara Shapiro from her suspense novel, The Art Forger. She will be followed on May 14 by Dennis Lehane (Live by Night) and Alice Hoffman (The Dovekeepers) on May 21. Shapiro, a South End resident, based her book on the theft twenty-five years ago at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum when it (and the world) was robbed of thirteen works of art. They included four by Rembrandt: Storm on the Sea of Galilee (1633), a Lady and Gentleman in Black (1633), a self portrait (1634), and an etching on paper; Vermeer’sThe Concert (1658–1660); Govaert Flinck’s Landscape with an Obelisk (1638); an ancient Chinese vase; five works on paper by Edgar Degas; a finial from the top of a pole support for a Napoleonic silk flag; and Manet’s painting, Chez Tortoni (1878–1880).

Shapiro is intimately familiar with these works, and virtually every other aspect of this unsolved art heist, as a result of the research she did to transform the givens of the case into the literary thriller that was published last year. She wrote five previous suspense novels, including The Safe Room, Blind Spot, See No Evil, Blameless and Shattered Echoes, and four screenplays, Blind Spot, The Lost Coven, Borderline and Shattered Echoes. She teaches Creative Writing at Northeastern University. The author will be introduced by local filmmaker Alice Stone, who is scheduled to talk about her work-in-progress, the documentary, Angelo Unwritten, on June 11.

Tuesday's event starts at 6:30 PM. Books will be available for borrowing and sale at the reading. Shapiro's five favorite books are listed under The South End Reads, with the selections of this season's previous authors.

Next readings:

Tuesday, May 14, 6:30 p.m.

Dennis Lehane,

the spectacularly successful author who grew up in Dorchester and is ALSO a BPL trustee, published his latest novel, Live by Night, in 2012. Set in Boston in the 1920s, the New York Times’ reviewer called the book a “sentence-by-sentence pleasure.” Previous novels include, among others, Gone Baby Gone,Shutter Islandand Mystic River, all made into fabulous movies.

Tuesday, May 21, 6:30 p.m.

Alice Hoffman

The Dovekeepers, a historical novel describing the AD70 massacre at Masada from the point of view of four women at the fortress before it fell during the Jewish-Roman war, is the most recent of the nearly two dozen novels by Hoffman and just came out in paperback. To be introduced by Sue Miller.

Tuesday, June 11, 6:30 p.m.

Alice Stone,

Tuesday, June 18, 6:30 p.m.

Philip Gambone

will return to read from his current work-in-progress, retracing the steps of his father who, as a soldier, was sent to Europe during the Second World War.