“It is spring again. The earth is like a child that knows poems by heart.” ― Rainer Maria Rilke
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April 2024
April is National Poetry Month! Joining us are local poets Quintin Collins, Matthew E. Henry, and Sarah Kersey. Stop by our Lexington location on Sunday the 28th for a reading and discussion on their following books:
The Dandelion Speaks of Survival is Quintin Collins's debut poetry collection. The work celebrates the persistence of African Americans, and all people, to triumph in the face of systems that would restrict their growth.
Honor Book, 2023 Black Caucus of the American Library Association Literary Awards, Poetry Category
In Claim Tickets for Stolen People, Quintin Collins embraces a range of poetic forms and registers to show the resilience of Blackness in a colonized world. The tension between mortality and vitality is ever-present, whether Collins is charting his daughter’s emergence into being, cataloging the toll of white violence, or detailing the exuberance of community, family, and Chicago and Boston life. In Collins’s hands, the world is exquisitely physical and no element is without its own perspective, whether it is a truck sheared by a highway bridge or bees working through the knowledge that humans will kill them, burn their homes, and steal their honey. All goes toward honoring Black grief, Black anger, Black resistance, Black hope—and the persistence of Black love.
This stunning new poetry collection by Matthew E. Henry (MEH), the Colored page, is a visceral meditation on the multi-layered experience of a Black body in educational spaces. Sprawling with metaphors and allusions to both the contemporary and the historic, Henry brings us an intense narrative chronicle of the speaker's life as student, educator, and finally as a writer. At the center there is a reckoning with the racism written into the pages of America, and Henry leads us from the microaggressions of educational oversight, to the horror of blatant dehumanization.
April 2024
Join author Henry Grabar for a talk about how the search for parking has shaped our world, from affordable housing to the enviroment. The evening will also include a panel discussion and Q&A. You won't want to miss this!
In a beguiling and absurdly hilarious mix of history, politics, and reportage, Slate staff writer Henry Grabar brilliantly surveys the nation’s parking crisis, revealing how the compulsion for car storage has exacerbated some of our most acute problems— from housing affordability to the accelerating global climate disaster—and, ultimately, how we can free our cities from parking’s cruel yoke.
Henry Grabar is a staff writer at Slate who writes about housing, transportation, and urban policy. He has contributed to The Atlantic, The Guardian, and The Wall Street Journal, and was the editor of the book The Future of Transportation. He received the Richard Rogers Fellowship from Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design and was a finalist for the Livingston Award for excellence in national reporting by journalists under thirty-five.
Joining us at our Lexington location is local author Cara Bean to discuss and sign copies of her book "Here I Am, I Am Me: An Illustrated Guide to Mental Health". Copies of the book are available for purchase ahead of the event at both our Arlington and Lexington locations, or can be special ordered by calling 781-457-6185.
Author-illustrator Cara Bean takes readers on an illustrated journey to the center of the brain in Here I Am, I Am Me. Each of the 9 chapters in this therapist-recommended book explores a different aspect of mental health, from the brain and the mind, to feelings and emotions. By portraying complex neuroscience concepts with a cast of illustrated characters (that represent parts of the brain), the book explains what is really going on in the reader’s head in an accessible, approachable way that ultimately serves to empower the reader.
Cara Bean is the author of Draw 500 Funny Faces and Features and taught art at Lexington High School in Massachusetts for twelve years. She has an MFA in Drawing and Painting from the University of Washington in Seattle and received a certificate in cartooning from the Sequential Artists Workshop in Gainesville, Florida.
She provides interactive workshops on creativity with people of all ages and backgrounds in various public forums. Cara is passionate about drawing and believes that the simple act of doodling on paper can lead to the investigation of complex ideas.
When she is not teaching, she makes comics that delve into poetic self introspection, playful storytelling and topics relevant to teens and teaching. Cara is currently working on comics projects that speak directly to kids and address mental health. www.carabeancomics.com
Joining us at our Lexington location is local author Karen Samuelson to discuss her debut novel, Weaving Dreams in Oaxaca!
Weaving Dreams in Oaxaca takes you on a journey with three characters whose lives are riddled with secrets and dilemmas. Frankie, a New York City professional dancer needs space from her past and strong-willed mother to grapple with the decision of having a family or continuing in the spotlight. A personal revelation throws Professor Mac into an identity crisis and sends him to Mexico for answers. Enrique, a mechanic and DJ from Santa Ana struggles with the challenge of coming out as a gay man to a hostile father. This trio crosses paths in the cobblestone streets of Oaxaca where they weave complex friendships in a colorful tapestry of adventure, deceit, discovery, love and pain.
Karen Samuelson is a career/life coach and writer. She has written three screenplays, a play, several dramatic scripts for Sunburst Productions in NY, and the Teacher’s Guide for episodes of Degrassi Jr. High. She was a quarter-finalist in the Cynosure Screenwriting competition in 2015 and 2016 for her screenplay, Sanctuary. In 1987, she received a Certificate of Recognition from the City of Boston for producing City Roots, a documentary about high school dropouts. In 2018, Arlington Friends of the Drama stage-produced her play, Circling Back. She lives with her husband, son, and dog outside of Boston and spends quiet time in Vermont.
November 2023
Come on by the Depot to meet author Nuar Asadir, who will be doing a reading, signing copies, and discussing his book, Animal Joy: A Book of Laughter and Resuscitation!
Join us at LHS to hear Dr. Sally Shaywitz read and discuss her updated edition of her book, Overcoming Dyslexia. Come by to hear an expert discuss the intricacies of identifying, understanding, and overcoming dyslexia; whether you're a parent of someone who struggles with dyslexia, have it yourself, or are just curious to witness a professional discussion on the affliction.
Professor Gary Goshgarian—aka Gary Braver—will be joining us at Maxima Book Center to read and sign copies of his brand new mystery, Rumor of Evil!
Join us at the Depot with best-selling author Adam Gopnick as he reads, signs, and discusses his latest self-help memoir, The Real Work: On the Mystery of Mastery!
Stop by the Depot and meet Morra Aarons-Mele—writer, entrepreneur, mental health advocate, and award-winning podcaster—as she reads, signs, and discusses her latest book, The Anxious Acheiver: Turn Your Biggest Fears into Your Leadership Superpower!
The husband and wife duo from Arlington, MA--Ross Grifkin (author) and Tonya Grifkin (illustrator)--will be visiting us at Maxima Book Center to read us their new children's book, Errol: The Cat Who Wasn't a Cat!
All the way from Ireland, poet Pádraig Ó Tuama will be joining us at Follen Church on October 19th to read, sign, and discuss his books Poetry Unbound: 50 Poems to Open Your World—an anthology based on his podcast Poetry Unbound—and In the Shelter: Finding a Home in the World—a memoir of peace and reconciliation, Celtic spirituality, belonging, and sexual identity.
Sister duo Rina Horiuchi (author) and Risa Horiuchi (illustrator) will be at Maxima Gift Center this month showcase their debut children's book, K is for Kindness! Join us for a book reading, book signings, and arts & crafts!
November 2022
Lexington author Jane Sutton will be joining us at Maxima to read and sign copies of her latest children's book, Gracie Brings Back Bubbe's Smile!
December 2022
Join us and Diamond Middle School teacher Howard Wolke as he reads from and signs his debut fantasy novel: Cryptid Academy.
The book is designed for kids ages 9-12 and makes a great holiday gift!
September 2022
Shabbir Cheema is a Lexington resident. He is a former Senior Fellow at Harvard Kennedy School's Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation and Director of Democratic Governance Division of the UN Development Program. Join us as he reads passages from his book, Journey From Kamalpur: A Memoir!
**Copies ordered in advance will be available for pick-up on the day of the event**
Date: Sunday, September 11, 2022Bill McKibben on his latest bestseller, The Flag, the Cross, and the Station Wagon: A Graying American Looks Back at His Suburban Boyhood and Wonders What the Hell Happened
A selection of titles from Richard Blanco, the fifth inaugural poet in U.S. history:
The Prince of los Cocuyos : A Miami Childhood
One Today
Lauren Aguirre is a Lexington resident. She is an award-winning science journalist who has produced documentaries, short-form video series, podcasts, interactive games, and blogs for the PBS series NOVA. Aguirre’s articles on memory and addiction have appeared in STAT, The Boston Globe Ideas Section, Undark, The Atlantic, The Scientist, and PBS. Join us as she reads from her first book, The Memory Thief, a finalist for the PEN/E.O. Wilson Literary Science Award.
We're looking forward to co-hosting the July 28th launch of former Lexingtonian Kelly Bandas's new book, Rookie Mistakes: A Grown-Up's Field Guide for Getting Your Act Together. Join us at 6 p.m. on the patio in front of Maxima Book Center and Il Casale to meet Kelly and learn how to avoid making rookie mistakes! Kelly will do a short reading from the book around 6:30 p.m., followed by a Q & A session.
We hope to see you there!
Join us for a special IN-PERSON visit with author Mitali Perkins! Come learn about her picture book Home Is In Between (currently featured as our Storywalk at Lincoln Park), find out about having her novel Rickshaw Girl adapted into a film, and what's coming out next!
Mrs. Perkins's other books include:
March 22 at 7 PM at the Cary Memorial Library, 1874 Mass. Ave. Lexington, MA
Books can be purchased today, through the link above, or at the event!
As we face unprecedented climate challenges, storytelling is one way to examine the ways in which human action–and inaction–impacts the health of our planet. Climate fiction is a growing area of literature, and for this session of Literary Cafe, Julie Carrick Dalton, author of WAITING FOR THE NIGHT SONG, and Erica Ferencik, author of GIRL ON ICE, will be in conversation with Lexington author and host Marjan Kamali to discuss the evolving role of climate in literature, how to find inspiration when dealing with a complicated subject, and the relationship between nature and fiction.
Sponsored by the Cary Library Foundation.
Books will be on sale through Maxima Book Center.
April 7th from 7:30 - 8:30 PM at the Cary Memorial Library, 1874 Mass. Ave. Lexington, MA
March 22 at 7 PM at the Cary Memorial Library, 1874 Mass. Ave. Lexington, MA
Books can be purchased today, through the link above, or at the event!
