The Associates of the Boston Public Library is pleased to invite you to the 29th Annual Literary Lights awards dinner.
Join the BPL on Sunday, April 23, 2017, at the Boston Park Plaza for a spectacular black tie (optional) evening honoring distinguished authors from the Northeast for their contributions to literature and the written word. The evening begins with a reception at 6:00 PM, followed by dinner and the awards program at 7:00 PM.
The Associates of the Boston Public Library are honored to recognize the following authors as their 2017 Literary Lights:
Presented by: Hentry Louis Gates, Jr.
Appiah is a philosopher, novelist, professor and cultural theorist. He grew up in Ghana and earned a Ph.D. in Philosophy at Cambridge University in London. Professor Appiah has lectured around the world and taught at Princeton, Yale, Cornell, Duke and Harvard Universities before moving to New York University where he now teaches in the Department of Philosophy. In 2009 Forbes Magazine named him one of the world’s most powerful thinkers, in 2010 he was on the list of Foreign Policy Magazine’s top global thinkers, and he was awarded the National Humanitarian Medal at a White House ceremony in 2012. Appiah, the author of numerous books and articles, has traveled around the world giving lectures on multiculturalism, global citizenship, courage, identity, and religion. One of his early books, In My Father’s House, which explores the role of African American intellectuals in shaping contemporary African life, won the Anisfield-Wolf Book Award and the Herskovits Award for the most important scholarly work on African studies published in English. Appiah is well known for his columns and podcasts as the Ethicist for the New York Times.
Presented by: Christopher Lydon
Faludi is a journalist and author who has written extensively on gender issues. In 1991 she was awarded a Pulitzer Prize for Explanatory Journalism for a piece on the leverage buyout of Safeway Stores, focusing on the “human cost of high finance.” After graduating from Harvard University, where she wrote for The Harvard Crimson, she was a contributor to the New Yorker, New York Times, Wall Street Journal, The Nation, as well as many other publications. In the 1980s Faludi wrote several pieces on the feminist movement and the resistance to it, resulting in her 1991 book, Backlash: The Undeclared War Against American Women, for which she won the National Book Critics Circle Award for Nonfiction. She went on to write Stiffed: The Betrayal of the American Man, The Terror Dream, and, most recently, The Darkroom, which was inspired by her father’s transsexuality. She was a fellow at the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Studies in the 2008-2009 academic year and a 2013-2014 Tallman Scholar in the Gender and Women’s Studies Program at Bowdoin College.
Presented by: Andre Dubus III
Lamb is the best-selling author of She’s Come Undone, I know This Much is True, The Hour I First Believed, and Wishin’ and Hopin’. His first two books were selected for Oprah’s Book Club, were New York Times best-sellers, New York Times Notable Books of the Year and, between them, have been translated into 18 languages. His latest novel is We Are Water. Lamb has also edited two volumes of essays: Couldn’t Keep it to Myself and I’ll Fly Away, written by students in his writing workshops at a women’s prison in Connecticut. He has taught creative writing in the English department at the University of Connecticut, was founder and director of the Writing Center at Norwich Free Academy, has received grants from the National Endowment for the Arts and Connecticut Commission for the Arts, and was honored with the Connecticut Center for the Book’s Lifetime Achievement Award.
Presented by: Gregory Maguire
Selznick graduated from RISD where he studied illustration and, while there, took classes in set design at Brown University. After graduation, he worked at a children’s book store in New York City while writing his debut book, The Houdini Box. In 2008 he won the Caldecott Medal from the American Library Association, for The Invention of Hugo Cabret, the first such award for a book this long; 533 pages with 284 illustrations. The book was adapted into a 2011 film, Hugo, directed by Martin Scorsese. He has also been awarded a 2002 Caldecott Honor for his illustrations of Barbara Kerley’s The Dinosaurs of Waterhorse Hawkins. In addition, Mr. Selznick has received the Texas Bluebonnet Award, the Rhode Island Children’s Book Award and the Christopher Award, given to media which “affirm the highest values of the human spirit.”
Chief Justice Margaret H. Marshall (Keynote Speaker)
Presented by: David Leonard
Marshall was born in South Africa where, as a student, she led the National Union of South African Students, working to end oppressive minority rule and achieve equality for all South Africans. Marshall first came to the US as a high school exchange student in Wilmington, DL in 1962, as the civil rights battles were beginning to boil over, and later returned to the US for graduate school, where she became involved with the anti-war and the women’s movements. After Yale Law School, she entered private practice, became President of the Boston Bar Association, Vice President & General Counsel for Harvard University, and then went on to the State’s Supreme Court, where she became the first female Chief Justice of the oldest continuously serving appellate court in the Western Hemisphere. Though she has had many accomplishments, Justice Marshall is most renowned for her 2003 opinion which led Massachusetts to become the first state in the nation to outlaw the ban on same-sex marriage. Although she loved her time on the bench, Justice Marshall stepped down in 2010. She now mentors young lawyers at her former law firm, Choate Hall & Stewart, and teaches at Harvard University.
In addition to celebrating the accomplishments of these outstanding writers, proceeds from Literary Lights support the David McCullough Conservation Fund, William O. Taylor Art Preservation Fund, Associates Endowment Fund, and the Associates of the Boston Public Library’s operations. The Associates created the McCullough Fund in 2001 to provide a consistent source of funding for the conservation and preservation of books, manuscripts, works of art and historic documents in the BPL’s Special Collections.
If you would prefer to receive a mailed invitation or for more information about sponsorship opportunities, please contact the Associates office at associates@bpl.org or (617) 536-3886. Thank you.
Join SERV for a Breakfast and Panel Discussion
We’re excited to announce our seventh seminar in a series of speaker and networking events for private events managers! Join us on February 28th at Grill 23 for breakfast and a discussion. The focus of this discussion will be on local urban development, upcoming conventions, future corporate neighbors, overall trends to expect and how this will affect our events industry as we know it.
PANEL SPEAKERS INCLUDE:
- Jeffrey Gates-Partner, The Aquitaine Group: Aquitaine, Gaslight, Metropolis, Cinquecento
- Chris Coombs-Chef / Owner, Boston Urban Hospitality: Deuxave | Boston Chops | dbar
- Bob Luz-President & CEO, Massachusetts Restaurant Association
- Lisa Deveney-Director of Convention Services, Greater Boston Convention and Visitors Bureau
- Rosemarie Sansone-President & CEO, The Downtown Boston Business Improvement District (BID)
SCHEDULE:
8:45am – 9:30am – breakfast and networking
9:30am – 10:30am – panelist discussion
10:30am – 11:00am – Q+A
SERV (Society for Event Planners: Restaurant Venues) is anorganization of private event managers who provide support and education to industry professionals. The quarterly speaker series includes a panel and networking opportunities over light breakfast. The panel discussions span a wide variety of topics from business and professional development to event technology, vendor relations and marketing, all pertaining to the private events industry with a focus on restaurant venues.Currently, SERV chapters exist in Boston and New York.
Join the 5th Annual Dana-Farber Unmask Cancer Gala to Benefit Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and the Jimmy Fund.
This exotic rainforest-themed evening will include dancing, dinner by-the-bite, creative cocktails, and music by DJ Joey Carvello. There will also be a live and silent auction, as well as exciting opportunity drawing items from various sponsors.
UnMask Cancer will begin at 8 p.m. Cocktail attire is suggested, and masks are encouraged. Tickets start at $350 and sponsorships are available starting at $5,000. Visit www.unmaskcancer.org for ticket and sponsorship information.
Dana-Farber Cancer Institute doctors and researchers work tirelessly to unmask the secrets of cancer and discover the latest developments and breakthroughs to treat patients. UnMask Cancer will raise critical funds to support this lifesaving mission and is made possible by a dedicated committee led by co-chair Mark Scribner.
Somerville’s popular Bow Market comes to Precinct’s patio for one day only!
Precinct Kitchen + Bar invites you to join them on their patio for a one-day Bow Market pop-up. Vendors include:
- Adelante, custom shoes, handmade by craftsman in Guatemala
- Blue Bandana Relics, a curated collection of vintage Americana and quality American brands.
- Buenas, all sorts of South American goodness you can eat on the spot or take home to use in your own recipes. Think: take-n-bake empanadas, pastry dough to make your own empanadas (and other stuff), and sauces you can use for everything from roasting chicken and salmon, to topping oysters.
- In Season Food Shop, made-to-order meals and drinks, local food products, and a curated selection of grocery essentials
- Maca, chic and cheeky, regular and character macarons that range in flavors from vanilla to blueberry basil cheesecake.
- Peston, unique accessories, fleeky home goods and apparel.
- Happy Cactus, succulents, cacti, air plants, exotic plants, ethically sourced butterflies, crystals, gems, fossils and pretty much anything extraordinary Mother Nature creates.
- Additionally, guests will also enjoy soaps and creams from the Sentas Family Farm and much, more!
Precinct will be serving their regular breakfast, brunch and lunch menus all day long, so reserve your table and head over!
Learn how to make your very own sweet and savory travel cakes, cakes that stay moist and travel well, with Executive Pastry Chef Valerie Nin!
Join Grill 23 for an intimate two hour class where you’ll prep, bake and decorate vanilla buttercake and cornbread. Optional additions of fruit, sweets, jalapenos and cheese will be available for that extra touch. Also learn how to make lemon royal glaze and chcocolate glaze. Finally, enjoy your creations with tea and coffee (or take them home) during their fun Q&A .
Alcoholic beverages will be available for purchase.
Tickets are limited.
Who knows Boston trivia better than The Revolution Hotel?
Come test your knowledge with us at our trivia night where true friendships are put to the ultimate test. The pressure is on, will you be your teams MVP?
Cosmica drinks and tacos will be flowing at our cash bar in our coworking space, Conspire. Located inside The Revolution Hotel in Boston’s South End.
For more about The Revolution, please click here.
The north remembers, TRIVIA IS COMING!
Trivia kicks off at at 7 pm and all teams are welcome
During the event, Back Bay Social will be offering a $10 build-your-own-burger.
The winning team will take home a $100 gift card.
This event is 21+. There is no cover.
If you have a larger group and would like to reserve space for your party, please email info@backbaysocial.com
As Renata said, I will NOT not win trivia!
Trivia kicks off at at 7 pm and all teams are welcome
During the event, Back Bay Social will be offering a $10 build-your-own-burger.
The winning team will take home a $100 gift card.
This event is 21+. There is no cover.
If you have a larger group and would like to reserve space for your party, please email info@backbaysocial.com
Ascend to Terra for a multi-course dinner under the stars (with wine pairings!) for a culinary tour of the valley.
Ascend to Terra for a multi-course dinner under the stars (with wine pairings!) for a culinary tour of the valley with one of the region’s most celebrated producers: Nino Negri. The former winemaker’s daughter herself, Sara Maule, who now resides locally, will guide you through this captivating landscape and introduce the traditions of Valtellina.
The Valtellina is an Alpine valley in Northern Lombardy, just below the border with Switzerland, that was carved out by the mighty river Adda. The valley lies in between the Rhaetian Alps to the north and the Bergamo Alps to the south.
Nino Negri, located in this very valley, was established in 1897 is one of Italy’s most celebrated producers in the Valtellina. The winery operates to this day in a centuries old castle, and uses the original cellars with natural underground temperature control to age their wines.
Each wine will be perfectly paired to savory courses like Pizzoccheri alla Valtellinese, a traditional Alpine pasta dish. You will dive into flame-kissed flavors of the seasonal ingredients prepared over Terra’s famous wood-fire grill as you discover the stories and history behind the dishes and wine.
Get your tickets for this magical night of vino, food, and a storied tour of Valtellina—without leaving Boston—on April 1st!
For more about Terra, please click here.
During this multi-course dinner, Eataly will take you on a journey through the flavors of Liguria’s coastal towns.
Home to the famed Cinque Terre, Liguria’s turquoise coastline is dotted with some of the most beautiful spots in Italy. And right up there with the breathtaking views are fresh flavors of the coast!
During this multi-course dinner, Eataly will take you on a journey through the flavors of Liguria’s coastal towns. From focaccia to pesto Genovese, some of their favorite staples come from this Tyrrhenian gem. Enjoy fresh pesto made in the true Genovese-style using a mortar and taste some of the most traditional seafood prepared by their chef. The four savory courses will allow you to travel through Liguria as you discover the unique traditions of this maritime region. The dinner will end on a sweet note with a final fifth course handcrafted by their expert pastry team.
And because an authentic Italian dinner is incomplete without vino, the dinner will also feature optional wine pairings available for purchase and selected by their Beverage Manager Gregg Guertin. Liguria’s native varietals include Vermentino, Dolcetto, and Sangiovese.
Spring is in the air! Don’t miss this tasting experience as you take a trip to Liguria’s coast celebrating their fresh ingredients (without ever leaving Boston)!
For more about Eataly Boston, please click here.
