Canton Public Library announces fall author series

The Canton Public Library is pleased to announce its 2015 Fall Author Series. One of the best ways to take advantage of the library’s wide-ranging programming is to attend an author event. There will be nights of thrilling espionage, emotional fiction, sports legends, and more. The following is a sample of who will be visiting the library this autumn.

Doug Most will kick off the author series with his visit on Wednesday, September 16, at 7 p.m. to talk about The Race Underground: Boston, New York, and the Incredible Rivalry that Built America’s First Subway. This story recalls the visionaries, moneymen, engineering wizards, and the economic and political struggles behind the creation of the subway in America. The Race Underground is soon to be a PBS “American Experience” documentary and has received rave reviews. Ken Burns says, “This book proves again that American history is a treasure trove of great stories, this one filled with drama, sacrifice, loss and unimaginable success.” Most will discuss the saga of two rival American cities, the powerful interests within, and the invention that changed the lives of millions. Most is the deputy managing editor for features at the Boston Globe.

On Thursday, September 17, at 7 p.m., the library will welcome New York Times best-selling author Alex Kershaw, who will discuss his new book Avenue of Spies: A True Story of Terror, Espionage, and One American Family’s Heroic Resistance in Nazi-occupied Paris. As we mark the 75th anniversary of the occupation of Paris, Kershaw brings to light the remarkable story of an American family in Paris whose heroic efforts to defeat the evil in their midst helped undermine the Nazis and change the course of World War II. Avenue of Spies focuses on an esteemed American doctor, Sumner Jackson, and his family who worked with the French Resistance from their apartment just down Avenue Foch from the Paris SS headquarters. Today, nearing 90, Jackson has shared the story of his family’s remarkable efforts with Kershaw in a series of interviews from his home in Paris. Kershaw has crafted an astounding work of history that reads like the best of spy novels.

On Wednesday, September 30,at 7 p.m., the library will welcome Randy Susan Meyers, the bestselling author of The Comfort of Lies, to discuss her new novel Accidents of Marriage. Meyers’ latest work is a provocative and stunning novel that will resonate deeply with women from all walks of life, ultimately revealing the challenges of family, faith, and forgiveness. Her novel is an engrossing look at the darker side of a marriage — and at how an ordinary family responds to an extraordinary crisis. Meyers, who is a finalist for the Massachusetts Book Award, will talk about the new book, entertain questions from the audience, and sign books! Her writing is informed by her work with batterers and victims of domestic violence, as well her experience with youth impacted by street violence. She lives with her husband in Boston, where she teaches writing seminars at the Grub Street Writers’ Center.

On Wednesday, October 7, at 7 p.m., join us for an evening with Bob Ryan, one of America’s most respected sports writers, who will be talking about his life in sports. His recent memoir is Scribe: My Life in Sports. The colorful, captivating, endlessly entertaining memoir is a gift for sports fans everywhere. Scribe is the story of Ryan’s life as a sportswriter, told in the direct, opinionated, and enthusiastic style that characterized his newspaper writing. Sometimes brash, often cheering like a fan, never politically correct, Ryan comes across as one of the most honest scribes of the genre. Sports enthusiasts have been blessed with the writing and reporting of Bob Ryan ever since he joined the sports department of the Boston Globe in 1968. Tony Kornheiser calls him the “quintessential American sportswriter.” For the past 25 years, he has also been a regular on various ESPN shows, especially The Sports Reporters, spreading knowledge and enthusiasm for athletics of all kinds.

The library will wrap up the series with Rescue Dog Night on Tuesday, October 27, at 7 p.m. featuring author Peter Zheutlin. Zheutlin will speak about his book Rescue Road; One Man, Thirty Thousand Dogs, and a Million Miles of the Last Hope Highway. Zheutlin traveled along with Greg Mahle on his “rescue road” where he finds unwanted, abandoned dogs in the south and transports them to new and loving homes in the northeast. He will discuss the genesis of the title, his inspiration, and talk about the amazing work he does with foster dogs. A representative from a local animal shelter will be speaking at this event as well. Zheutlin is a freelance journalist and author whose work has appeared regularly in the Boston Globe and the Christian Science Monitor.

All programs will be held in the library’s Community Room. No registration is required; programs are free and open to the public! Books will be available for purchase at the events through Haley Booksellers. Please call or email Carolyn Elkort, community outreach librarian, at 781-821-5027 or celkort@ocln.org for more information.

Keep up with library happenings and discover the great services available at the library or online at www.library.canton.ma.us. And check out the library’s Facebook page, Canton Public Library MA.

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Posted by Canton Citizen on Aug 28 2015. Filed under News. Both comments and pings are currently closed.