Speaking Ill of the Dead: Jerks in Boston History
Author: Paul Della Valle
Wednesday, February 19th
1:00 - 2:30 p.m.
Norton Public Library
Paul Della Valle, the author of two books and a long-time Worcester County journalist,
He teaches English at Clinton (MA) High School, writes songs,
plays the guitar, and sings in two bands.
Mr. Della Valle will speak about characters from his newest book
“Speaking Ill of the Dead: Jerks in Boston History” and his 2009 book:
“Massachusetts Troublemakers: Rebels, Reformers and Radicals from the Bay State”
The author profiles 37 contrarians from the Commonwealth. Some of the people's names will be familiar such as Boston Mayor James Michael Curley, Cotton Mather, Samuel Adams, Albert DeSalvo, and Charles Stuart.
Others may not ring a bell such as Major Taylor, Joseph Palmer,
Dr. Benjamin Church, and Jane Toppan.
Both of the books will be available for "autograph" and purchase
in the library the afternoon of the program.
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“Henry Beston’s Cape Cod, Inspiration for a National Seashore”
Don Wilding
Tuesday, March 11
1:30—3:00
Wheaton College Hindle Auditorium, Old Science Center
Don Wilding, co-founder of the Henry Beston Society, will present a lecture on how Quincy native, Beston when writing fairy tales eventually found the peace of mind he was looking for on Cape Cod's outer beach.
In doing so, he not only found himself as a writer, but that his prose from “The Outermost House” was quoted in the earliest National Park Service field reports about Cape Cod.
This help to facilitate its establishment as a national treasure.
The presentation focuses on the story of how Henry Beston came to write his Cape Cod nature classic, “The Outermost House,” and how the National Park Service later used The Outermost House to cite why the Outer Beach of Cape Cod should be preserved as a National Seashore.
The above book will be available for sale at the end of the Lecture.