A swordfishing captain, an itinerant best-selling writer, a former Maryknoll priest and a forensic psychiatrist are among the many authors taking part in this year's lineup for the decades-old Reading Series at The Bookstore in Gloucester.
Sebastian Junger, author of "A Perfect Storm," launches the 2007 series on Tuesday, April 10. He will discuss "A Death in Belmont," a book about the Boston Strangler, which is being released in paperback.
Moira Linehan, a writer who is well-known to local poets, follows on Thursday, April 12, with her new book, "If No Moon." Linehan led a writing workshop in Cape Ann for several years.
A former Maryknoll priest from Caracas, Venezuela, Charles Hardy will add to the diversity of the series when he talks about his book, "Cowboy in Caracas: A North American's Memoir of Venezuela's Democratic Revolution" on Tuesday, April 17.
Ellen Gabin, who works at The Bookstore, is excited about Hardy's visit. She met the peace activist in Caracas when she participated in a Witness for Peace delegation that he led.
"He lived in a cardboard hut for a long time in a barrio," Gabin said. "He's a great man."
Gloucester's Roderick Anscombe, who worked with convicted murderers and the criminally insane at Concord State Prison and Bridgewater State Hospital, is on tap for Thursday, April 19. He'll highlight his new book, "Virgin Lies."
In May, Gloucester's JoeAnn Hart will celebrate the release of her debut novel, "Addled," which won the PEN New England Discovery Award in Fiction. The satirical novel revolves around Canada geese and the goings-on at a prestigious New England country club.
Hart's inspiration for the story began a decade ago when she noticed a multitude of geese on a golf course.
"I thought it would make a great point of conflict, but I didn't know at the time it was a huge issue in the world, that of Canada geese populating golf courses and parks and beaches," Hart said.
"There is an industry devoted to keeping geese off property, with dogs constantly patrolling, or sound-emitting devices, legalized shooting and poisoning. It's a big animal rights issue. The whole novel grew from that premise."
The issue of fidelity arises in the book when the women at the club add to the intrigue with a secret paternity book. The title emanates from one meaning of the word addled, which is what happens when an egg is shaken, making it infertile.
Sebastian Junger, author of "A Perfect Storm," launches the 2007 series on Tuesday, April 10. He will discuss "A Death in Belmont," a book about the Boston Strangler, which is being released in paperback.
Moira Linehan, a writer who is well-known to local poets, follows on Thursday, April 12, with her new book, "If No Moon." Linehan led a writing workshop in Cape Ann for several years.
A former Maryknoll priest from Caracas, Venezuela, Charles Hardy will add to the diversity of the series when he talks about his book, "Cowboy in Caracas: A North American's Memoir of Venezuela's Democratic Revolution" on Tuesday, April 17.
Ellen Gabin, who works at The Bookstore, is excited about Hardy's visit. She met the peace activist in Caracas when she participated in a Witness for Peace delegation that he led.
"He lived in a cardboard hut for a long time in a barrio," Gabin said. "He's a great man."
Gloucester's Roderick Anscombe, who worked with convicted murderers and the criminally insane at Concord State Prison and Bridgewater State Hospital, is on tap for Thursday, April 19. He'll highlight his new book, "Virgin Lies."
In May, Gloucester's JoeAnn Hart will celebrate the release of her debut novel, "Addled," which won the PEN New England Discovery Award in Fiction. The satirical novel revolves around Canada geese and the goings-on at a prestigious New England country club.
Hart's inspiration for the story began a decade ago when she noticed a multitude of geese on a golf course.
"I thought it would make a great point of conflict, but I didn't know at the time it was a huge issue in the world, that of Canada geese populating golf courses and parks and beaches," Hart said.
"There is an industry devoted to keeping geese off property, with dogs constantly patrolling, or sound-emitting devices, legalized shooting and poisoning. It's a big animal rights issue. The whole novel grew from that premise."
The issue of fidelity arises in the book when the women at the club add to the intrigue with a secret paternity book. The title emanates from one meaning of the word addled, which is what happens when an egg is shaken, making it infertile.
"It is one of the ways in which bird populations are kept under control," Hart said.
June will feature a reading by Gloucester resident Chester Brigham of his newest work, "Gloucester's Bargain with the Sea," a book about the maritime culture and history of Cape Ann.
Linda Greenlaw, who fished out of Gloucester for six years, will also appear in June to unveil her fifth book. Greenlaw enters a new genre with "Slipknot: A Mystery," her first novel and the inaugural book in what will be a three-part series featuring the character Jane Bunker, a marine investigator.
"I worked hard not to make her Linda Greenlaw," she said. "She's a no-nonsense gal, a little younger than me. She's a celebration of average. She doesn't have superhuman strength, but she's a gal who knows how to work and she has no sense of entitlement. She comes from a challenging family situation. She's all the things I like in people."
Greenlaw, 46, began fishing at the age of 19. It wasn't until she was 40 that she delved into the world of writing with her first book, "The Hungry Ocean." It was followed by "All Fishermen are Liars," "The Lobster Chronicles" and a cookbook she co-wrote with her mother.
The 2007 Reading Series at The Bookstore in Gloucester will showcase a variety of authors. The schedule follows:
April 10: "A Death in Belmont" by Sebastian Junger
April 12: "If No Moon," poems by Moira Linehan
April 17: "Cowboy in Caracas: A North American's Memoir of Venezuela's Democratic Revolution" by Charles Hardy
April 19: "Virgin Lies" by Roderick Anscombe
April 26: "Between Land and Sea: The Great Marsh" by Dorothy Kerper Monnelly
May 8: "U.S. v. Bush" by Elizabeth de la Vega
May 10: "Reading" by Patricia Sutherland
May 17: "Addled" by JoeAnn Hart
June 14: "Gloucester's Bargain with the Sea" by Chester Brigham
June 21: "Slipknot: A Mystery" by Linda Greenlaw
July 22: "A Gift of Dreams (Local Memoir)" by Robert Benjamin
Sept 20: "Broken Promises, Broken Dreams: Stories of Jewish and Palestinian Trauma and Resilience" by Alice Rothchild
Sept 27: "They Take our Jobs! And Twenty Other Myths about Immigration" by Aviva Chomsky
All programs start at 7 p.m., with the exception of the Sunday, July 22, event which starts at noon. Admission is free. The Bookstore is located at 61 Main St. in Gloucester. Call 978-281-1548 for details.
