Boston Public Library's May Author talks and programs

Boston Public Library’s May schedule is filled with author talks and lectures, book sales, and programs honoring Mother’s Day. Visit www.bpl.org/calendar for a full schedule.

• Make a gift for a special mother in your life with clay artist Sabrina Pilet-Jones on Wednesday, May 4, at 4 p.m. at the South End Branch, located at 685 Tremont Street.
• Make homemade bath products for a mother or yourself on Thursday, May 5, at 7 p.m. at the Uphams Corner Branch, located at 500 Columbia Road in Dorchester.
• Create your own comic book-themed drink coaster for Mother’s Day on Saturday, May 7, at 11:30 a.m. at the Uphams Corner Branch, located at 500 Columbia Road in Dorchester.
• Hear stories celebrating mothers on Saturday, May 7, at 11 a.m. in the Children’s Library at the Central Library in Copley Square, located at 700 Boylston Street.
• Paul Lewis, editor of The Citizen Poets of Boston: A Collection of Forgotten Poems, 1789–1820, speaks about mostly anonymous works that reveal the vibrant, lost world of Boston’s post-revolutionary poetry and provide access to the culture and daily life of the city. He is joined by Danielle Legros Georges, Poet Laureate of Boston, on Monday, May 9, at 6 p.m. in the Commonwealth Salon at the Central Library in Copley Square, located at 700 Boylston Street.
• Local author Lisa E. Pearson discusses her book Arnold Arboretum, the newest addition to Arcadia Publishing’s Images of America series, on Monday, May 9, at 6:30 p.m. at the Connolly Branch, located at 433 Centre Street.
• In honor of Asian-Pacific Heritage Month, children’s author Thanhha Lai discusses her novel Inside Out & Back Again, which won numerous accolades including the National Book Award and the Newbery Honor Medal. It is the story of a young girl in 1975 who, along with her family, leaves her home in Vietnam to start a new life in Alabama. Tuesday, May 10, at 12 p.m. at the Adams Street Branch, located at 690 Adams Street in Dorchester.
• Joseph Bagley, author of A History of Boston in 50 Artifacts, highlights some of the city’s fascinating past —from ancient fishing grounds to Jazz Age red-light districts—and demonstrates how historical objects offer a unique and accessible introduction to Boston’s history and physical culture. Wednesday, May 11, at 6 p.m. in the Commonwealth Salon at the Central Library in Copley Square, located at 700 Boylston Street. Part of the Local and Family History Series.
• Hear the incredible story of a Holocaust survivor persecuted by the Nazis and victimized by the American court system in When God Looked Down and Wept. This presentation includes a short film followed by a discussion with the lawyer who represented the survivor in his fight for his First Amendment rights. Thursday, May 12, at 6:30 p.m. at the West End Branch, located at 151 Cambridge Street.
• Award-winning Boston Globe journalist Emily Sweeney gives a slide lecture regarding her book Boston Organized Crime, which explores the region’s shadier side, taking a closer look at the mobsters and racketeers who once operated in the greater Boston area. Saturday, May 14, at 2 p.m. at the Brighton Branch, located at 40 Academy Hill Road.
• The Friends of the North End Branch hold their annual book sale on Saturday, May 14, from 10 a.m. – 12 p.m. at the North End Branch, located at 25 Parmenter Street.
• The Mayor’s Office of Arts & Culture in collaboration with the Boston Public Library present Boston’s Poet Laureate Danielle Legros Georges reading from her new collection of poems The Dear Remote Nearness of You on Sunday, May 15, at 2 p.m. in the Abbey Room at the Central Library in Copley Square, located at 700 Boylston Street.
• Join bee experts Joseph Wilson, Olivia Messinger Carril, and Thomas Seeley for a bee keeping panel, which will include an introduction to the many different types of bee species, as well information on the lost pastime of bee hunting, on Monday, May 16, at 6 p.m. in the Commonwealth Salon at the Central Library in Copley Square, located at 700 Boylston Street.
• Peter Grinspoon discusses Free Refills: A Doctor Confronts His Addiction: A Memoir, which describes his journey to overcoming addiction and ultimately becoming a more compassionate doctor for it on Monday, May 16, at 6:30 p.m. at the South Boston Branch, located at 646 East Broadway.
• The Friends of the South Boston Branch hold their springtime book sale on Saturday, May 21, from 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. at the South Boston Branch, located at 646 East Broadway.
• The Lower Mills Branch at 27 Richmond Street welcomes mystery author and investigative reporter Hank Phillippi Ryan for a talk and book signing on Monday, May 23, at 6:30 p.m.

About BOSTON PUBLIC LIBRARY
Boston Public Library has a Central Library, twenty-four branches, map center, business library, and a website filled with digital content and services. Established in 1848, the Boston Public Library has pioneered public library service in America. It was the first large free municipal library in the United States, the first public library to lend books, the first to have a branch library, and the first to have a children’s room. Each year, the Boston Public Library hosts thousands of programs and serves millions of people. All of its programs and exhibitions are free and open to the public. At the Boston Public Library, books are just the beginning. To learn more, visit bpl.org.