Blog: Author: Caron Guigli

Thursday, April 25 7PM Author Talk with Jack Kelly III & Paul Hammersley

Posted on by Caron Guigli

Sharp Needle is an autobiographical account of Jack Kelly’s tragic spiral into heroin addiction, recovery and running for office, in the cutthroat world of Boston Politics. After sustaining a significant shoulder injury Jack was prescribed opiate pain meds and became addicted. Quickly, Jack descended into the sordid life of heroin that ultimately lead to homelessness and the loss of his family. But at the age of 22, Jack found recovery and battled his way back.

Jack has advised and served on various boards for public health policy and substance use disorder. He founded a mobile app tech startup, connecting people in recovery to one another from their phones. Jack remains a vocal leader on issues surrounding addiction and recovery.

Paul Hammersley, Malden’s Addiction Recovery Resource Specialist, serves to help residents navigate the treatment system, promote recovery, help to remove barriers, connect people with recovery support services and also encourage hope, optimism and promote healthy living.
Paul is a recovery and empowerment specialist and is also a Certified Addiction Recovery Coach who guides people through the process while supporting recovery based choices, goals, and decisions.

Books will be available for purchase.
This event is free and open to the public.
Call the library at 781-324-0218 with any questions.

Malden Reads: A Citizen Lyceum Forum

Posted on by Caron Guigli

Join us for an evening of film and discussion around the PBS documentary “The Chinese Exclusion Act.” The program will be held here at the Malden Public Library on Tuesday, March 26, beginning at 6:30 p.m. The Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 prohibited the immigration of Chinese laborers to the U.S.

This event is co-sponsored by the American Association of Arab Women, the Chinese Culture Connection, MaldenCORE (Community Organizing for Racial Equity), and the Malden Public Library.

Roger Desrosiers from the Massachusetts Center for Civic Education will lead the conversation related to the Chinese Exclusion Act. Malden Reads began co-hosting lyceums in 2018; they are opportunities to become engaged citizens through civic and civil dialogue. This is the third in the lyceum series, and Roger is participating again upon special request. Feel free to attend this even if you didn’t make it to the lyceums last year!

The Citizen Lyceum is free and open to the public. Light refreshments will be served. We hope that you can join us and bring a friend!

Still image from “The Chinese Exclusion Act”

Author Talk with Hester Fox, Thursday, April 11, 7PM

Posted on by Caron Guigli

Join us on Thursday, April 11th at 7 PM for a reading, Q&A, and signing by Hester Fox, author of The Witch of Willow Hall. Books will be available for purchase.

“In the wake of a scandal, the Montrose family and their three daughters—Catherine, Lydia, and Emeline—flee Boston for their new country home, Willow Hall. The estate seems sleepy and idyllic. But a subtle menace creeps into the atmosphere, remnants of a dark history that call to Lydia, and to the youngest, Emeline.

All three daughters will be irrevocably changed by what follows, but none more than Lydia, who must draw on a power she never knew she possessed if she wants to protect those she loves. For Willow Hall’s secrets will rise, in the end…”

Hester Fox: “When not writing and painting, Hester works in the museum field as a collections maintenance technician. This job has taken her from historic houses to fine art museums, where she has the privilege of cleaning and caring for collections that range from paintings by old masters, to ancient artifacts, to early American furniture. She has a master’s degree in historical archaeology, as well as a background in Medieval studies and art history. Hester lives outside of Boston with her husband.” (HesterFox.com)

Art Reception March 7th for Lisa L. Sears

Posted on by Caron Guigli

Join us Thursday, March 7 from 7:00 – 8:00 p.m. for a Reception of our Rotating Art March Artist Lisa L. Sears! “The Ones Who Stayed and the Ones Who Left” is a collection of paintings and drawings on paper and canvas examining a sense of place, what is considered “home,” nostalgia, immigration and belonging. The exhibit is the culmination of over four years in the making and many more years of ruminating. It grew out of my favorite conversation starter: “Where were you born and what do you consider home?”

Lisa’s art will be on exhibit at the Library through the month of March.

Mayor’s Book Discussion & Special Presentation

Posted on by Caron Guigli

On Wednesday, March 20, 6:30 pm at the Malden Public Library, join Mayor Gary Christenson  for a lively discussion of this year’s Malden Reads selection, Tea Girl of Hummingbird Lane by Lisa See.

The event will begin with a special presentation by Shuenn Liou, a member of the Bunang tribe, an ethnic minority in the Yunnan province of China, where the story of Li-yan and her family is based. She will give an audio visual presentation on the people of that area, the geography, culture, history, economy, and how the region and people have been affected by the political events of China in recent history.

Shuenn has read the book and will stay for the discussion following the presentation. The Chinese Culture Connection will be serving tea. We hope you can join us for this special event.

To sign up, email maldenreads@gmail.com and make sure you specify “Mayor’s Book Discussion” in the subject line. This event is co-sponsored by Malden Reads and the Chinese Culture Connection.