The Raven in the Frog Pond: Edgar Allan Poe and the Boston Literati in 1845

A talk in honor of Poe's birth in Boston on January 19, 1809 with Paul Lewis, Professor Emeritus at Boston College 1845 was both the best and worst of years for Edgar Allan Poe. In late January he published his most haunting poem, "The Raven." Widely reprinted, celebrated, and mocked, it boosted Poe's public standing and presence on the lecture circuit. On October 16, Poe spoke at the Boston Lyceum. On the stage of the Odeon Theatre at the intersection of Franklin and Federal Streets, Poe began by insulting the audience. While the ensuing war of words between Poe and the Bostonians was driven by personal animus, it was also based on contrasting views of how literature should affect readers. Poe's standing at the time and his enduring influence on world literature were at stake in this most dramatic moment of his eventful career. After the talk there will be a celebratory group recitation of "The Raven." Paul Lewis is a Professor Emeritus at Boston&nbsp;College, a past president of the Poe Studies Association, and the curator of exhibitions on literary Boston. As the BOD chair of the Edgar Allan Poe Foundation of Boston, Inc., Lewis worked with others to celebrate Poe in the city of his birth by having a square at the intersection of Boylston Street and Charles Street South dedicated to Poe in 2010 and then installing a statue of Poe in it in 2014. His book–Quothing “The Raven”:The First Responses to America’s Most Famous Poem, Including Twenty-Nine Parodies Published During Poe’s Lifetime–is forthcoming from Mercer University Press in 2026.

Boston Public Library

The Boston Way: Radicals Against Slavery & the Civil War with Mark Kurlansky

New York Times&nbsp;bestselling author&nbsp;Mark Kurlansky discusses his 2025 nonfiction book,&nbsp;The Boston Way: Radicals Against Slavery &amp; the Civil War. How do good people find the courage to resist and end the greatest evil in their country?&nbsp;The Boston Way&nbsp;is an untold story of the Civil War Era: pacifists in Boston who led the fight to end slavery without violence and war. Has there ever been good violence or a good war? The American Civil War is likely considered to be so since there seemed to be no alternative. Or was there? Before the war, Bostonian abolitionist William Lloyd Garrison correctly predicted that fighting would not bring about real freedom and justice. If emancipation came about through violence, he believed, it would take at least a century for Black people to get their rights. As we now know, it has taken even longer than that. Here is the story of Garrison and other abolitionists, Black and white, male and female, who advocated a peaceful end to slavery and the start of human rights for Black people. The Boston Clique, as they were called, were victorious in persuading their fellow Bostonians to end Jim Crow laws on Massachusetts’ railroads. Persuasion was, these pacificists believed, the only means to lasting change. In these pages, we find Frederick Douglass and lesser-known Black abolitionists, William Nell and Charles Remond. We meet leading feminists of the nineteenth century Lydia Maria Child, Margaret Fuller, Susan B. Anthony, and Elizabeth Cady Stanton. Additional key figures include Adin Balou, William Ladd, and Noah Worcester whose voices for nonviolence impacted Leo Tolstoy, Gandhi, and Dr. Martin Luther King. Still, if it meant a faster end to the horrors of slavery, wasn’t violence the answer? In time, pacificist abolitionists such as Douglass and John Brown came to believe the entire system in the South needed to be overthrown and that could only happen through the shedding of blood. Time may now provide a different perspective. While history has little memory of abolitionists, and even less for pacifists, nothing can be learned from that which is not remembered. What if the Civil War had never have been fought? Might we now live in a world of far greater justice and peace? What does this mean today as we still pursue “righteous” violence? This is the story of a road not taken. Mark Kurlansky&nbsp;was born in Hartford in 1948. He graduated from Butler University with a degree in theater in 1970, refused to serve in the Vietnam war, and has opposed every war since. His book,&nbsp;Nonviolence: The History of a Dangerous Idea&nbsp;won the Dayton Literary Peace Prize. He has written a number of bestselling books, including&nbsp;Cod&nbsp;and&nbsp;Salt&nbsp;and&nbsp;1968: The Year that Rocked the World, as well as a number of books for young readers, six books of fiction, and a translation of a French classic by Emile Zola. This is his fortieth book. The Boston Way: Radicals Against Slavery &amp; the Civil War with Mark Kurlansky

Michael Ansara - The Hard Work of Hope

Michael Ansara discusses his 2025 book,&nbsp;The Hard Work of Hope: A Memoir. Michael Ansara was on the front lines in the eventful heady days of the 1960s and 1970s, and chronicles the hopes and strategies of the young people who created the movements that rocked the country. He traces an arc of discovery: from the hope and moral clarity of the civil rights movement to the ten-year struggle to end the war in Vietnam, with its sit-ins, marches, confrontations, and antiwar riots and takes us into the minds of the activists detailing their successes as well as their mistakes.&nbsp; The Hard Work of Hope&nbsp;tells how he learned to become a more effective organizer and build the Massachusetts Fair Share organization and&nbsp;explores issues that remain urgent. How does a movement build support when large parts of the country are opposed to its goals? How do you connect with people who disagree with you? How do you build organizations that unite across racial lines? How can we make progress on the unfinished business of the hard work of hope?&nbsp; Michael Ansara spent many years as an activist and organizer. At a very young age, he was swept up in the civil rights movement of the 1960s. He then became a regional organizer for Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) and a leader in the effort to end the war in Vietnam. He spent many years as a community organizer. In 2009 he co-founded Mass Poetry (<a href="http://www.masspoetry.org/">www.masspoetry.org</a>&nbsp;) and serves on its board. His poems have appeared in numerous literary journals.&nbsp;What Remains, a collection of his poems, was published by Kelsay Books in 2022. His essays have appeared in Vox, Solstice, Cognoscenti, and Arrowsmith.&nbsp; <img src="https://bpl.bibliocommons.com/events/uploads/images/full/2902adca9c2de25c49dd8c690d7564ce/image.png">

The Rise and Fall of Boston Pride

We are very excited to have author Daniel Gonzalez here to talk about his book The Rise and Fall of Boston Pride which delves into the vibrant history of LGBTQ+ activism and community in one of America's most historic cities. From its early roots in the 1970s to becoming a symbol of resilience, visibility, and celebration, this book traces the evolution of Boston Pride and its profound impact on both the city and the national movement for LGBTQ+ rights. From its inception in 1970 through a series of workshops, the early AIDS epidemic of the 1980's, the St. Patrick's Day parade fight in the 1990s and the shutdown of Boston Pride in 2021 due to activism against the organization, the book looks into every year of events that Boston Pride has held. This book represented over two years of research from sources such as the Boston Public Library, the History Project, and two college universities, this is currently the only book that tracks the complete history of Boston Pride. Through personal stories, pivotal moments from every Pride from 1970-2024, and detailed accounts of activism, The Rise and Fall of Boston Pride highlights the struggles and triumphs that shaped the community. The book explores the intersection of local history with broader social justice movements, showing how Boston became a hub of progressive change. With rich historical context and modern perspectives, it honors the legacy of those who fought for equality while offering a hopeful look at the future. The Rise and Fall of Boston Pride is a must-read for those interested in LGBTQ+ history, civil rights, and Boston's unique place in the fight for inclusion. Daniel Joseph Gonzalez, Ed.D, IMH-E® Dr. Daniel Gonzalez has 25 years of experience in the field of early education. He has a Doctorate of Education in Curriculum, Teaching, Learning, and Leadership from Northeastern University. He currently works for Neighborhood Villages, an educational think tank. Dr. Gonzalez lives just outside of Boston with his partner Tim and their dogs Bella and Harry. This is his first book.

The Boston Red Stockings Superstars: How George Wright and Albert Spalding Impacted Sports in America

A fascinating look back on baseball’s lowly beginnings and its transformation into a national pastime, told through the lives of two men who dominated the game. The nineteenth century was a time of rapid growth and development for the game of “base ball,” and Boston Red Stocking players George Wright and Albert Spalding were right in the thick of it. These two young men, the first superstars of the professional game, won the hearts of a country in search of a unifying spirit after a devastating civil war. Join us as author Jeffrey Orens breathes fresh energy into baseball’s beginnings with this captivating tale of two vibrant personalities whose friendly rivalry was integral to the rise of the professional game. While they came from starkly different backgrounds—Albert was a young, gangly pitcher from the country’s rural heartland and George the consummate athlete from the New York City area—their captivating performances on the field, along with their promotion of the game and of sports equipment, fed the public’s insatiable appetite for leisure-time pursuits and helped grow professional baseball to unprecedented heights. George Wright and Albert Spalding’s stories are masterfully woven together to paint a sweeping picture of the early days of professional baseball, the evolution of sports as a business, and the advancement of sports equipment and the sporting goods industry. Their rise as players and businessmen mirrored the rise of a nation that would lead the world in the coming century. Jeffrey Orens is the author of The Soul of Genius: Marie Curie, Albert Einstein and the Meeting that Changed the Course of Science. He is a member of the Society for American Baseball Research and his work has appeared in History Magazine, True West Magazine, and other historical publications. Orens resides in New Jersey.

Nuf Ced! The Story of Michael McGreevy, Baseball’s First Superfan - with David Krell

Join us to hear author David Krell as he covers a once prominent but often overlooked figure in the development of Boston’s baseball devotion. The Boston Public Library has a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bpl.org/archival_post/mcgreevey-michael-t-nuf-ced-collection/">treasure trove of photographs</a>&nbsp;that once belonged to McGreevy, a Boston saloon owner who donated these images as a reflection of his generosity for the city and his passion for baseball. The Michael T. “Nuf Ced” McGreevy Collection comprises an invaluable chronicle of the game’s early years, including photos of Cy Young, Ty Cobb, Kid Nichols, and Huntington Avenue Grounds. The presentation will not only showcase some photos from the collection but also discuss McGreevy’s impact. He named his bar Third Base as a pun—the last stop before home. His nickname was a shortened version of “Enough Said,” a phrase he used to emphatically declare an end to fights or arguments in his saloon. McGreevy’s achievements included leading the Royal Rooters, an informal group that used musical instruments and cheers to show their appreciation for Boston’s baseball players at games taking place at home and on the road. He created the passion that exists today among Boston’s baseball fans. McGreevy died in 1943 at age 77, prompting&nbsp;Boston Daily Record&nbsp;sports writer Dave Egan to eulogize, “It was he, most of all, who by his enthusiasm popularized baseball and helped make it the national sport, so I think that old Nuf Ced deserves a special niche for himself in the Hall of Fame with [Christy Mathewson] and [John] McGraw and Cy Young and Nap Lajoie and so many of his old friends.” This presentation will bring attention to a man who ought to have a statue at Fenway Park for his highly significant contribution in shaping the devotion of Bostonians to the national pastime. David Krell&nbsp;is an author, speaker, and former producer at MSNBC. He is the author of&nbsp;The Fenway Effect : a cultural history of the Boston Red Sox;&nbsp;1962: Baseball and America in the Time of JFK&nbsp;(Nebraska, 2021) and&nbsp;“Our Bums”: The Brooklyn Dodgers in History, Memory, and Popular Culture. <img src="//:0">

The Great Abolitionist: Charles Sumner and the Fight for a More Perfect Union

Join us in welcoming renown local author Stephen Puleo as he discusses his groundbreaking biography of the civil right hero Charles Sumner. In the tempestuous mid-19th century, as slavery consumed Congressional debate and America careened toward civil war and split apart–when the very future of the nation hung in the balance–Charles Sumner’s voice rang strongest, bravest, and most unwavering. Where others preached compromise and moderation, he denounced slavery’s evils to all who would listen and demanded that it be wiped out of existence. More than any other person of his era, he blazed the trail on the country’s long, uneven, and ongoing journey toward realizing its full promise to become a more perfect union. Before and during the Civil War, at great personal sacrifice, Sumner was the conscience of the North and the most influential politician fighting for abolition. Throughout Reconstruction, no one championed the rights of emancipated people more than he did. Through the force of his words and his will, he moved America toward the twin goals of abolitionism and equal rights, which he fought for literally until the day he died. He laid the cornerstone arguments that civil rights advocates would build upon over the next century as the country strove to achieve equality among the races. The Great Abolitionist is the first major biography of Charles Sumner to be published in over 50 years. Acclaimed historian Stephen Puleo relates the story of one of the most influential political figures in American history with evocative and accessible prose, transporting readers back to an era when our leaders exhibited true courage and authenticity in the face of unprecedented challenges. Stephen Puleo is a historian, teacher, public speaker, and the author of several books, including Voyage of Mercy, Dark Tide, American Treasures, and The Caning. A former award-winning newspaper reporter and contributor to American History magazine, the Boston Globe, and other publications, he holds a master's degree in history and has taught at the University of Massachusetts-Boston and Suffolk University. He and his wife, Kate, reside in the Boston area. Copies of the book will be for sale and signing at the event through local independent Trident Booksellers &amp; Cafe. <img src="https://bpl.bibliocommons.com/events/uploads/images/full/5989709b1a072099473ffdfc66e3e13b/PuleoTGAjacketalt4.jpg">

Undergrounds Before Rail: Escaping Slavery, Claiming Liberty

Award-winning historian Margaret Newell tells the stories of Native and Black people escaping slavery, and the people who helped them Freedom was not a concept just for white male Puritans. The right to consent to governance, the right to liberties, equal treatment under law – these were claimed by enslaved people in the only way they could – by escaping. Award-winning historian Margaret Newell, joined by Slave Legacy History Coalition co-founder Egypt Lloyd, explores the network of Indigenous and Black people helping enslaved individuals to escape – the stories of those who fled. This is a rarely revealed story of resistance to tyranny, juxtaposed to Puritan rights and freedoms. Most Americans are familiar with the history of the 19th century Underground Railroad. Formerly enslaved people wrote autobiographies and newspapers published escape accounts, and later historians interviewed participants. We know much less about the experience of Native Americans and Africans who attempted to escape the tyranny of slavery in the colonial era, whose stories often only appear as testimony in courts or in runaway advertisements. Frederick Douglass and other 19th century fugitives escaped via stagecoach, train, and steamship to the North. There, they entered thriving African American communities who assisted them. In a time before toll roads, transit, and diverse urban centers, how did people escape, where did they go, what networks existed to help them, and what challenges did they confront in maintaining freedom? What did freedom mean in an era where no free soil existed, when the bonds of slavery were being tightened by colonial administrations at the behest of slaveholders? The treaty that ended the first major Anglo-Indigenous conflict, the 1637 Pequot War, included a fugitive slave clause. As colonial cities and transportation networks grew, so did newspaper runaway ads, pass requirements, and policing of people of color. Professor Newell will share the stories of Native Americans and African Americans who tried to claim their liberty and the people who helped them, 1620-1750, with respondent Egypt Lloyd. Many of the escapees tried to head home, whether that meant to Pequot, Wampanoag and Narragansett reserves, or La Florida, or even Africa. Some traversed the Atlantic Ocean. Others focused on physical mobility and maintaining family and marriage ties through temporary absence. Still others organized mass escapes that resembled slave uprisings. Meanwhile, communities and individuals shared successful strategies for fighting slavery’s tyranny. They aided fugitives at enormous risk to themselves.

Historic Storms of Cape Cod

Join local author Don Wilding to revisit the Cape’s most severe weather events and their devastating impact. Cape Cod has always been in the path of deadly hurricanes and ferocious storms. Unwelcome summer visitors include the “Long Island Express” Hurricane of 1938, the Great Atlantic Hurricane of 1944, the twin Hurricanes Carol and Edna in 1954, and Hurricane Bob in 1991. These storms destroyed countless homes and left several coastal communities under several feet of water. Surging tides carried away houses with residents inside who didn't survive and sank the Coast Guard lightship Vineyard in Buzzards Bay, killing all 12 crew members. Fall and winter brought the benchmark Blizzard of 1978, the nor’easter of January 1987, and the infamous “Perfect Storm” of October 1991 which delivered some of the highest tides ever seen on the Outer Cape. Don Wilding has been telling stories of Cape Cod Outer Beach history since the start of the millennium. An award-winning writer and editor for Massachusetts newspapers for thirty-six years, Don is the author of four other books on Cape Cod history, including Shipwrecks of Cape Cod: Stories of Tragedy and Triumph and Cape Cod and the Portland Gale of 1898, both from The History Press. He has worked as a tour guide and leads history walks for the Harwich Conservation Trust at Cape Cod National Seashore. Don and his wife, Nita, live in Franklin, Massachusetts, and in Dennis on Cape Cod.

 A History of Boston with Daniel Dain and Peter Vanderwarker

Join author&nbsp;Daniel Dain&nbsp;and photographer&nbsp;Peter Vanderwarker&nbsp;as they talk about their new book,&nbsp;A History of Boston.&nbsp;They will act as your tour guide through the history of the city and discuss what lessons can be learned for the challenges of a modern city today. Boston is today one of the world’s greatest cities, first in higher education, hospitals, life science companies, and sports teams. It was the home of the Great Puritan Migration, the American Revolution, the Industrial Revolution, the first civil rights movement, the abolition movement, and the women’s rights movement. But the city that gave us the first use of ether as anesthesia, the telephone, technicolor film, and the mutual fund―the city where Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott founded their world-changing partnership―was also the hub of the anti-immigration movement, the divisive busing era, and decades of self-inflicted decay. Boston has the most important history of any American city. Yet its history has never been given a comprehensive treatment until now. Tour with Dan Dain from the arrival of First Peoples up to the election of Boston’s first woman and person of color as mayor. Dain’s masterful work explores the policies and practices that took Boston from its highest heights to its lowest lows and back again, and examines the central role that density, diversity, and good urban design play in the success of cities like Boston. Daniel Dain, author of the book&nbsp;A History of Boston, was born in Boston and grew up in Newton before leaving the area to attend Vassar College and Michigan Law School. Since then, he has spent his entire professional career as a lawyer in Boston working with commercial property owners and developers on issues related to their use and development of real estate. Dan is the founder and president of the law firm Dain Torpy, where he chairs the firm’s real estate litigation practice. Active in the community, he writes and lectures widely on land use law and urban planning. Dan is a co-founder and treasurer of the Needham Land Trust, is on the board of the business advocacy groups NAIOP of Massachusetts and A Better City, is a board member of the Vilna Shul on Beacon Hill, and manages a private equity fund that invests in independent local restaurants. He also chairs the arts company White Snake Projects, the Town of Needham’s Golf Club Advisory Committee, and the Massachusetts Real Estate Bar Association’s Litigation Section. The legal rating publication Super Lawyers has recognized Dan as one of the top 100 lawyers in Massachusetts every year since 2013. Dan is an avid hiker and is a fanatic follower of Boston and University of Michigan sports teams. He loves giving tours of Boston to friends and visitors, and is known for his ability to give restaurant recommendations for any cuisine or location around Greater Boston. He lives in Needham with his wife and two kids. <img src="https://bpl.bibliocommons.com/events/uploads/images/full/30363e37f8c3afa01b435c56357fa44e/2.jpg"> Peter Vanderwarker’s work received Institute Honors from the American Institute of Architects in 1991.&nbsp;His photographs are in the collections of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, the Addison Gallery of American Art, and the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston.&nbsp;&nbsp;Recent exhibitions include&nbsp;Sublimation&nbsp;at Gallery NAGA, 2017;&nbsp;Seaport Views&nbsp;at the US District Courthouse in 2016; and&nbsp;Vanderwarker’s Pantheon, at the Boston Athenaeum in 2009.&nbsp;&nbsp;Peter is represented by Gallery NAGA, Boston.&nbsp;Peter has a Bachelor of Architecture degree from University of California, Berkeley, and he was a Loeb Fellow at Harvard University in 1997. His work has been supported by grants from the National Endowment for the Arts and the Graham Foundation. <img src="https://bpl.bibliocommons.com/events/uploads/images/full/ee54f45f768cfff299c7a1a5fceb749c/petersm3.jpg">

Inundation District

Featuring post-film (which runs&nbsp;79 minutes) discussion with&nbsp;Boston Globe&nbsp;reporter and filmmaker David Abel led by Garrett Dash Nelson In a time of rising seas and intensifying storms, one of the world’s wealthiest, most-educated cities made a fateful decision to spend billions of dollars erecting a new district along its coast — on landfill, at sea level. Unlike other places imperiled by climate change, this neighborhood of glass towers housing some of the world’s largest companies was built well after scientists began warning of the threats, including many at its renowned universities. The city, which already has more high-tide flooding than nearly any other in the United States, called its new quarter the Innovation District. But with seas rising inexorably, and at an accelerating rate, others are calling the neighborhood by a different name: Inundation District. David Abel&nbsp;is a Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter who covers climate change for&nbsp;The Boston Globe.&nbsp;He is also a professor of the practice at Boston University. Abel’s work has won an Edward R. Murrow Award, the Ernie Pyle Award from the Scripps Howard Foundation, and the Sigma Delta Chi Award for Feature Reporting Garrett Dash Nelson&nbsp;is a historical geographer whose work focuses on the relationship between community structure, geographic units, and political ideology and is&nbsp;President and Head Curator of the Norman B. Leventhal Map &amp; Education Center.

Join author Daniel Dain and photographer Peter Vanderwarker as they talk about their new book, A History of Boston. They will act as your tour guide through the history of the City and discuss what lessons can be learned for the challenges of a modern city today. Boston is today one of the world’s greatest cities, first in higher education, hospitals, life science companies, and sports teams. It was the home of the Great Puritan Migration, the American Revolution, the Industrial Revolution, the first civil rights movement, the abolition movement, and the women’s rights movement. But the city that gave us the first use of ether as anesthesia, the telephone, technicolor film, and the mutual fund―the city where Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott founded their world-changing partnership―was also the hub of the anti-immigration movement, the divisive busing era, and decades of self-inflicted decay. Boston has the most important history of any American city. Yet its history has never been given a comprehensive treatment until now. Tour with Dan Dain from the arrival of First Peoples up to the election of Boston’s first woman and person of color as mayor. Dain’s masterful work explores the policies and practices that took Boston from its highest heights to its lowest lows and back again, and examines the central role that density, diversity, and good urban design play in the success of cities like Boston. Daniel Dain, author of the book A History of Boston, was born in Boston and grew up in Newton before leaving the area to attend Vassar College and Michigan Law School. Since then, he has spent his entire professional career as a lawyer in Boston working with commercial property owners and developers on issues related to their use and development of real estate. Dan is the founder and president of the law firm Dain Torpy, where he chairs the firm’s real estate litigation practice. Active in the community, he writes and lectures widely on land use law and urban planning. Dan is a co-founder and treasurer of the Needham Land Trust, is on the board of the business advocacy groups NAIOP of Massachusetts and A Better City, is a board member of the Vilna Shul on Beacon Hill, and manages a private equity fund that invests in independent local restaurants. He also chairs the arts company White Snake Projects, the Town of Needham’s Golf Club Advisory Committee, and the Massachusetts Real Estate Bar Association’s Litigation Section. The legal rating publication Super Lawyers has recognized Dan as one of the top 100 lawyers in Massachusetts every year since 2013. Dan is an avid hiker and is a fanatic follower of Boston and University of Michigan sports teams. He loves giving tours of Boston to friends and visitors, and is known for his ability to give restaurant recommendations for any cuisine or location around Greater Boston. He lives in Needham with his wife and two kids. <img src="https://bpl.bibliocommons.com/events/uploads/images/full/30363e37f8c3afa01b435c56357fa44e/2.jpg">

The Fenway Effect : A Cultural History of the Red Sox

To be a part of Red Sox Nation is to be a hopeful romantic who neither betrays loyalty nor surrenders hope in the direst of circumstances. The Fenway Effect author David Krell knows the Sox phenomenon well, and he'll give us a lively discussion of the wider social impact of Boston's beloved team. The Sox history has intersected with the history of Boston and gone well beyond it, through the Curse of the Bambino, the military service of Ted Williams during World War II, and the Boston Marathon bombing.The Fenway Effect chronicles these stories and others that have built the incredible saga of the Sox. How did Cheers depict the passion of Boston’s sports fans? Why is Narragansett beer so important to New England? What’s the architectural impact of The Teammates—the statue of Bobby Doerr, Johnny Pesky, Ted Williams, and Dom DiMaggio outside Fenway Park? What did the Boston press really think about Red Sox owner Harry Frazee selling Babe Ruth to the Yankees? What was the origin of Fenway Park’s predecessor—Huntington Avenue Grounds? Even Yankees fans will tip their caps to the rich impact of the Red Sox on music, movies, branding, broadcasting, and more. And Krell even includes the oral history of Red Sox fans, some of whom share anecdotes that are funny, insightful, and heartwarming. David Krell is an author, speaker, and former producer at MSNBC. He is the author of 1962: Baseball and America in the Time of JFK (Nebraska, 2021) and “Our Bums”: The Brooklyn Dodgers in History, Memory, and Popular Culture.

A Boston Harbor Islands Adventure, the Great Brewster Journal of 1891

Join Stephanie Schorow and other members of the Friends of the Boston Harbor Islands&nbsp;research team&nbsp;to hear a fascinating story from Massachusetts history.&nbsp;In 1891, four intrepid women from Lowell sailed to a remote island in Boston Harbor for a 17-day escape from New England's prim and proper society. Calling themselves the Scribe, the Aristocrat, the Acrobat, and the Autocrat, the women rusticated in a cottage on Great Brewster Island, reveling in the chance to shed their identities of wife, mother, and daughter. Relive their sojourn through their remarkable journal, filled with observations, illustrations, photographs, and poetry, reproduced here by the Friends of the Boston Harbor Islands. The book was a team project led by&nbsp;<a href="http://www.stephanieschorow.com/" target="_blank">Stephanie Schorow</a>, the author of nine books on Boston History, and members of the nonprofit volunteer and advocacy organization,&nbsp;<a href="http://www.fbhi.org/" target="_blank">Friends of the Boston Harbor Islands</a>. Stephanie Schorow&nbsp;is a journalist, writing instructor and the author or coauthor of nine books on Boston history.&nbsp;She has worked as an editor and reporter for the&nbsp;Boston Herald&nbsp;and the Associated Press, as well as newspapers in Connecticut, Idaho, and Utah.

John Quincy Adams, Reluctant Abolitionist

Join author Jeffrey A. Denman as he discusses the life of John Quincy Adams as seen through the lens of slavery.  U.S. President, Harvard alumnus, diplomat, member of Congress, and attorney before the Supreme Court, John Quincy Adams had a unique relationship with slavery. Prickly and curmudgeonly, Adams danced with abolitionists, but never became one himself. However, Adams did harbor an intense hatred for the arguments of Southern slaveholders, and eventually found himself in the center of America's greatest struggle. Informed by Adams’s revealing and often tormented musings from his vast diary, this sweeping narrative offers a unique and gripping account of John Quincy Adams’s battle with slavery while exploring the many fault lines in American society that led to the Civil War. Included are the dramatic showdowns in the House of Representatives and the U.S. Supreme Court, as well as Adams's attempts at outsmarting Southern politicians, and Adams's efforts to keep slavery in the forefront of Congressional activities. Jeffrey A. Denman is co-author of Greene and Cornwallis in the Carolinas: The Pivotal Struggle in the American Revolution, 1780-1781, as well as several magazine and journal articles. Jeff is a graduate of the University of Maine and the University of Connecticut and a retired teacher of American History and World Geography in the Brookline Public Schools in Brookline, Massachusetts. His research focuses primarily on the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries in American history. To learn more or connect with Jeff, please visit <a href="https://www.jeffreyadenman.com/">https://www.jeffreyadenman.com...</a>

S22: conversations

Wondering what to do in Boston? Places to eat? Free activities? Good for a group? Date night spot? Girls night out? The best things to do? Ask Joyraft!

Best places to go in Boston? Things to do? Places to eat?

Questions & answers about things to do in Boston

Recs 💬

Community recs 💬

S4: top picks

The most fun, cool and unique things to do in Boston. Can’t miss events, shows and experiences. Concerts, restaurants, bars, free things in Boston and beyond.

The most fun and cool events happening around Boston

Hot and new things to do in Boston

Hot & new

Hot & new 🔥

S11: happening this weekend

What to do in Boston this weekend? From festivals, concerts, performances, free events, screenings and more, Joyraft has the best things to do in Boston.

25+ things to do in Boston/Cambridge/Somerville this weekend

Things to do in Boston this weekend

This wknd

This weekend for you

S21: roundups

Our top picks: outdoor dining, free events, spring festivals, best bars, upcoming concerts, museum parties - the latest in and around Boston.  Slug: joyraft-top-picks-best-things-to-do-boston-ma

Top picks of the best things to do in and around Boston

Joyraft picks: Boston’s best things to do

Roundups ⭐️

Curated by Joyraft ⭐️

S28: calendar experiences

This week in Boston

This week in Boston 📆

This week 📆

S20: c+d experiences

Discover new, unique events and experiences happening in and around Boston. Perfect for date night, good for a group or with a friend. Be the first to know.

The newest events happening in and around Boston

The newest events on Joyraft

Just added

Just added to Joyraft

S16: editor picks

The most unique and can’t miss things coming up in Boston / Cambridge / Somerville and beyond. Festivals, food, drinks, fairs, concerts, art and free activities.

Unique and Can’t Miss Things to Do in Boston

Can’t-miss things to do in Boston 🚨

Can't-miss things to do 🚨

S2 (A): top experiences

The most popular things to do on Joyraft. Concerts, restaurants, bars, events, parties, openings, kid friendly, date ideas, free things in Boston and beyond.

Top 20 things to do in Boston

Top 20: Joyraft’s most popular

Top 20

Top 20 on Joyraft

S3 (A): trending experiences

Discover can’t miss events and things to do in Boston. The most fun, unique and cool events coming to the Boston area this spring and summer.

The hottest events happening in Boston

Trending events on Joyraft

Trending 📈

S17: interest based

Your guide to everything free in and around Boston. From events, to fairs, to festivals, to outdoors. Joyraft has all the free events happening near you.

100+ free things to do in Boston and beyond

Free things to do in Boston

Free things to do

S19: interest based

Kid-friendly events in Boston

S18: interest based

Where to eat and drink in Boston? Joyraft has Boston’s newest bars, restaurants and specials. Drinks and pre fixe dinner menus. Cambridge & Somerville too.

Where

bplresearchservices

Experiences

The Raven in the Frog Pond: Edgar Allan Poe and the Boston Literati in 1845

The Boston Way: Radicals Against Slavery & the Civil War with Mark Kurlansky

Michael Ansara - The Hard Work of Hope

The Rise and Fall of Boston Pride

The Boston Red Stockings Superstars: How George Wright and Albert Spalding Impacted Sports in America

Nuf Ced! The Story of Michael McGreevy, Baseball’s First Superfan - with David Krell

The Great Abolitionist: Charles Sumner and the Fight for a More Perfect Union

Undergrounds Before Rail: Escaping Slavery, Claiming Liberty

Historic Storms of Cape Cod

A History of Boston with Daniel Dain and Peter Vanderwarker

Inundation District

A History of Boston with Daniel Dain and Peter Vanderwarker

The Fenway Effect : A Cultural History of the Red Sox

A Boston Harbor Islands Adventure, the Great Brewster Journal of 1891

John Quincy Adams, Reluctant Abolitionist