Boston Public Library announces May author talks and lectures

Bernice A. King, minister, attorney, and daughter of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., acclaimed Chicano poet Luis J. Rodriguez, and actor George Takei highlight this month’s programming, in addition to author talks and lectures around the BPL system. All programs and events can be viewed on the Library's online calendar.

• Join Bruce Kennett as he discusses his newly published work A. Dwiggins: A Life in Design (2018), the first comprehensive biography to be written about renowned graphic designer, illustrator, and commercial artist William Addison Dwiggins. Wednesday, May 2, at 6 p.m. in Rabb Hall at the Central Library in Copley Square, located at 700 Boylston Street.
• Acclaimed Chicano poet, novelist, children’s book author, and journalist Luis J. Rodriguez tells the story of his childhood as a gang member in the national bestseller Always Running: La Vida Loca: Gang Days in L.A. Thursday, May 3, at 6 p.m. in Rabb Hall at the Central Library in Copley Square, located at 700 Boylston Street. Part of the Lowell Lecture Series.
• Editor Mary Lovell discusses Frank Lovell’s World War II Diaries, providing insight into the European war theater years, on Saturday, May 5, at 1:30 p.m. at the West Roxbury Branch, located at 1961 Center Street.
• Actor, icon, and social media guru George Takei speaks about his internment camp experience during World War II, shares how his story became the basis for the hit Broadway show Allegiance, and offers thoughts on the timely lessons of this cautionary tale. The cast of SpeakEasy Stage Company’s production of Allegiance will also perform. Tuesday, May 8, at 6:30 p.m. in Rabb Hall at the Central Library in Copley Square, located at 700 Boylston Street. Seating will be available on a first-come, first-served basis after individuals with tickets are seated. An Eventbrite registration link will be available this week.
• Ronni Baer, Elfers Senior Curator of European Painting at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, discusses M.C. Escher, his works, and the exhibitionC. Escher: Infinite Dimensions (on view at the MFA until May 28). Tuesday, May 8, at 6 p.m. in the Abbey Room at the Central Library in Copley Square, located at 700 Boylston Street. This event is presented by the Associates of the Boston Public Library.
• Join Boston Public Library President David Leonard in conversation with Robert Kuttner, author of Can Democracy Survive Global Capitalism? and Lisa Lynch, Provost at Brandeis University in the first installment of “The Public Conversation,” a series in which BPL President David Leonard is in conversation with academics, writers, and intellectuals to discuss events and issues of the national collective conscience. Wednesday, May 9, at 6 p.m. in Rabb Hall at the Central Library in Copley Square, located at 700 Boylston Street. The series is sponsored by Bank of America. Please visit Eventbrite to register.
• Frederick R. Morin and John Galluzzo explore the history of aviation in the Commonwealth, beginning with the aviation fever that gripped the state after the Wright brothers took flight. Wednesday, May 9, 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.
• Bernice A. King, minister, attorney, and daughter of Martin Luther King, Jr., discusses a variety of topics, including her book Hard Questions, Heart Answers, on Thursday, May 10, at 6 p.m. in Rabb Hall at the Central Library in Copley Square, located at 700 Boylston Street. Please register via Eventbrite.  Seating will be available on a first-come, first-served basis after individuals with tickets are seated.
• Mary Kilroy discusses Germinating Seedlings, stories that span the impact of emigration, historical experiences through generations, and the search for ancestry. Thursday, May 10, at 6 p.m. at the West Roxbury Branch, located at 1961 Center Street.
• Hear what it’s like to raise honeybees, learn what you can do to help honeybees flourish, and taste a sampling of honeys from all over the world during a talk with local beekeeper Dave Strickler on Monday, May 14, at  6 p.m. at the Connolly Branch, located at 433 Centre Street in Jamaica Plain.
• Patrick K. O’Donnell portrays the untold story of America’s unknown soldier and the WWII decorated heroes who brought him home in The Unknowns on Monday, May 14, at 6 p.m. in the Commonwealth Salon at the Central Library in Copley Square, located at 700 Boylston Street.
• Sam Graham-Felsen, a former Obama campaign staffer and reporter for “The Nation,” will discuss his first coming of age novel Green on Thursday, May 17, at 6:30 p.m. at the Jamaica Plain Branch, located at 30 South Street.
• Jessica Zhang shares her novel The Crimson Eyed Buddha (Chinese), which is based on the rural life in the northeast and the life of the workers in the city. Thursday, May 17, at 6:30 p.m. at the West Roxbury Branch, located at 1961 Center Street.
• Noted author Allegra Goodman will read from her newest novel The Chalk Artist on Tuesday, May 22, at 6:30 p.m. at the South End Branch, located at 685 Tremont Street. Part of the South End Writes Series.
• Lisa Berenson discusses an ambitious initiative to transform and restore a former Jewish mortuary chapel in East Boston into a state-of-the-art exhibit hall on the history of immigration in the Boston area. Wednesday, May 23, 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.
• Mindy Fried reads from her memoir Caring for Red, a moving and colorful account of caring for her ninety-seven-year-old father, Manny – an actor, writer, and labor organizer – in the final year of his life. Thursday, May 24, at 6 p.m. at the West Roxbury Branch, located at 1961 Center Street.
• In his debut novel Death Postponed, Gustaf Berger follows a human-interest journalist from a small New York City weekly who finds herself unexpectedly investigating a 14-year-old insurance scam related to the World Trade Center attacks. Thursday, May 31, at 6 p.m. at the West Roxbury Branch, located at 1961 Center Street.

Boston Public Library provides educational, cultural and civic enrichment, free to all, for the residents of Boston, Massachusetts and beyond, through its collections, services, programs, and spaces. Established in 1848, the Boston Public Library is a pioneer of 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. As a City of Boston historic cultural institution, Boston Public Library today features a Central Library, twenty-five branches, a map center, business library, archival center; extensive special collections of rare books, manuscripts, photographs, and prints; and rich digital content and online services. The award-winning renovation of the Central Library in Copley Square, completed in 2016, together with new, renovated and historic branches, provide a transformed library system for the next generation of users. Boston Public Library enriches lives, hosting thousands of free educational programs and exhibitions, and provides free library services online and in-person to millions of people each year.  To learn more, visit bpl.org.