Lit Boston: What's Happening in September?
In the September 2022 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.
Friday, September 2nd at 7:00pm (EST) | Event Fee: $0
An In-Person Event by Porter Square Books
Porter Square Books is beyond excited to welcome Amanda Foody & Christine Lynn Herman for the release of their latest book, All of Our Demise! All of Our Demise is the epic conclusion and sequel to their NYT bestseller, All of Us Villains, and is a "blood-soaked modern fairytale brimming with magic, spectacle, and unforgettable characters” (Katy Rose Pool, author of There Will Come A Darkness). Amanda & Christine will be joined in conversation by Janella Angeles (Where Dreams Descend) and Mara Fitzgerald (Beyond the Ruby Veil). Learn more.
Live at Brookline Booksmith! Kathryn Lasky with Hank Phillippi Ryan
Tuesday, September 6th at 7:00pm (EST) | Event Fee: $0 – $36.95
An In-Person Event by Brookline Booksmith
In person at Brookline Booksmith! Celebrate the release of Light on Bone with author Kathryn Lasky, in conversation with Hank Phillippi Ryan. Learn more.
Kelly Ford at Harvard Book Store presenting Real Bad Things: A Thriller
Wednesday, September 7th at 7:00pm (EST) | Event Fee: $0
An In-Person Event by Harvard Book Store
Harvard Book Store welcomes local New England author Kelly Ford for a discussion of her new book Real Bad Things: A Thriller. She will be joined in conversation by writer and teacher E.B. Bartels. Learn more.
Write Together: Collaborative Storytelling
Friday, September 9th at 6:00pm (EST) | Event Fee: $0
An In-Person Event by GrubStreet
This is a writing session where students will work together in small groups to collaboratively write a story. Each group will be given a short list of writing prompts/story elements and various craft elements that they need to incorporate into their story. This class will spark creativity while also teaching collaboration with other writers. The inclusion of craft into the story will allow writers to hone their writing skills and/or learn from other writers. Learn more.
50 Ways to Fill the Blank Page: A Poem Generator
Saturday, September 10th at 12:00pm (EST) | Event Fee: $0
An In-Person Event by GrubStreet
In this 90-minute session, poets will quickly respond to a rapid-fire series of prompts to kickstart their creative engines. We will collaborate on group exercises, respond to visual art, get inspired by published poems, practice looking deeply at what's in front of us, and randomize our process using dictionaries, YouTube, and scissors. (We probably won't use 50 methods, but as many as we can fit!) Learn more.
VIRTUAL: Poetry Reading with Claire Schwartz and Solmaz Sharif
Tuesday, September 13th at 7:00pm (EST) | Event Fee: $0
A Virtual Event by Porter Square Books
Porter Square Books is happy to welcome Claire Schwartz to celebrate the release of her debut poetry collection, Civil Service! Fellow poet Solmaz Sharif will be joining the author with a reading from her own collection, Customs, which released earlier this year. Learn more.
Tuesday, September 13th at 7:00pm (EST) | Event Fee: TBD
An In-Person Event by Harvard Book Store
Harvard Book Store, the Harvard University Division of Science, and the Harvard Library welcome Randall Munroe—creator of the beloved webcomic xkcd and #1 New York Times bestselling author of What If? Serious Scientific Answers to Absurd Hypothetical Questions—for a discussion of the highly anticipated sequel, What If? 2: Additional Serious Scientific Answers to Absurd Hypothetical Questions. Learn more.
BOSTON: Valeria Luiselli with Jenny Minton Quigley, Best Short Stories 2022
Thursday, September 15th at 7:00pm (EST) | Event Fee: $0
An In-Person Event by Porter Square Books, GrubStreet, and the Harvard Review
Porter Square Books: Boston Edition is eager to welcome Valeria Luiselli, editor of The Best Short Stories 2022: The O. Henry Prize Winners, for the anthology's release week event! She will be joined in conversation by the series' editor for the The O. Henry Prize Collection, Jenny Minton Quigley, and contributors Michel Nieva and David Ryan. We are delighted to present this event in partnership with GrubStreet Creative Writing Center and the Harvard Review. Learn more.
Hummingbird Books: Local Author Book Fair
Thursday, September 15th at 5:00pm (EST) | Event Fee: $0
An In-Person Event by Hummingbird Books
Our vision for Hummingbird Books is to be a gathering place for our community… and to celebrate authors, especially local ones! We are excited to host Hummingbird Books first Local Author Book Fair on Thursday, September 15. We will showcase local authors and their important work. Authors will each have a table and have the chance to meet and greet attendees. Authors can bring their own 6 foot table and personalize their tables / areas with their own balloons, flowers, banners, etc. Or they can rent them through Hummingbird Books. We will have 20+ booths with adult, YA, middle reader and children’s books – across all genres. Learn more.
Live with Brookline Booksmith! Joe Trohman with Luke O'Neil: None of This Rocks
Thursday, September 15th at 7:30pm (EST) | Event Fee: $39
An In-Person Event by Brookline Booksmith
Celebrate the release of None of This Rocks with the cofounder and lead guitarist of Fall Out Boy Joe Trohman, in conversation with Luke O'Neil! Learn more.
Ling Ma with Alexandra Kleeman: Bliss Montage
Thursday, September 15th at 7:30pm (EST) | Event Fee: $0 – $35
A Virtual Event by Brookline Booksmith
Celebrate the release of Bliss Montage with author Ling Ma, in conversation with Alexandra Kleeman! Learn more.
2022 Provincetown Book Festival
Friday, September 16th at 6:00pm (EST) | Event Fee: $0
An In-Person Event by Provincetown Public Library
A weekend of literary events free to all, featuring acclaimed authors Ruth Ozeki, Emma Straub, Linda Villarosa, and Edgar Gomez. Learn more.
YA Horror: Alison Ames and Courtney Gould
Friday, September 16th at 7:00pm (EST) | Event Fee: $0 – $27.99
A Virtual Event by Brookline Booksmith
Join us for a conversation between YA horror authors Alison Ames (It Looks Like Us) and Courtney Gould (contributor, The Gathering Dark). Learn more.
Saturday, September 17th at 12:00pm (EST) | Event Fee: $0
An In-Person Event by GrubStreet
Good writing thrives on sensory detail! This workshop prompts you to use each of your five senses to generate new work. At the outset, we'll provide a selection of objects to touch and ask you to choose one, then write whatever comes to mind. We'll do the same for smell. Then we'll go outside to find sights and sounds. Here, you'll be prompted to make a list of 5 sights and 5 sounds, then write about one of each. Learn more.
CAMBRIDGE: Chelsea Conaboy, Mother Brain: Neuroscience & Parenthood
Monday, September 19th at 7:00pm (EST) | Event Fee: $0
An In-Person Event by Porter Square Books
Porter Square Books is happy to welcome journalist Chelsea Conaboy for the release of her debut, Mother Brain: How Neuroscience is Rewriting the Story of Parenthood! “Conaboy’s fearlessly researched and deeply empathetic Mother Brain blew my mind [...] Every page pruned away sexist, guilt-inducing assumptions about the 'maternal instinct,' wiring me up for new growth as a parent and a feminist. Even as Conaboy dissects complicated studies and points out what’s still missing, there is so much wonder and hope (and humor!) here. If every new parent, boss, and lawmaker read this book, I swear, we would make a century of progress overnight,” writes Lauren Smith Brody (author of The Fifth Trimester). Learn more.
AGNI's 50 Years: Sr Fiction Editor Mary O’Donoghue w/ Maurice Carlos Ruffin
Monday, September 19th at 8:00pm (EST) | Event Fee: $0 – $5
A Virtual Event by Brookline Booksmith
Celebrating 50 years of AGNI magazine with a series of virtual events, co-sponsored by AGNI and Brookline Booksmith. This month, join us for a conversation between Senior Fiction Editor Mary O'Donoghue and Maurice Carlos Ruffin. Learn more.
Words Create Worlds Awards 2022
Tuesday, September 20th at 7:00pm (EST) | Event Fee: $0
An In-Person Event by Getting To We, Porter Square Books, and GrubStreet
Join us as we celebrate Words Create Worlds Award Winners 2022! Getting To We, Porter Square Books, and GrubStreet are thrilled to celebrate the inaugural Words Create Worlds Award Winners, Christine Pride and Jo Piazza, authors of We Are Not Like Them! Words Create Worlds Award is designed to amplify the voices of writers of books, essays, screen plays, or poetry whose messages turn us and them into we. Learn more.
The Public Library of Brookline: Susan Linn
Tuesday, September 20th at 7:00pm (EST) | Event Fee: $0
An In-Person Event by Brookline Booksmith
Join us at the Brookline Village Library for a very special visit from renowned local author Susan Linn. She will be discussing her new book, Who’s Raising the Kids?: Big Tech, Big Business, and the Lives of Children, on its launch date! Brookline Booksmith will be selling copies at the event starting at 6:30 PM, and Susan will be available to sign copies after the event. Learn more.
CAMBRIDGE: Steve Early & Suzanne Gordon, Our Veterans
Wednesday, September 21st at 7:00pm (EST) | Event Fee: $0
An In-Person Event by Porter Square Books
Porter Square Books is pleased to welcome Steve Early & Suzanne Gordon for the release of their book, Our Veterans: Winners, Losers, Friends, and Enemies on the New Terrain of Veterans Affairs. Learn more.
Live at Brookline Booksmith! Ken Duckworth: You Are Not Alone
Wednesday, September 21st at 7:00pm (EST) | Event Fee: $0 – $37.95
An In-Person Event by Brookline Booksmith
In person at Brookline Booksmith! Celebrate the release of You Are Not Alone with author Ken Duckworth. Learn more.
Fall 2022 Open House & Info Session
Thursday, September 22nd at 5:30pm (EST) | Event Fee: $0
An In-Person Event by GrubStreet
Love to write but don't have anywhere to get feedback on your work? Want to meet fellow writers and work under the guidance of published authors? GrubStreet is here to help! On Thursday, September 22nd from 6:30pm-7:30pm, we will be hosting an In-Person Open House to talk about upcoming Fall 2022 classes, GrubStreet's membership program, GrubStreet's Boston Writers of Color Group, The Muse and the Marketplace and more! Please make sure to pre-register! We'll also send all attendees a code to receive 10% off any Fall 2022 class. Learn more.
Jasmine Guillory at the Brattle Theatre presenting Drunk On Love
Friday, September 23rd at 6:00pm (EST) | Event Fee: $6 - $18.25
An In-Person Event by Harvard Book Store
Harvard Book Store welcomes New York Times bestselling author Jasmine Guillory for a discussion of her highly anticipated new novel, Drunk On Love. She will be joined in conversation by award-winning YA author Sara Farizan. Learn more.
Picture Book Hour Live! Josh Funk & Carrie Finison
Sunday, September 25th at 10:30am (EST) | Event Fee: $0 – $27.99
An In-Person Event by Brookline Booksmith
Live and in person at Brookline Booksmith! Join us for a special Picture Book Hour with authors Josh Funk (My Pet Feet) and Carrie Finison (Hurry, Little Tortoise, Time for School!). Learn more.
Live with Brookline Booksmith! Andrew Sean Greer: Less Is Lost
Monday, September 26th at 6:00pm (EST) | Event Fee: $10 – $38
An In-Person Event by Brookline Booksmith
Live and in person with Brookline Booksmith, at Coolidge Corner Theatre! Celebrate the release of Less Is Lost with Pulitzer Prize-winning author Andrew Sean Greer. Learn more.
CAMBRIDGE: Jeannie Zusy w/ Stephanie Cabot, The Frederik Sisters Are Living The Dream
Tuesday, September 27th at 7:00pm (EST) | Event Fee: $0
An In-Person Event by Porter Square Books
Porter Square Books is happy to welcome playwright Jeannie Zusy for the release of her debut novel, The Frederik Sisters are Living the Dream! “Like all of the best comedies, The Frederick Sisters Are Living the Dream, is not merely funny (though it is very funny), but sad and complex, crushing and uplifting. It reaffirms what we all want so desperately to believe: that kindness matters and love truly does conquer all,” (Julie Langsdorf, author of White Elephant). Jeannie will be joined in conversation by literary agent Stephanie Cabot. Learn more.
Kids' Story Hour: Boston Edition
Wednesday, September 28th at 10:30am (EST) | Event Fee: $0
An In-Person Event by Porter Square Books
Kids' Story Hour is returning to Boston! Join us at our Boston store on the last Wednesday of every month to hear from our favorite children's books. Children of all ages welcome, no RSVP required! Learn more.
Neil deGrasse Tyson: The Search for Life in the Universe
Thursday, September 29th at 7:30pm (EST) | Event Fee: $70 – $252
An In-Person Event by Brookline Booksmith
We are the official booksellers for this Wilbur Theatre event. Copies of Starry Messenger will be available with your tickets, or for sale in the lobby during this event. Learn more.
Friday, September 30th at 5:30pm (EST) | Event Fee: $0
A Virtual Event by GrubStreet
What's more satisfying than leaving work behind on a Friday evening? Rounding out the week with a free virtual writing session, of course! Maximize that Friday night feeling and kick off your writing weekend with us online! Join us for a Friday Night Writes Session on Friday, September 30th, from 5:30pm-6:30pm and log into GrubStreet Remote for some writing! In 60 jam-packed minutes, you’ll meet fellow writers and get your creative juices flowing with some great writing exercises. Learn more.
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