Author events in Kennebunkport

NEW ENGLAND AUTHOR – JESSICA SHATTUCK – MAY 17 @ 2:00 PM

As part of the Patsy Bray Mahoney Lecture Series, we are pleased to welcome Jessica Shattuck to the Louis T. Graves Memorial Public Library on Saturday, May 17 at 2:00 pm.  Ms. Shattuck will read from her latest book Last House (William Morrow, May 2024) and talk about the writing process.

Jessica Shattuck is The New York Times Bestselling author of the novels Last House (William Morrow, May 2024), The Women in the Castle (William Morrow 2017), a New York Times Bestseller, #1 Indie Next Pick, and winner of The New England Book Award; Perfect Life (W.W.Norton 2009) and The Hazards of Good Breeding (W.W.Norton 2003) 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 fiction has appeared in The New Yorker, Guernica, Glamour, Open City, and The Tampa Review among other publications.  Her other writing has appeared in The New York Times, LitHub, Electric Literature, Wired, The Believer Magazine, and The Boston Globe.  She lives in Massachusetts with her husband and three children.

Refreshments will be provided by the Graves Library Snack Team.  Copies of the book will be for sale and signing after the program.  The Library is located at 18 Maine Street, Kennebunkport, Maine.  Please call the Library (967-2778) with any questions.  Additional parking available at Kennebunkport Consolidated School (Route 9) and Fire Department Parking Lot (North Street).

We hope you will join us for this very special afternoon.

 

IN CONVERSATION WITH MAINE AUTHORS BILL ROORBACH AND SARAH BRAUNSTEIN- MARCH 1 @ 2:00 PM

THE PATSY BRAY MAHONEY LECTURE SERIES PRESENTS – BILL ROORBACH AND SARAH BRAUNSTEIN

We are so excited to welcome two terrific Maine authors to Graves Library on Saturday, March 1 @ 2:00 p.mBill Roorbach and Sarah Braunstein will be here to talk about their latest works and what it takes to be a successful author in Maine.  These two novelists who are old friends first will reunite for an afternoon to make us laugh, cry, ask questions, and get our books signed!

Bill Roorbach is the author of eleven books, most recently the novels Beep, Lucky Turtle, and The Remedy for Love.

His Maine-based nonfiction includes Temple Stream and Into Woods. He’s won two Maine Literary Awards and—this just in—a 2025 Pushcart Prize.   Beep is the thoroughly grownup story of a Costa Rican Squirrel Monkey who is smuggled to NYC by an adventurous tween named Inga. Mayhem ensues, but together they will save the world!

 

 

 

Sarah Braunstein is the author of two novels, Bad Animals and The Sweet Relief of Missing Children (both from W. W. Norton).

Her short stories and essays have appeared in The New Yorker, Playboy, AGNI, PloughsharesThe Harvard Review, The Cincinnati Review, The Sun, and in other publications. Her first novel was the winner of the Maine Book Award for Fiction and a finalist for the first novel prize from the Center for Fiction. She has been the recipient of a “5 Under 35” fiction award from the National Book Foundation and a Rona Jaffe Writers Award. She holds an MFA from the Iowa Writers’ Workshop and an MSW from Smith College School for Social Work. She is associate professor of English and creative writing at Colby College.  Bad Animals is a masterclass on reading as writing, character-building, and the craft in general. A meta-narrative depicting the small-town librarian, Maeve Cosgrove, who loses the job she loves more than anything due to the accusations of a complex teenage patron, the novel is a sophisticated exploration of storytelling.

 

Light refreshments will be provided by the Graves Library Snack Team.  Copies of books will be available for sale and signing after the discussion.

The Library is located at 18 Maine Street, Kennebunkport, Maine 04046.  Parking is available on Maine Street, Consolidated School (Route 9) and the Village Fire Station (North Street).  Doors will open at 1:30 p.m.

LOCAL AUTHOR FREDERICK BOYLE

Genealogy expert and Maine resident, Frederick Boyle will be at the Graves Library on Wednesday, June 12 at 6:00 p.m. to talk about his new book  Early Families of Kennebunkport, Maine. Copies of the book will be for sale after the presentation.

A bit about Fred:
He was a retired teacher after thirty years at Lexington (MA) High School, where he was designated a master teacher. In recent years, he returned to teaching classes at York Senior College both in the classroom and on Zoom. In 1985, he took what had been a hobby to a professional level becoming a genealogist with a wide spectrum of clients, also giving workshops at the Springvale Public Library. With a lifetime love of theater, he joined the Sanford Maine Stage Senior Theater in the early 2000s. His greatest role was that of Ebenezer Scrooge in the musical production of Scrooge with a Twist. At 91, he found himself emoting, singing, and even dancing. Cheers for living into the nineties and the chutzpah to take on some big challenges!

AUTHOR BARBARA WALSH

Maine Author Barbara Walsh

Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Barbara Walsh will discuss her new book “Spencer: Boston’s Beloved Marathon Dog,” a story of hope, inspiration, and a dog who lit up the world with his love on Thursday, April 25, at 3:15 PM. With a heart as big as the Boston skyline, Spencer gained worldwide fame as the beloved Boston Marathon dog. For eight years, the golden retriever cheered for thousands of runners in the cold, freezing rain, even as he recovered from cancer. Spencer began rooting for Boston Marathon runners in 2015. At Mile 3, Spencer held his Boston Strong flags, inspiring athletes and fans to be brave and never give up. Honored as the marathon’s official race dog in 2022, Spencer grew so famous that runners lined up to hug and photograph their loyal fan.

 

The Louis T. Graves Memorial Public Library is located at 18 Maine Street, Kennebunkport. For further information, please call 967-2778 or visit our website at www.graveslibrary.org.

STARS FROM CORONA KITCHEN – LISA LUCAS and DEBRIANNA MANSINI – APRIL 21 @ 2:00 PM

A POP-UP VISIT WITH TELEVISION CELEBRITIES LISA LUCAS AND DEBRIANNA MANSINI

The Stars of Corona Kitchen (Lisa Lucas and Debrianna Mansini) will be here at Graves Library on Sunday, April 21 @ 2:00 PM.  These ladies know that good food and good stories are like a warm, healing hug.  Add seasoning with a dash of hilarious personal anecdotes, and the troubles of the day seem to fade.

Outspoken television pros Lisa Lucas and Debrianna Mansini shared their kitchens, hearts, anxieties, and good humor as they broadcast their culinary adventures during the pandemic lockdown and the dark days that followed.  In the process, they connected with a hungry audience that spans the globe.  In That Time We Ate Our Feelings : 150 Recipes for Comfort Food from the Heart, Lisa and Debrianna share their most beloved dishes along with never-before-shared creations and top-voted dishes by members of the Corona Kitchen community.  The result is a colorful and cathartic read with warming, judgment-free mouthwatering recipes that prove a good meal heals all.

This quirky, hands-on cookbook features original recipes for all means of the day, plus snacks, side dishes, cocktails and mocktails, and options for vegans, vegetarians, gluten-free, and dairy-free diets.  It is guaranteed to meet you where you are, no matter if you are stressed, sad, thriving, or nostalgic.  All you have to bring to the table is yourself!

Copies of the book will be available for sale and signing after the event. The Graves Library Snack Team will provide light refreshments. Please call the Library for more information on this event (207-967-2778).  Parking is available along Maine Street, the North Street Fire Station Parking Lot, and Consolidated School (Route 9).

The Graves Library is located at 18 Maine Street, Kennebunkport, Maine. Please enter through the white door in the Parking Lot.

MAINE AUTHOR BRUCE ROBERT COFFIN – JUNE 15 @ 2:00 PM

THE PATSY BRAY MAHONEY LECTURE SERIES PRESENTS

Maine Author/Mystery Writer Bruce Robert Coffin will be here on Saturday, June 15 at 2:00 pm to read from his latest novel, The Cardinal’s CurseThis is the second book in the Turner and Mosley Series.

An enigmatic invitation lures tech genius Avery Turner and thrill-seeker Carter Mosley away from their recent groundbreaking discovery of the General’s Gold, offering them a chance to join an expedition on the cutting edge of science. Drawn into the heart of Antarctica, they pursue a legendary shipwreck that is fabled to house the long-lost crown jewels of Norway. As they plunge into the quest, chilling tales of centuries-old curses and an unsolved murder emerge, hinting at connections more profound and perilous than they ever imagined.  With a stolen treasure worth millions at stake and the fate of the scientific expedition in question, Carter must complete the most dangerous dive of his life in the harshest conditions on the planet. As suspicious sabotage cripples their equipment and unforeseen dangers intensify, the duo depend on Avery’s innovative technology and their unwavering trust in each other. But amidst the ice, their gravest challenge might become determining friend from foe.

Bruce Robert Coffin is the award-winning author of the Detective Byron Mysteries. Former detective sergeant with more than twenty-seven years in law enforcement, he is the winner of Killer Nashville’s Silver Falchion Awards for Best Procedural, and Best Investigator, and the Maine Literary Award for Best Crime Fiction Novel. Bruce was also a finalist for the Agatha Award for Best Contemporary Novel. His short fiction appears in a number of anthologies, including Best American Mystery Stories 2016. [Seven Rivers Publishing]

 

Copies of the books will also be available for sale and signing after the event.  Light refreshments will be provided by the Graves Library Snack Team.  Please call the Library for more information on this event and the rest of the series (967-2778).

Parking is available along Maine Street, the North Street Fire Station Parking Lot, and Consolidated School (Route 9).  The Graves Library is located at 18 Maine Street, Kennebunkport, Maine.  Please enter through the white door in the Parking Lot.

 

CARL and DAVID LITTLE – THE ART OF PENOBSCOT BAY – MAY 18 @ 2:00 PM

THE PATSY BRAY MAHONEY LECTURE SERIES PRESENTS

We are thrilled to welcome back Carl Little and David Little to the Louis T. Graves Memorial Public Library on Saturday, May 18 at 2:00 pm.  Their latest book published by Yarmouth-based Islandport Press reflects a true and beautiful representation of Maine’s Penobscot area.

For Art of Penobscot Bay, brothers David and Carl Little, well-known stewards of Maine art, have selected art and artists, from history and today, that celebrate the myriad of inlets, islands, coves, and peninsulas—the “nooks and corners” of the region. Above all, they sought out art infused with a remarkable representation of place by more than 120 artists who have embraced the area and its people. Art of Penobscot Bay includes artists from the 19th century through the 21st century, including Fitz Henry Lane, Waldo Peirce, Edward Hopper, William Zorach, John Marin, Emily Muir, Greta Van Campen, Alex Katz, Eric Hopkins, and Amy Peters Wood. Combined with text by the Little brothers, the art takes readers on a wondrous visual journey around, across, and through a breathtaking bay.

Born in New York City, Carl Little holds degrees from Dartmouth, Middlebury, and Columbia. Little is the author of more than 30 art books, including The Watercolors of John Singer Sargent, Edward Hopper’s New England, and Paintings of Maine. His book Eric Hopkins: Above and Beyond won the first John Cole Prize from the Maine Writers & Publishers Alliance in 2012. Little writes for Art New England, Hyperallergic, Maine Boats, Homes & Harbors, The Working Waterfront, Island Journal, and Ornament. In 2021 the Dorothea and Leo Rabkin Foundation honored Little with a Lifetime Achievement Award for his art writing. He lives and writes on Mount Desert Island.

 

David Little is the author of Art of Katahdin, named a “Best of New England” book by the Boston Globe in 2013. He is a co-author with his brother Carl of Art of Acadia (2016) and Paintings of Portland (2018). In 2017 he took part in a national symposium at Colby College, “Valuing the Aesthetics of Nature: The Role of the Visual Artist in the American Conservation Movement.” Little holds an M.A. and M.F.A. in painting from the University of Iowa, attended Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture (1981 and 1982), and has had residencies on Monhegan Island and the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts. He lives with his wife Mikki in Portland. Find more about David at www.davidlittleart.com.

 

Copies of the book will also be available for sale and signing after the event.  Light refreshments will be provided by the Graves Library Snack Team.  Please call the Library for more information on this event and the rest of the series (967-2778).

Parking is available along Maine Street, the North Street Fire Station Parking Lot, and Consolidated School (Route 9).  If the weather is bad, please check your local television stations for updates on our listings or send us an email to:  mlbgraves@gmail.com

We would also like to thank The Kennebunkport Resort Collection for being a sponsor of this event.  Your support of community non-profits is greatly appreciated!

MAINE AUTHOR GIGI GEORGES – MAY 11 @ 2:00 PM

THE PATSY BRAY MAHONEY LECTURE SERIES PRESENTS

We are so excited to invite celebrated author Gigi Georges to the Graves Library on Saturday, May 11 at 2:00 pm.

Ms. Georges turned to narrative non-fiction writing after an extensive career in politics, public service, and academia. A former White House Special Assistant to the President and U.S. Senate State Director, she has taught political science at Boston College, served as a Program Director for the Harvard Kennedy School, and been a Managing Director of The Glover Park Group—a leading national public affairs firm. Born and raised in Brooklyn, she lives with her husband and eleven-year-old daughter in New Hampshire and Downeast Maine.

Downeast honors the lives of five remarkable young women and, through them, the paths of young women across rural America. It shines a light, too often obscured, on the indispensable role contemporary rural women play in their communities.

Copies of the book will also be available for sale and signing after the event. The Graves Library Snack Team will provide light refreshments. Please call the Library for more information on this event and the rest of the series at 967-2778.

Parking is available along Maine Street, the North Street Fire Station Parking Lot, and Consolidated School (Route 9).

 

 

 

 

The Graves Library is located at 18 Maine Street, Kennebunkport, Maine. Please enter through the white door in the Parking Lot.

REVEREND DR. RUSSELL J. LEVENSON, JR. (PRE-RECORDED)

If you missed this event originally held in June, 2023 at the Graves Library, we are pleased to offer it on our social media channels starting tonight at 7:00 pm.

Facebook

YouTube,     and

Local Television Station – 1301.

A big thanks to Michael Kelly for producing this show!

 

The Reverend Dr. Russell J. Levenson, Jr., and his wife Laura, live in Houston, Texas where he has served as Rector of St. Martin’s Episcopal Church since 2007. With nearly 10,000 members, St. Martin’s is the largest Episcopal Church in North America. Levenson co-officiated and offered a homily at the state funeral for President George H.W. Bush in Washington, D.C., and in Houston, and also officiated and preached at the funeral for First Lady Barbara Bush in Houston. President and Mrs. Bush belonged to and were active members of St. Martin’s for more than 50 years.

DAVID BALDACCI AT THE RIVER CLUB (PRE-RECORDED EVENT)

Graves Library – Annual Author Event held June 22, 2023 at the Kennebunk River Club.  Special Guest –  NYT Best-Selling Author David Baldacci.

If you missed this amazing program or would just like to see it again,  you can find it here :

Facebook,

YouTube, and

Kennebunkport Television station 1301.

 

A big thanks to Michael Kelly for producing this show!  Louis T. Graves Memorial Public Library 18 Maine Street, Kennebunkport www.graveslibrary.org 967-2778

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