Fantastic Fiction Reading with Speculative Boston

Speculative Boston is a free quarterly reading series for science fiction, fantasy, and horror of all kinds. Join us at Trident Books & Cafe in Boston, when our guests will be the YA novelist Lyra Selene, and fantasy writers N.S. Dolkart and Elaine Isaak (writing as E.C. Ambrose). The night includes short readings, a lively discussion and Q&A, and plenty of time for signing books and hanging out.

Lyra Selene was born under a full moon and has never quite managed to wipe the moonlight out of her eyes. When she isn’t dreaming up fantastical cities and brooding landscapes, Lyra enjoys hiking, rainstorms, autumn, and pretending she’s any good at painting. She lives in New England with her husband, in an antique farmhouse that’s probably not haunted. Amber & Dusk is her debut novel.

N.S. Dolkart is the author of the Godserfs trilogy of theological epic fantasy novels, beginning with 2016’s Silent Hall and concluding with this past October’s A Breach In The Heavens. In non-writing life, he has taught dementia care and Israeli folk dancing (but not at the same time), sung as Darth Vader in an opera, and sired two children who will one day enslave all the nations of the earth as foretold by prophecy. His website is nsdolkart.wordpress.com, and you can follow him on Twitter @N_S_Dolkart.

Elaine Isaak is the author of The Singer’s Crown and its sequels. As E. C. Ambrose, she wrote The Dark Apostle historical fantasy series about medieval surgery, which concluded in 2018 with book 5, Elisha Daemon, and as E. Chris Ambrose, the Bone Guard international thrillers. Elaine has written how-to articles for the Writer Magazine, and non-fiction at Clarkesworld, and taught at the Odyssey Speculative Fiction Workshop. An art school drop-out, Elaine continues to create wearable art and sculpture. Elaine also works as part-time adventure guide. Under any name, you still do NOT want to be her hero.

Summer Reading Series with MIRA T. LEE and OLIVE SENIOR

Lesley University’s summer reading series will bring a variety of acclaimed authors to campus June 22 to 27 at Marran Theater, 34 Mellen St., Cambridge. All readings are free and open to the public.

MIRA T. LEE (pictured) and OLIVE SENIOR will headline the annual series as visiting writers. A selection of writers from the Lesley MFA faculty will also read from their work in nonfiction, poetry, fiction and writing for young people.

Lee, a Cambridge resident and recipient of an Artist’s Fellowship from the Massachusetts Cultural Council, will read from her debut novel, “Everything Here is Beautiful.” The novel was selected an Indie Next pick by the American Booksellers Association and named as a top pick by The Wall Street Journal, O Magazine and Poets & Writers, among others. Lee’s short fiction has also appeared in journals such as the Southern Review and Harvard Review. She will read from her novel on Wednesday, June 27 at 7 p.m.

The Jamaican-born Senior is the author of 17 books of fiction, non-fiction, poetry and children’s literature. For her nonfiction work, “Dying to Better Themselves: West Indians and the Building of the Panama Canal,” Senior won the Lewis Book Prize of the Caribbean Studies Association and was shortlisted for the Foreword Reviews INDIEFAB Book Awards.

Although she now resides in Toronto, Canada, Senior’s work never strays far from her Jamaican roots, and she is currently working on a web-based version of her popular “Encyclopedia of Jamaican Heritage.” On Saturday, June 23 at 6:30 p.m., Senior will read from “Dying to Better Themselves.”

“Each MFA residency offers a wide range of MFA faculty readings, as well as featuring visiting writers who have received national or international recognition for their work,” notes Steven Haven, director of Lesley’s MFA in Creative Writing program.

During the June 2018 residency, seven MFA faculty, representing five literary genres, will offer presentations of their work. As always, these evening readings are free and open to the public. Faculty and visiting writer books are available for sale after each reading.

The full schedule is as follows:

Friday, June 22, 5 p.m.
• David Elliott, writing for young people
• Hester Kaplan, fiction

Saturday, June 23, 6:30 p.m.
• Olive Senior, nonfiction

Sunday, June 24, 7 p.m.
• Susan Goodman, writing for young people
• Joan Houlihan, poetry

Monday, June 25, 7 p.m.
• Tony Eprile fiction
• Kevin Prufer, poetry

Wednesday, June 27, 7 p.m.
• Mira T. Lee, fiction
• Pam Petro, nonfiction

Young Writers and Illustrators: Meet & Greet

Meet other local youth (ages 18 & under) who share the same interest in writing and art that you do on Monday, March 19th. This is an opportunity to connect with other young writers and illustrators from Wakefield, Stoneham, Melrose, Reading, Saugus, Lynnfield, North Reading, Wilmington, Winchester, and surrounding towns in a casual and art-focused atmosphere. Bring your curiosity for creativity! Stop in for any length of time starting at 6:00 pm until 8:00 pm at the Boys & Girls Club of Wakefield’s Teen Room, located on the ground floor of the Civic Center (467 Main Street, Wakefield, MA). This is a FREE event.

Create Illustration Trading Cards, try out our typewriters, learn about zines or just chat and connect with other young people off-line. Feel welcome to bring your own art or writing to share. Enjoy a cup of tea, coffee or some hot cocoa with plenty of whipped cream along with some sweet treats.

This Meet & Greet is sponsored by The Room to Write and located in space being generously provided by the Boys & Girls Club of Stoneham and Wakefield. Special thanks to the Kidcasso Art Studio, Lucius Beebe Memorial Library in Wakefield, Mass Love Distro and Boys & Girls Club of Stoneham and Wakefield for their enthusiastic support and participation as well as Kidcasso youth artist and Saugus High School Junior, Erin Rosa, for her accompanying illustration.

Parents are welcome to accompany youth who would like to attend. If you have questions, suggestions or would like to let us know you plan to attend, please send a note to Colleen Getty at youth@theroomtowrite.com.

For more information about programs for young writers please visit: www.theroomtowrite.com/youth

YA author BENJAMIN ALIRE SAENZ (Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe) at Brookline Booksmith

Brookline Booksmith is pleased to welcome BENJAMIN ALIRE SAENZ, author of Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe, for a reading and discussion of his latest young adult novel: The Inexplicable Logic of My Life.

Sal used to know his place with his adoptive gay father, their loving Mexican American family, and his best friend, Samantha. But it’s senior year, and suddenly Sal is throwing punches, questioning everything, and realizing he no longer knows himself. If Sal’s not who he thought he was, who is he?

This event is free and open to the public.

Local YA authors take on the fantastic and peculiar at Brookline Booksmith

Do you like fairy tales, the peculiar, the weird, the fantastical, or the just plain fascinating?  Join local YA authors at Brookline Booksmith as they take on the fantastic and the strange. This panel includes PETERNELLE VAN ARSDALE (The Beast is an Animal), M.T. ANDERSON (Landscape with Invisible Hand), LANA POPOVIC (Wicked Like a Wildfire), and GREG KATSOULIS (All Rights Reserved).

Come discover a fairy-tale of soul eaters, a curse on sisters who magically manipulate beauty, a girl who remains silent in a world where every word is copyrighted and paid for, and two teens who fake romance for the entertainment of aliens who have invaded Earth.

This event is free and open to the public.

Boston Globe journalist/author DICK LEHR (Black Mass) shares his latest

Brookline Booksmith welcomes author of Black Mass, The Fence, and Judgement Ridge DICK LEHR with his newest publication, Trell.

On a hot summer night in the late 1980’s, in the Boston neighborhood of Roxbury, a twelve-year-old African-American girl was sitting on a mailbox talking with her friends when she became the innocent victim of gang-related gunfire.  Amid public outcry, an immediate manhunt was on to catch the murderer, and a young African-American man was quickly apprehended, charged, and — wrongly — convicted of the crime. DICK LEHR, a former reporter for the Boston Globe’s famous Spotlight Team who investigated this case for the newspaper, now turns the story into Trell, a page-turning novel about the daughter of an imprisoned man who persuades a reporter and a lawyer to help her prove her father’s innocence.

Trell is based on true events, and will be released on 9/12/17.

This event is free and open to the public.

Local debut YA novelist LANA POPOVIC in conversation with JILLY GAGNON

Porter Square Books welcomes debut YA author LANA POPOVIC in conversation with Jilly Gagnon, author of #Famous.

Fans of Holly Black and Leigh Bardugo will be bewitched by LANA POPOVIC’s debut YA fantasy novel Wicked Like A Wildfire about a bargain that binds the fates and hearts of twin sisters to a force larger than life.

This event is not ticketed.