2018 Lowell Reads 2018 Lowell Reads

2018 LOWELL READS

One Goal: A Coach, a Team, and the Game that Brought a Divided Town Together by Amy Bass

HOW TO PARTICIPATE

READ THE BOOK

DISCUSS THE BOOK

Start a book discussion of your own with your friends, family, neighbors, or co-workers. Or come to the Non-Fiction Book Club discussion on October 4 @ 6:30PM in the Pollard Library ground floor meeting room.

ATTEND AN EVENT

• All events are FREE to attend
• EVENTS run from September 13th until October 4th.
• The book’s content and events are for readers of all ages!

Lowell Reads Events

All events are in the Pollard Memorial Library Community Room unless otherwise noted.

Lessons from Lewiston, Maine: A Refugee Story with Cheryl Hamilton Thursday, September 13th—7:00 pm

In 2002, Lewiston, Maine garnered national attention when more than 2,500 Somali migrants chose to make the city their home. The unexpected migration changed the city forever, and the lives of many local residents, including Cheryl Hamilton.

As the manager of the resettlement program at the time, Hamilton offers a unique perspective of her hometown in the months following 9/11. During this lively discussion, discover how the Lewiston community responded and the lessons Hamilton learned about fostering community and responding to bias and prejudice. Since 2002, Hamilton has devoted her career to advancing refugee protection and community integration, including most recently as a director at the International Institute of New England – Lowell.

This event is free and open to the public.  REGISTER HERE

Cultural Exchange Potluck Picnic Saturday, September 16th 1—5pm South Common

Bring a dish from your home country, get to know each other, and enjoy and afternoon of family-friendly fun, including dancers and activities for kids. Hosted by Solidarity Lowell as part of Welcoming Week Lowell.

Immigrant History Walk Sunday, September 16th 10 – 11 am Lowell Historical Park Visitors’ Center

UMass-Lowell Professor Robert Forrant leads a neighborhood walk that begins at the Visitors’ Center and focuses on stories about key events in Lowell’s immigrant history. This event is organized by Welcoming Week Lowell..

World Literature Book Club Discussion Tuesday, September 18th—6:30 pm

The World Literature Book Club is offering a complementary fiction story, Crossbones, by Nuruddin Farah. “A dozen years after his last visit, Jeebleh returns to his beloved Mogadiscio to see old friends. He is accompanied by his son-in-law, Malik, a journalist intent on covering the region’s ongoing turmoil. What greets them at first is not the chaos Jeebleh remembers, however, but an eerie calm enforced by ubiquitous white-robed figures bearing whips. Meanwhile, Malik’s brother, Ahl, has arrived in Puntland, the region notorious as a pirates’ base. Ahl is searching for his stepson, Taxliil, who has vanished from Minneapolis, apparently recruited by an imam allied to Somalia’s rising religious insurgency. The brothers’ efforts draw them closer to Taxliil and deeper into the fabric of the country, even as Somalis brace themselves for an Ethiopian invasion. Jeebleh leaves Mogadiscio only a few hours before the borders are breached and raids descend from land and sea. As the uneasy quiet shatters and the city turns into a battle zone, the brothers experience firsthand the derailments of war. Completing the trilogy that began with Links and Knots, Crossbones is a fascinating look at individuals caught in the maw of zealotry, profiteering, and political conflict, by one of our most highly acclaimed international writers.” We encourage you to read it and share your thoughts.

Conversation Cafés Monday, September 17th—6:00 pm Friday, September 21st—6:00 pm (International Institute, 15 Warren Street) Date and time TBA— Middlesex Community College

Join the library and the Refugee-Immigrants Support Coalition as they host an opportunity to have a conversation around the topic of refugees and welcoming all to benefit the entire community.

Community Conversation: What Does It Mean to be a Welcoming Community? Thursday, September 20th 5:30 – 7 pm Middlesex Community College.

Audience and panel discussion at Middlesex Community College moderated by Professor Robert Forrant. Panelists from Community Teamwork, Lowell Community Health Center, Enterprise Bank, International Institute of New England, and City Manager Eileen Donoghue. This event is organized by Welcoming Week Lowell.

Suitcase Stories in the Neighborhood Sunday, September 23rd—2:00 pm (Visitors’ Center Auditorium—Lowell National Historical Park

Everyone has an immigration story. Listen to three inspiring stories from U.S. and foreign-born residents with local Lowell ties. Program includes a talk-back with the storytellers about his or her perspective on immigrant integration. Sponsored by the Pollard Memorial Library Foundation in partnership with the International Institute. This event is free and open to the public.  REGISTER HERE

Library Night at UML Soccer vs. Holy Cross Tuesday, September 25th—7:00 pm (UML—Cushing Field)

Cheer on former Lewiston High School soccer player, Abdi Sharrif-Hassan, & teammates as he plays for the River Hawks! This event is free and open to the public.  REGISTER HERE

Amy Bass, Author Talk Wednesday, October 3rd—7:00 pm

Author Amy Bass will talk about her book and the major lessons she learned about refugees and the role that they do and can play in a community. UMass Lowell Bookstore will be on hand to sell copies of her book if you are interested in getting them signed. A presentation about local refugee services by the International Institute of New England will start the evening. This event is free and open to the public.  REGISTER HERE

One Goal Non-Fiction Book Club Discussion Thursday, October 4th—6:30 pm

Review the book and share your thoughts with other community readers.    

Thank you to our Partners and Sponsors:

Lowell Reads – Building Community – Book by Book

Lowell Reads is a semi-annual celebration spearheaded by Lowell’s public library surrounding the questions, themes and ideas of one particular book. Our goals are to get all of Lowell on the same page, to promote adult literacy, and to build and strengthen the bonds of our community.