Community Corner

Martin Appearance Rescheduled to June 4

William Martin, award-winning New York Times bestselling author, is appearing on the rescheduled date to Wednesday, June 4, at 7 p.m. at Marlborough Public Library for The Friends of the Marlborough Public Library’s  “MetroWest Daily News/Marlborough Enterprise 2014 McConnell Author/Celebrity Series No. 31,” Hosted by Alyson Cox!! 

Martin will be the final of Four Blockbuster timely authors to appear at this 31st year series in the Bigelow Auditorium, Marlborough Public Library, 35 West Main St., Marlborough.  Admission is free and open to the public.  Auditorium is fully handicapped accessible.  Please come and meet Bill.  He will autograph his new bestselling book “The Lincoln Letter” for you.  His book will be on sale the evening of the program.

William Martin is the award-winning New York Times bestselling author of 10 novels, a PBS docu­mentary, book reviews, magazine articles, and a cult-classic horror movie, too. His first Peter Fal­lon novel, Back Bay, established him as “a master storyteller.” He has been following the lives of the great and anonymous in American history ever since and has taken readers from the Pilgrims to 9/11. He was the 2005 recipient of the prestigious New England Book Award, given to an author “whose body of work stands as a significant contribution to the culture of the region.” He lives near Boston with his wife and has three grown children.

Find out what's happening in Marlboroughwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Treasure hunters Peter Fallon and Evangeline Carrington are heading for adventure in Washington D.C., the sleek, modern, power-hungry capital of America...and the crowded, muddy, intrigue-filled nexus of the Civil War. Their prize? A document of incredible historical importance and incalculable value: Abraham Lincoln’s diary.

What if Lincoln recorded his innermost thoughts as he moved toward the realization that he must free the slaves? And what if that diary slipped from his fingers in 1862? A recently discovered letter written by Lincoln suggests that the diary exists and is waiting to be found.  Some want the diary for its enormous symbolic value to a nation that reveres Lincoln.  Others believe it carries a dark truth about Lincoln's famous proclamation--a truth that could profoundly impact the fast-approaching elections and change the  course of a nation.  Peter and Evangeline must race against these determined adversaries to uncover a document that could shake the foundation of Lincoln's legacy.

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From William Martin, the New York Times bestselling author of The Lost Constitution, The Lincoln Letter is a breathless chase across the Washington of today as well as a political thriller set in our besieged Civil War capital.  It is a story of old animosities that still smolder, old philosophies that still contend, and a portrait of our greatest president as he passes from lawyer to leader in the struggle for a new birth of freedom.

“I am a huge William Martin fan, but The Lincoln Letter is my absolute favorite.”- Doris Kearns Goodwin

This is Alyson Cox’s third year as Host of The Friends McConnell Author/Celebrity Series. Alyson holds a Master of Library Science degree, and moonlights as Library Media Specialist at Bay Path Regional Vocational Technical High School in Charlton.

Alyson’s experience interviewing authors began when she fearlessly cold-called her idol, teen literature pioneer Robert Cormier, in 1997. What ensued was a lively discussion of The Chocolate War for her teen book group with the author himself. She was hooked!

Since then, she has been sharing the talents of various authors and performers with church and library audiences. She is proud to have hosted and hobnobbed with the likes of Tom Ryan and Atticus (Following Atticus), Tiffanie DiDo­nato (Dwarf), New York Times Bestselling author Andre Dubus III (The House of Sand and Fog), and more..

Cox holds a Master of Library Science from Southern Connecticut State University. She has worked in children’s and teen ser­vices in Massachusetts libraries including the Thomas Crane Public Library in Quincy, the Abbot Public Library in Marblehead, and the Northbor­ough Free Library. Most recently, she held the position of Teen Services Librarian in Marlborough.

Alyson’s experience interviewing authors began when she fearlessly cold-called her idol, teen literature pioneer Robert Cormier, in 1997. What ensued was a lively discussion of The Chocolate War for her teen book group with the author himself. She was hooked!

Since then, she has been sharing the talents of various children’s performers with church and library audiences. Along the way, she has hosted writers such as Deborah Savage, Alex Packer, and Newbury Honor winner Alan Armstrong.  Many thanks to Alyson Cox for booking four great authors for our 2014 Author Series.

The Author Series programs are funded and sponsored in part by grants from the Ezra Cutting Trust-- Bank of American Trustee; the Marlborough Cultural Council, a local agency which is supported by the Massachusetts Cultural Council, a state agency;The Friends Memorial Fund established by an anonymous donor of $25,000 and the Brigham Family Trust and Major Media Sponsor MetroWest Daily News and the Marlborough Enterprise.  Thanks to Richard Lodge, Editor-in-Chief of the Marlborough Enterprise and Kristen Mello for their assistance in making the Series possible.  Also thanks to the Tatnuck Bookseller of Westborough, Charlie Napoleon, Manager, for his assistance also. Thanks to Dan Guindon, General Manager, and Mike Lawton of WMCT-TV Channel 8-Marlborough for the taping of the Series and airing the programs on Channel 8.

For further information on the Author Series, please call 413-648-9663 or email: rajohnson736@gmail.com or go on-line to:  mpl-riends.org.

Submitted by Ray Johnson, president, the Friends of the Marlborough Public Library.


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