Lit Boston: What's Happening in January?
In the January 2023 edition of "Best of Boston," we bring you our top Boston lit events this month, taking place virtually and in-person. See below for our list of local literary happenings.
New Years Day Sale: In Boston & Cambridge
Sunday, January 1st at 1:00pm (EST) | Event Fee: $0
An In-Person Event by Porter Square Books
It's our annual New Years Day Sale! Make the most of your gift cards. Get started on a resolution. Pick up that book your friends and family neglected to give you over the holidays. Everything in both stores (aside from the hold shelf, electronics, and a few other things) is 20% off! Learn more.
Allegra Goodman, author of Sam
Tuesday, January 3rd at 7:00pm (EST) | Event Fee: $0
An In-Person Event by Porter Square Books
Porter Square Books is thrilled to host the launch of Sam, Allegra Goodman's latest novel! This event will take place on Tuesday, January 3 at 7pm at Porter Square Books (25 White St. Cambridge, MA 02140). RSVP below to let us know you're coming! Learn more.
Live at Brookline Booksmith! Allegra Goodman: Sam
Wednesday, January 4th at 7:00pm (EST) | Event Fee: $0 – $38
An In-Person Event by Brookline Booksmith
In person at Brookline Booksmith! Celebrate the release of Sam with author Allegra Goodman. Learn more.
Live at Brookline Booksmith! Henry Horenstein with Ray Magliozzi
Thursday, January 5th at 7:00pm (EST) | Event Fee: $0 – $62
An In-Person Event by Brookline Booksmith
In person at Brookline Booksmith! Celebrate the release of Speedway 1972 with photographer Henry Horenstein, in conversation with Car Talk's Ray Magliozzi. Learn more.
Tuesday, January 10th at 6:00pm (EST) | Event Fee: $0
An Online Event by Harvard Book Store
Harvard Book Store, the Harvard University Division of Science, and the Harvard Library welcome DR. SUZIE SHEEHY—physicist, science communicator, and academic at the University of Oxford and University of Melbourne—for a discussion of her book The Matter of Everything: How Curiosity, Physics, and Improbable Experiments Changed the World. She will be joined in conversation by GREG KESTIN—Associate Director of Science Education and a Lecturer on Physics at Harvard University. Learn more.
Laura Zigman at Harvard Book Store Presenting Small World
Tuesday, January 10th at 7:00pm (EST) | Event Fee: $0
An In-Person Event by Harvard Book Store
Harvard Book Store welcomes LAURA ZIGMAN—author of Separation Anxiety and Animal Husbandry—for a discussion of her new book Small World. She will be joined in conversation by TOM PERROTTA—bestselling author of Tracy Flick Can’t Win. Learn more.
Live at Brookline Booksmith! David Valdes with Sara Farizan
Tuesday, January 10th at 7:00pm (EST) | Event Fee: $0 – $28.99
An In-Person Event by Brookline Booksmith
In person at Brookline Booksmith! Celebrate the release of Brighter Than the Moon with author David Valdes, in conversation with Sara Farizan. Learn more.
Wednesday, January 11th at 7:00pm (EST) | Event Fee: $0
An In-Person Event by Harvard Book Store
Harvard Book Store welcomes ANASTASIA C. CURWOOD—associate professor of history and director of African American and Africana studies at the University of Kentucky—for a discussion of her new book Shirley Chisholm: Champion of Black Feminist Power Politics. Learn more.
Live at Brookline Booksmith! Suzanne Berne: The Blue Window
Wednesday, January 11th at 7:00pm (EST) | Event Fee: $0 – $37
An In-Person Event by Brookline Booksmith
In person at Brookline Booksmith! Celebrate the release of The Blue Window with author Suzanne Berne. Learn more.
Wednesday, January 11th at 7:00pm (EST) | Event Fee: $0
An In-Person Event by Porter Square Books
Porter Square Books: Boston Edition hosts another Open Mic Night! Join us on Wednesday, January 11 at 7pm for a night of poetry, stand up comedy, storytelling, and performance. This event is free and open to all. Sign up below or at the door to perform a set of 5-10 minutes, or just come to spectate and cheer everybody on! Learn more.
Friday, January 13th at 5:30pm (EST) | Event Fee: $0
An In-Person Event by GrubStreet
Looking to add some creativity to your day? Want to meet other local writers and get started on some new writing? Join us for our next Seaport Free Writes session on Friday, January 13th, from 5:30pm-6:30pm. You’ll meet fellow writers and get your creative juices flowing with some frighteningly fresh writing exercises. Best of all, you’ll leave with some new ideas to ponder for the rest of your day and beyond. Please note that you must register ahead of time to attend this session. Learn more.
Fatin Abbas at Harvard Book Store Presenting Ghost Season: A Novel
Friday, January 13th at 7:00pm (EST) | Event Fee: $0
An In-Person Event by Harvard Book Store
Harvard Book Store welcomes FATIN ABBAS—award-winning fiction writer and Harvard University graduate—for a discussion of her debut novel Ghost Season. Learn more.
The Town of Brookline MLK Celebration Committee presents: Brookline Celebrates MLK Day
Monday, January 16th at 3:00pm (EST) | Event Fee: $0
An In-Person Event by Brookline & Brookline Booksmith
This year’s program promises a stirring celebration of the life and values of Dr. King with words, poetry and music to challenge and inspire. Our keynote speaker, Pulitzer Prize-winning historian Edward J. Larson, author of American Inheritance: Liberty and Slavery in the Birth of a Nation 1765-1795, reveals how the twin strands of liberty and slavery were joined in the nation’s founding. Was the American revolution waged to preserve slavery? Was the Constitution a pact with slavery or a landmark in the antislavery movement? Learn more.
Tuesday, January 17th at 6:00pm (EST) | Event Fee: $0 - $32
An In-Person Event by Harvard Book Store
Harvard Book Store welcomes TRACY KIDDER—Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Mountains Beyond Mountains—for a discussion of his new book Rough Sleepers: Dr. Jim O'Connell's urgent mission to bring healing to homeless people. Learn more.
Richard Hoffman with Sven Birkerts, Remembering the Alchemists and Other Essays
Tuesday, January 17th at 7:00pm (EST) | Event Fee: $0
An In-Person Event by Porter Square Books
Porter Square Books is delighted to welcome Richard Hoffman, author of Remembering the Alchemists and Other Essays, to the store for a conversation with Sven Birkerts. This event will take place on Tuesday, January 17 at 7pm at Porter Square Books (25 White St. Cambridge, MA 02140). RSVP below to let us know you're coming! Learn more.
Wednesday, January 18th at 7:00pm (EST) | Event Fee: $0
An In-Person Event by Harvard Book Store
Harvard Book Store welcomes DR. CLARENCE LUSANE—activist, journalist, and author of The Black History of the White House—for a discussion of his new book Twenty Dollars and Change: Harriet Tubman and the Ongoing Fight for Racial Justice and Democracy. He will be joined in conversation by PHILLIP MARTIN—senior investigative reporter for The GBH News Center for Investigative Reporting. Learn more.
Suzanne Berne, author of The Blue Window, with Joan Wickersham
Wednesday, January 18th at 7:00pm (EST) | Event Fee: $0
An In-Person Event by Porter Square Books
Porter Square Books welcomes Suzanne Berne, author of The Blue Window, for a conversation with Joan Wickersham. This event will take place on Wednesday, January 18 at 7pm at Porter Square Books (25 White St. Cambridge, MA 02140). RSVP below to let us know you're coming! Learn more.
Joshua Prager at Harvard Book Store Presenting The Family Roe: An American Story
Thursday, January 19th at 7:00pm (EST) | Event Fee: $0
An In-Person Event by Harvard Book Store
Harvard Book Store welcomes award-winning author JOSHUA PRAGER for a discussion of his Pulitzer Prize-finalist book The Family Roe: An American Story. He will be joined in conversation by Emmy Award-winning producer and Boston-based radio show host CALLIE CROSSLEY. Learn more.
Spring 2023 Instructor and Student Showcase
Thursday, January 19th at 7:00pm (EST) | Event Fee: $0
An In-Person Event by GrubStreet
Want to start off your new year with a boost of inspiration? Curious about what your fellow Grubbies are working on? Join us on Thursday, January 19th from 7:00pm-8:30pm for a showcase of new writing from our talented, vibrant community! Current Grub instructors and students will read from their work, with a reception to follow. Featured readers will include instructors Simone Dalton, Olivia Kate Cerrone, and Katherine Yeh, and students Eben Bein, Fabienne François Keck, Julia Levy, and Isaiah Newman. Learn more.
John Hendrickson at Harvard Book Store Presenting Life on Delay: Making Peace with a Stutter
Friday, January 20th at 7:00pm (EST) | Event Fee: $0
An In-Person Event by Harvard Book Store
Harvard Book Store welcomes JOHN HENDRICKSON—senior editor at The Atlantic—for a discussion of his new book Life on Delay: Making Peace with a Stutter. He will be joined in conversation by ISAAC FITZGERALD—New York Times bestselling author of Dirtbag, Massachusetts. Learn more.
Monday, January 23rd at 7:00pm (EST) | Event Fee: $0
An In-Person Event by Porter Square Books
Please join us for the new Porter Square Books Book Club, led by bookseller Wendy! We'll meet on the fourth Monday of every month at 7pm at Porter Square Books in Cambridge (25 White St. Cambridge, MA 02140). Learn more.
Monday, January 23rd at 7:00pm (EST) | Event Fee: $0
An In-Person Event by Harvard Book Store
Harvard Book Store welcomes ILYON WOO—acclaimed author of The Great Divorce—for a discussion of her new book Master Slave Husband Wife: An Epic Journey from Slavery to Freedom. Learn more.
Elinor Lipman, author of Ms. Demeanor
Tuesday, January 24th at 7:00pm (EST) | Event Fee: $0
An In-Person Event by Porter Square Books
Porter Square Books is delighted to welcome Elinor Lipman, author of Ms. Demeanor, for a book talk and signing at the store! This event will take place on Tuesday, January 24 at 7pm at Porter Square Books (25 White St. Cambridge, MA 02140). RSVP below to let us know you're coming and to receive event updates! Learn more.
Wednesday, January 25th at 12:30pm (EST) | Event Fee: $0
An Online Event by GrubStreet
Looking for some virtual midweek writing community? Or do you have a little time during your lunch break for a chat and guided writing? Join our FREE Grubby Desk Lunch Series live via easy-to-use video conferencing. Join us on Wednesday, January 25th, from 12:30pm-1:15pm. For 45 minutes, you’ll meet fellow writers and get your creative juices flowing with some cool writing exercises. Learn more.
Stephen Markley at Harvard Book Store Presenting The Deluge
Wednesday, January 25th at 7:00pm (EST) | Event Fee: $0
An In-Person Event by Harvard Book Store
Harvard Book Store welcomes STEPHEN MARKLEY—acclaimed author of Ohio—for a discussion of his new book The Deluge. Learn more.
Michael Wejchert, author of Hidden Mountains, with Emmett Lyman
Wednesday, January 25th at 7:00pm (EST) | Event Fee: $0
An In-Person Event by Porter Square Books
Porter Square Books is delighted to welcome Michael Wejchert, author of Hidden Mountains: Survival and Reckoning After a Climb Gone Wrong, for a conversation with Emmett Lyman, one of the climbers for the expedition detailed in the book. This event will take place on Wednesday, January 25 at 7pm at Porter Square Books (25 White St. Cambridge, MA 02140). RSVP below to let us know you're coming! Learn more.
Matt Witten in conversation with James Ziskin
Wednesday, January 25th at 7:00pm (EST) | Event Fee: $0
An In-Person Event by Belmont Books
Join thriller writer Matt Witten as he discusses his latest novel with James W. Ziskin! This event will be held in-store and is free to attend. Learn more.
Thursday, January 26th at 7:00pm (EST) | Event Fee: $0
An In-Person Event by Harvard Book Store
Harvard Book Store welcomes MEGAN MARSHALL—award-winning biographer and Charles Wesley Emerson College Professor—for a discussion of Robert D. Richardson's new book Three Roads Back: How Emerson, Thoreau, and William James Responded to the Greatest Losses of Their Lives. She will be joined on stage by JOHN KAAG—author and Donohue Professor of Ethics and the Arts at UMass Lowell—for a discussion of his new book Be Not Afraid of Life: In the Words of William James. Learn more.
Friday, January 27th at 7:00pm (EST) | Event Fee: $0
An In-Person Event by Harvard Book Store
Harvard Book Store welcomes KRISTIN HASS—Professor in the Department of American Culture at the University of Michigan and Associate Director of Imagining America: Artists and Scholars in Public Life—for a discussion of her new book Blunt Instruments: Recognizing Racist Cultural Infrastructure in Memorials, Museums, and Patriotic Practice. She will be joined in conversation by TIYA MILES—author and director of the Charles Warren Center for Studies in American History at Harvard University. Learn more.
Brookline Emerging Artist: Salman Hussain
Friday, January 27th at 7:00pm (EST) | Event Fee: $0
An In-Person Event by Brookline Booksmith
Join us for a conversation with Salman Hussain, the first artist appointed by the Brookline Commission for the Arts Chris Santos Emerging Artist Program! Learn more.
Novel Incubator 2023-2024 Virtual Q&A Session
Saturday, January 28th at 12:00pm (EST) | Event Fee: $0
An Online Event by GrubStreet
Interested in taking your novel to the next level? Join us for an informal Q&A session on our Novel Incubator program. Instructor Michelle Hoover will answer any questions you have about the Novel Incubator program. We'll give you all the information you need to know about the application process, what the program entails, the schedule, the philosophy behind our approach, and anything else on your mind. Learn more.
Caroline Dodds Pennock: On Savage Shores: How Indigenous Americans Discovered Europe
Sunday, January 29th at 2:00pm (EST) | Event Fee: $0 – $42.50
An Online Event by Brookline Booksmith
Celebrate the release of On Savage Shores: How Indigenous Americans Discovered Europe with author Caroline Dodds Pennock! Learn more.
Be the Change with Jessica Lander and Rose Francois
Sunday, January 29th at 3:00pm (EST) | Event Fee: $0
An In-Person Event by Porter Square Books
Join Porter Square Books on Sunday, January 29 from 3-5PM for our January Be the Change event with Jessica Lander, author of Making Americans: Stories of Historic Struggles, New Ideas, and Inspiration in Immigrant Education! Rose Francois, executive director of Enroot, will join her in conversation. Learn more.
V. Ganeshananthan at Harvard Book Store presenting Brotherless Night: A Novel
Monday, January 30th at 7:00pm (EST) | Event Fee: $0
An In-Person Event by Harvard Book Store
Harvard Book Store welcomes V. V. GANESHANANTHAN—author and member of the board of the American Institute for Sri Lankan Studies—for a discussion of her new novel Brotherless Night. Learn more.
Live at Brookline Booksmith! Patricia Engel: The Faraway World
Monday, January 30th at 7:00pm (EST) | Event Fee: $0 – $36
An In-Person Event by Brookline Booksmith
In person at Brookline Booksmith! Celebrate the release of The Faraway Word, with celebrated Infinite Country author Patricia Engel. Learn more.
Catherine Newman, author of We All Want Impossible Things, with Joanna Rakoff
Monday, January 30th at 7:00pm (EST) | Event Fee: $0
An In-Person Event by Porter Square Books
Porter Square Books welcomes Catherine Newman, author of We All Want Impossible Things, to the store for a conversation with Joanna Rakoff! This event will take place on Monday, January 30 at 7pm at Porter Square Books (25 White St. Cambridge, MA 02140). RSVP below to let us know you're coming! Learn more.
Barrett Rollins at Harvard Book Store Presenting In Sickness: A Memoir
Tuesday, January 31st at 7:00pm (EST) | Event Fee: $0
An In-Person Event by Harvard Book Store
Harvard Book Store welcomes BARRETT ROLLINS—oncologist and Linde Family Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School—for a discussion of his new book In Sickness: A Memoir. Learn more.
Live at Brookline Booksmith! Amy Finkelstein & Ray Fisman: Risky Business
Tuesday, January 31st at 7:00pm (EST) | Event Fee: $0 – $40
An In-Person Event by Brookline Booksmith
In person at Brookline Booksmith! Celebrate the release of Risky Business with authors Amy Finkelstein and Ray Fisman. Learn more.
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