Papercuts Presents: Author Event with Atash Yaghmaian featuring her new book, My Name Means Fire

Author Event at Papercuts Bookshop: Atash Yaghmaian reads from My Name Means Fire, her touching memoir on living with Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID), surviving intimate abuse, and searching for true safety while navigating the throes of war in Iran. Published by Beacon Press “I was riveted by this searing ode to the resiliency of the human psyche, rich in beauty and devastation.” —Melissa Febos, author of Girlhood

Papercuts Bookshop

This Unruly Witness: June Jordan's Legacy

Becky Thompson discusses This Unruly Witness: June Jordan’s Legacy, a tender anthology of poems, essays, letters and interviews honoring the evergreen impact of Black feminist literary ancestor June Jordan. Thompson will be in conversation with Massachusetts Poet Laureate Regie Gibson, Former Boston Poet Laureate Porsha Olayiwola, and Priya Vulchi, author of Good Friends: Bonds That Change Us and the World. Hosted by Imani Davis.

Loring Greenough House

Papercuts Presents: Tom Toro in conversation with Karl Stevens featuring his debut collection: And to Think We Started as a Book Club...

Author Event at Papercuts Bookshop: Tom Toro reads from And to Think We Started as a Book Club, an engaging collection of work from his incredible career at The New Yorker Come on down to Papercuts to meet not one, but TWO wildly talented artists: New Yorker cartoonist Tom Toro, whose debut collection AND TO THINK WE STARTED AS A BOOK CLUB... is fresh off the press, and Boston's own Karl Stevens' whose "Penny is a major literary figure--right up there with Madame Bovary." -- David Sedaris. The two will be in conversation with each other, you will not want to miss out!

Papercuts Presents: Chuck Collins reads from Burned by Billionaires, JP Book Launch

Author Event &amp; Book Launch at Papercuts Bookshop: Chuck Collins reads from Burned by Billionaires: How Concentrated Wealth and Power are Ruining Our Lives and Planet In a wholly original argument, Collins charts this economic, social, and ecological destruction and shows how these effects manifest in every facet of our society, including:<ul><li>Increasing the tax burden on ordinary working people</li><li>Reducing public funding for schools, roads, and other essential infrastructure</li><li>Shrinking the pool of affordable housing, especially in poor and urban areas</li><li>Accelerating climate change and dictating what ends up on our dinner plate</li></ul>Shaping the news we consume and fueling the spread of misinformation Collins argues that perhaps, worst of all, the concentration of wealth and power is leading to political hijacking, undermining the democratic principle that our votes matter equally. Full of engrossing charts, graphs, political cartoons, and more, this book is an urgent call-to-action and road map to a more equitable society, where everyone has access to the resources that will allow them to thrive—and one where it is no longer commonplace to live in a constant state of uncertainty, fear, and anxiety Burned by Billionaires offers a pointed prescription for taking power back from the billionaire class and achieving the shared prosperity that comes from a healthy and equal society. “An incisive must-read account of how we are all being hurt by those with excessive wealth, Burned by Billionaires also provides hard-won wisdom about what can be done to unrig the system before they wreck our world.” —Nancy MacLean, author of Democracy in Chains: The Deep History of the Radical Right’s Stealth Plan for America

Papercuts x Loring Greenough: JP Literary Salon with Marianne Leone and Randy Susan Meyers

The next event in Papercuts and the Loring Greenough House's author series, featuring actress, writer, and dog parent Marianne Leone, in conversation with her close friend, local author Randy Susan Meyers. <a href="https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1WJEvbN5fxP7mgtIT1MjluPCCRayQhtutfNyHvMUEmyE/edit">RSVP</a>

Papercuts Bookshop's 10th Anniversary Celebration!

Join us at the shop, all day Saturday, November 30th, to celebrate our 10th anniversary! We're so grateful to all of you for keeping us in business for a full decade - we couldn't have done it without you, and what better way to give thanks than with a post-Thanksgiving bash? Expect delicious homemade baked goods, special guest appearances from local authors, and more!

PAPERCUTS PRESENTS: Cozy Autumn Read & Write

Enjoy time and space to read, write and reflect in the Loring Greenough House (12 South St, Jamaica Plain MA, 02130 - just down the street from Papercuts!). Bring your book, your journal or computer, and your favorite writing instrument and settle into the coziness of the house. Journals, pens, and books will be available for purchase at the house! The JP Literary Salon is a collaboration between Papercuts bookstore and The Loring Greenough House sponsored by Constance Cervone and Janet Deegan Real Estate.

Papercuts x Loring-Greenough: Jamaica Plain Literary Salon with Juliet Grames and Jessica Shattuck

The second part of Papercuts and the Loring-Greenough House's author series features two novelists whose work blends history, mystery, and richly developed characters. Juliet Grames's debut novel, of The Seven or Eight Deaths of Stella Fortuna, received Italy’s Premio Cetraro for contribution to Southern Italian literature, and was shortlisted for the New England Book Award and the Connecticut Book Award. Her latest, The Lost Boy of Santa Chionia, published in July 2024, returns to mid-twentieth century Italy for a story that's part small town murder mystery, part timeless portrait of a young woman in search of a meaningful life. Jessica Shattuck is the author of four bestselling, award-winning novels including The Woman in the Castle, which was a New York Times Bestseller, a #1 Indie Next Pick, and the winner of The New England Book Award; and The Hazards of Good Breeding which was a New York Times Notable Book, a Boston Globe Editor’s Choice Best Book of the Year, and a finalist for the 2003 PEN/Winship Award. Her latest, Last House, which was published in May 2024 and follows many generations of one family across eighty years. This event will be held at the Loring-Greenough House (12 South Street, Jamaica Plain MA 02130), just down the street from our shop!

The Loring-Greenough House

PAPERCUTS PRESENTS: An Evening with Pulitzer Prize Winner Jayne Anne Phillips and Nick Fuller Googins 

Come one come all, for the paperback release celebration of Nick Fuller Googins' THE GREAT TRANSITION, in conversation with his former MFA mentor, Jayne Anne Phillips, who won the Pulitzer for her novel NIGHT WATCH!

The Footlight Club

PAPERCUTS PRESENTS: Michelle Tea and SLUTS Anthology Contributors

Prolific multi-disciplinary artist Michelle Tea returns to Papercuts, this time with an anthology of&nbsp;personal essays, spilled secrets, fiction, memoir, and experimental works, each exploring&nbsp;what it means to be sexually promiscuous in contemporary American culture.&nbsp;From hideous and terrifying first encounters to postapocalyptic polyamory, from unionizing sex workers to backstage tableaux of sex and drugs and rock and roll,&nbsp;SLUTS’s stories probe the liberating highs and abject lows of physical abandon. Tea will be joined by some of the writers featured in this anthology: Lydi Conklin (<a href="https://papercutsjp.com/?q=h.tviewer&amp;using_sb=status&amp;qsb=keyword&amp;qse=-2678iiMGVeryzYARMpFcQ" target="_blank">Rainbow Rainbow</a>),&nbsp;Carley Moore (<a href="https://papercutsjp.com/?q=h.tviewer&amp;using_sb=status&amp;qsb=keyword&amp;qse=SDumxb94b1tiO1-P7PCQKA" target="_blank">Panpocalypse</a>), Cristy Road Carrera (<a href="https://papercutsjp.com/?q=h.tviewer&amp;using_sb=status&amp;qsb=keyword&amp;qse=xeiGnN8EGZDcuWq3WETyaw" target="_blank">Spit and Passion</a>), and Tom Cole. &nbsp; Michelle Tea is the author of over a dozen books of memoir, fiction, poetry and children's lit — including the essay collection&nbsp;<a href="https://papercutsjp.com/?q=h.tviewer&amp;using_sb=status&amp;qsb=keyword&amp;qse=uI9pNIAHMPENhsx3xN_uCw" target="_blank">Against Memoir</a>&nbsp;which&nbsp;was awarded the PEN/America Diamonstein-Speilvogel Award for the Art of the Essay;&nbsp;and the memoir&nbsp;<a href="https://papercutsjp.com/?q=h.tviewer&amp;using_sb=status&amp;qsb=keyword&amp;qse=lUy-ceNRsMV19rg1Y7MLAw" target="_blank">Valencia</a>,which&nbsp;won the Lambda Literary Award for Best Lesbian Fiction&nbsp;despite it being entirely true, and was adapted&nbsp;into a feature-length art film using nearly 20 different directors and different Michelles. She is also the recipient of the legendary Rona Jaffe Award, and a 2021 Guggenheim Fellow. &nbsp; In addition to her writing, Michelle has instigated many cultural interventions aimed at increasing access and visibility for queer writers and artists. She is the founder of the Bay Area literary non-profit&nbsp;RADAR Productions for which she worked as Executive Director for over a decade. Michelle's last move as ED was to conceptualize Drag Queen Story Hour, the kid's lit event that has since become a global sensation. She is the co-founder of the international performance tour Sister Spit, and founding editor-at-large for the online parenting zine Mutha. Michelle produces and hosts the mystical Spotify podcast&nbsp;Your Magic, and fronts a weekly live tarot show on Spotify Live. Her 30-plus years as a tarot reader is encapsulated in her popular how-to book,&nbsp;<a href="https://papercutsjp.com/?q=h.tviewer&amp;using_sb=status&amp;qsb=keyword&amp;qse=cBeH0n3IZ8yaMOiqJO2EhA" target="_blank">Modern Tarot</a>. This event will take place at Papercuts (60 South Street, Jamaica Plain MA 02130) on Saturday, August 10 at 6:30 p.m.! <a href="https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScUp6qEfbIla9Bjq7HGbJtArh5rqu8bwgrpeZ38IM7OVAxnow/viewform?usp=sf_link" target="_blank">RSVP</a>

Papercuts Presents: Storytime with Winter Miller

Join us the beautiful outdoor garden of the Loring-Greenough House (12 South St, Jamaica Plain, just a few blocks down the street from our shop!) for a picture book reading with Winter Miller! Bring your own lawn chairs or blankets for sitting. In event of rain, the event will take place inside the Loring-Greenough House. Apart from picture book writing, Miller is a playwright, journalist, essayist, and founding member of Obie-winning collective 13Playwrights.&nbsp;Not a Cat&nbsp;is her debut picture book, inspired by her cat Tiny Kitty. <a href="https://forms.gle/WsqtY76s4T59G2nJ6" target="_blank">RSVP HERE</a> PURR-AISE for&nbsp;NOT A CAT:&nbsp; "Gato, like all really interesting people, contains multitudes." -&nbsp;Jessica Love, author of&nbsp;Julian Is a Mermaid "Can a cat teach us to embrace our multitudes? When that cat is Gato, as interpreted by Winter Miller, the answer is yes." -&nbsp;Mira Jacob, author of&nbsp;Good Talk "Gato is my Yoda!" -&nbsp;Samantha Bee "A fun, furry lesson in rejecting labels and exploring one’s own identity." -&nbsp;The New York Times

Loring-Greenough House Garden

PAPERCUTS PRESENTS: Adele Bertei

Papercuts is delighted to host an evening with trailblazing rock musician, filmmaker, and memoirist Adele Bertei, for a conversation about her latest book,&nbsp;Twist.&nbsp;This event will take place on Sunday July 14 at 5:30 p.m., outdoors in the garden of the Loring-Greenough House (or inside, in case of inclement weather), located at 12 South St, Jamaica Plain, just a few blocks down the street from our shop!&nbsp;Bring your own lawn chairs or blankets for sitting! <a href="https://forms.gle/qodWjBiJHR7k1iEE8" target="_blank">RSVP HERE</a> Adele Bertei's band, the Bloods, based out of NYC during the early 1980s, is recognized as the first-ever band comprised entirely of publicly out gay women, and one of the U.S.'s first all-girl bands in general. She was also an original member of the Contortions, a no wave band featured on Brian Eno's seminal&nbsp;No New York&nbsp;album.&nbsp;Bertei's music career has also included frequent collaborations with Thomas Dolby including his international dance pop hit "Hyperactive!", and providing backing vocals for artists ranging from Whitney Houston to Culture Club to Tears for Fears. Bertei was a lead actor in Lizzie Borden's underground cult classic film&nbsp;Born in Flames,&nbsp;and in experimental filmmakers Beth and Scott B'sThe Offenders, which is now a part of the Museum of Modern Art's film collection.&nbsp;Reading prose and poetry, she opened for writers such as William Burroughs, Allen Ginsberg, and Kathy Acker among others.&nbsp;Her stories and essays have been included in the compilations&nbsp;The New Fuck You; Adventures in Lesbian Reading&nbsp;edited by Eileen Myles,&nbsp;It’s So You&nbsp;edited by Michelle Tea, and Evelyn McDonnell’s Women Who Rock. Twist,&nbsp;Bertei's new memoir, is a harrowing and electric story of transforming trauma through art, pluck, and imagination, as told through her young alter ego, Maddie Twist.&nbsp;Twist&nbsp;is both&nbsp;a personal personal history of queer culture from a working-class view, and an argument against the concept of the “misery memoir.” Praise for&nbsp;Twist: &nbsp; “Underground legend Adele Bertei’s roman a clef is like something out of the darkest pages of Charles Dickens. Her heroine Maddie Twist is born into a family racked by poverty, violence and madness and graduates to abusive foster care, the terrors of life as a teenage runaway and imprisonment in reform school. But Maddie is a survivor, as much Artful Dodger as she is victim. She rides the turbulent waves of the 1960s and early ’70s with reckless courage, buoyed by her careening high spirits and an almost mystic faith in poetry, music and the love of other girls.&nbsp;An unforgettable queer coming of age story and an inspiration to outsiders everywhere.” —Mary Harron, director of American Psycho, Alias Grace, and I Shot Andy Warhol &nbsp; “A veteran musician recalls her rough coming-of-age experiences in Cleveland in the 1960s and ’70s . . . A picaresque tale, full of vivid characters . . . Maddie narrates with a zest and objectivity probably only possible from a long temporal remove, and she excels at bringing readers deep into the difficult circumstances of her life . . . Throughout the book, Maddie comes across as curious, impulsive, and observant, fond of losing herself in books and brought to life by the music she hears—and creates. A powerful look at survival and redemption despite extremely challenging obstacles.” —<a href="https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/adele-bertei/twist-american-girl/" target="_blank">Kirkus (starred review)</a>, Best Nonfiction of 2023 &nbsp; “Bracingly candid and stylishly written.” —David Smith,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/music/2023/jun/13/adele-bertei-twist-book-interview-bloods-lgbtq-rock" target="_blank">The Guardian</a> &nbsp; “Once ‘the Devil ran through’ her family, Maddie free falls from institution to institution, growing into her queerness and discovering her fate—that ‘God has to be music.’ This riveting novel/memoir by underground icon Adele Bertei situates the making of a survivor rebel against the background of the chaotic side of 1960’s America. An honest, hard times page turner filled with heart and revelation.” —Sarah Schulman, author of&nbsp;Let the Record Show&nbsp;and&nbsp;Conflict Is Not Abuse &nbsp; “A harrowing voyage through the cultural tornado of America in the latter part of the 20th century as seen through the eyes of a thoroughly 21st century girl. This book gives serious credence to the expression ‘what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.’ Very inspirational.” —Rufus Wainwright&nbsp;

PAPERCUTS PRESENTS: A Conversation with Suri Chan

Papercuts is thrilled to have Suri Chan in the space on Sunday, May 26th! Suri Chan – known for the popular Instagram account @poemsbysuri – is a prize-winning poet. She speaks to women, the queer Asian community, and anyone with big feelings. Suri is a migrant from a long line of migrants. Her work is inspired by her ancestors – the ones who created food that tasted like home with the herbs of their new land. Their ingredients were simple: nuts, shredded veggies, sweet sauce. But the resulting meal was always grand. Suri likes to think she does the same with everyday words.&nbsp; But I Don’t Feel Empowered&nbsp;is Suri Chan’s debut collection of honest, free-verse and whimsically illustrated poems. She explores themes of heartbreak, womanhood, and trauma from the lens of a queer Asian woman coming of age.

PAPERCUTS PRESENTS: An Evening with Justin Nobel, in Conversation with Dr. Marco Kaltofen

Join us on TUESDAY, May 7th for a conversation between environmental writer Justin Nobel and forensic nuclear scientist Dr. Marco Kaltofen, discussing Nobel's book&nbsp;Petroleum-238: Big Oil’s Dangerous Secret and the Grassroots Fight to Stop It. Petroleum-238: Big Oil’s Dangerous Secret and the Grassroots Fight to Stop It&nbsp;began as an investigation with Rolling Stone magazine published in January 2020. The story won an award for longform writing with the National Association of Science Writers. This book is an impressive work of investigative science journalism with surprising moments of literary beauty, and a welcome breakdown of the false wall corporations and politicians often set between industry workers and environmentalists. In the tradition of Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring, Petroleum-238 is both a landmark work of environmental writing and an urgent call to action. Justin Nobel writes on science and environment for US magazines, investigative sites, and literary journals. His work has been published in Best American Science and Nature Writing and Best American Travel Writing. He is the&nbsp;co-writer of&nbsp;The Story of Dan Bright, published&nbsp;in 2016 by University of New Orleans Press,&nbsp;alongside Dan Bright,&nbsp;a death row exonoree. Justin’s writing has helped lead to lawsuits, public dialogue, academic research and been taught at Harvard's School of Public Health. Dr. Marco Kaltofen is a licensed Massachusetts civil engineer who specializes in environmental investigations involving chemical, petroleum and nuclear accidents and releases.&nbsp;His research is primarily in the field of forensic nuclear science, focusing on industrial accidents and natural disasters including the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, the Fukushima meltdowns in Japan, war-driven petroleum spills in Iraq, and radioactively-contaminated wildlife from Chernobyl. His life was the inspiration for Neal Stephenson's 1988 novel&nbsp;<a href="https://papercutsjp.com/?q=h.tviewer&amp;using_sb=status&amp;qsb=keyword&amp;qse=wLu_br6H3tWtLQvKX34GsA" target="_blank">Zodiac</a>.

Papercuts Presents: Story and Art Hour with Ajuan Mance

Join us on SUNDAY, May 5th at 4pm, and bring your whole family, to a picture book reading from author-illustrator Ajuan Mance. Coloring pages and art supplies will be provided! Inspired by Richard Scarry's What Do People Do All Day?, author-illustrator Ajuan Mance created What Do Brothas Do All Day?, like Scarry, in response to children's innate curiosity about the activities and experiences of others, but also to meet the longing many kids have for characters and communities that look and feel like the people and places they know. "Have you ever wondered . . . What do brothas do all day? Brothas drive. Brothas dance. Brothas work. Brothas listen. And brothas love." &nbsp; Ajuan Mance is a Professor of African American literature at Mills College in Oakland, California. A prolific artist and writer, Ajuan's books include&nbsp;Living While Black&nbsp;(Chronicle Books) and&nbsp;1001 Black Men&nbsp;(Stacked Deck Press). Ajuan's new book,&nbsp;What Do Brothas Do All Day?&nbsp;(Chronicle Books), is her first picture book. Ajuan’s illustrations and comics have also appeared in several anthologies, including,&nbsp;Drawing Power&nbsp;(Abrams Press), winner of the 2020 Eisner Award for Best Anthology. Her academic collections include&nbsp;Inventing Black Women&nbsp;and&nbsp;Before Harlem&nbsp;both with the University of Tennessee Press.

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

papercutsbookshop

Experiences