Events: Andrea-Tereas Arenas and Eloisa Gómez, David McGlynn with Liam Callanan, David Fantle, Sarah Kendzior, Jennifer Keishin Armstrong and Sex and the City on Downer open house, Morgan Matson. Note Gail Honeyman is sold out.

Here's the Boswell event list for the week of June 4, 2018. Alas, our ticketed Women's Speaker Series event with Gail Honeyman at the Lynden Sculpture Garden on June 6 is sold out, but there are still some great authors to see this week.

Tuesday, June 5, 6:00 pm, at Milwaukee Public Library Mitchell Street Branch, 906 W Historic Mitchell St:
Andrea-Teresa Arenas and Eloisa Gómez, editors of Somos Latinas: Voices of Wisconsin Latina Activists

Arenas, director of the Somos Latinas Digital History Project, and Gómez, former vice president of the Latino Historical Society of Wisconsin, share the inspirational stories of twenty-five Latina agents of change. The powerful narratives of these activists, from outspoken demonstrators to collaborative community-builders to determined individuals working for change behind the scenes, provide proof of the long-standing legacy of Latina activism throughout Wisconsin.

Somos Latinas draws on activist interviews conducted as part of the Somos Latinas Digital History Project, housed at the Wisconsin Historical Society, and looks deep into the life and passion of each woman. Though Latinas have a rich history of community activism in the state and throughout the country, their stories often go uncelebrated. Somos Latinas is essential reading for scholars, historians, activists, and anyone curious about how everyday citizens can effect change in their communities.

Andrea-Teresa Arenas, PhD, recently retired from her positions at UW–Madison as a Chican@ and Latin@ Studies Faculty Affiliate and the director of the Office of Service Learning and Community-Based Research in the College of Letters and Science. Eloisa Gómez is the director of the Milwaukee County UW–Extension Office. From 2008 to 2012, she was the vice president of the Latino Historical Society of Wisconsin, and she served on the Somos Latinas Advisory Committee from 2012 to 2015.

Wednesday, June 6, 7:00 pm, at Boswell:
David McGlynn, author of One Day You'll Thank Me: Lessons from an Unexpected Fatherhood, in conversation with Liam Callanan

The award-winning Lawrence University English Department Chair David McGlynn arrives at Boswell for a conversation about fatherhood and his new memoir with Liam Callanan, another writer/father. This event is cosponsored by Lawrence in Milwaukee.

Fatherhood caught McGlynn by surprise. His sons arrived in quick succession, the first when the author was a dirt-poor student and the second not long after he’d moved his family across the country to start a new job in bucolic Wisconsin. As a result, McGlynn found himself colliding with fatherhood, at once scared to death and utterly thrilled. Just like many new fathers, he hopes he’s doing the right thing, but he’s never quite sure.

One Day You’ll Thank Me translates small, hilarious moments common among parents of young children, especially dads, into “life lessons” about fatherhood. These stories invoke a sense of humor and honesty that expand our understanding of what it means to be an American dad.

David McGlynn is the author of the memoir A Door in the Ocean and the story collection The End of the Straight and Narrow, winner of the 2008 Utah Book Award for Fiction. Three of his essays have been named Notable Essays in the Best American Essays anthology and another appeared in Best American Sports Writing in 2009.

Thursday, June 7, 7:00 pm, at Harry and Rose Samson Family Jewish Community Center, 6255 N. Santa Monica Blvd:
David Fantle, author of Hollywood Heyday: 75 Candid Interviews with Golden Age Legends

David Fantle, who teaches pop culture at Marquette University, stops by the Harry and Rose Samson Family JCC to chronicle wisdom and insights from the iconic artist who defined twentieth-century American pop culture through his own forty years of interviews and anecdotes.

In 1978, Fantle and Johnson, then teenagers from St. Paul, boarded a plane to meet Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly. On a lark, they wrote to the stars requesting interviews, and to their amazement, both agreed. Over the years, more than 250 other stars also agreed: Lucille Ball, Bob Hope, James Cagney, Mickey Rooney, Debbie Reynolds, George Burns, Rod Steiger, Milton Berle, Frank Capra, and Hoagy Carmichael, to name just a few. With exclusive photos, this selection of 75 interviews chronicles the authors' 40-year quest for insights and anecdotes from iconic 20th century artists.

Showbiz legend Dick Cavett says: "This is a fine example of the kind of book I love to have on the bedside table. These profiles are so well done that it's hard not to go on to just one more and be late for work. Get two copies."

Milwaukee-based writer David Fantle has been interviewing, writing, and speaking about Hollywood’s Golden Age stars for more than forty years. His work has appeared in media outlets worldwide.

Thursday, June 7, 7:00 pm, at Boswell:
Sarah Kendzior, author of The View from Flyover Country: Dispatches from the Forgotten America

The St. Louis-based journalist often credited with being the first to predict Donald Trump’s presidential win, Kendzior visits Boswell to speak about her book on the American heartland, a sharp-eyed and sharp-edged collection that just hit The New York Times bestseller list!

A clear-eyed account of the realities of life in America’s overlooked heartland, The View from Flyover Country is a piercing critique of the labor exploitation, racism, gentrification, media bias, and other aspects of the post-employment economy that gave rise to a president who rules like an autocrat. This is necessary reading for anyone who believes the only way for America to fix its problems is to first discuss them with honesty and compassion.

Sarah Kendzior is best known for her reporting on St. Louis, her coverage of the 2016 election, and her academic research on authoritarian states. She is currently an op-ed columnist for The Globe and Mail. Her reporting has been featured in many publications, including Politico, The Atlantic, and The New York Times.

Friday, June 8, 7:00 pm book talk, 5 - 8 pm Downer Ave. happy hour, at Boswell and  Downer Ave:
Jennifer Keishin Armstrong, author of Sex and the City and Us: How Four Single Women Changed the Way We Think, Live, and Love, part of Historic Downer Avenue’s Sex and the City on Downer

Boswell Book Company takes part in Sex and the City on Downer Avenue, hosting bestselling author Jennifer Keishin Armstrong and her new book, the publication of which coincides with the twentieth anniversary of the iconic television series.

Historic Downer Avenue puts on a ladies’ night out celebration like no other! Featuring specials that are all things Sex and the City, this is a happy hour not to be missed. A portion of all sales from participating businesses benefits Look Good Feel Better, helping cancer patients improve their self-image. For more information, visit the open house website.

At Boswell, Keishin Armstrong presents Sex and the City and Us, the story of how a columnist, two gay men, and a writers’ room full of women used their own poignant, hilarious, and humiliating stories to launch a cultural phenomenon. Featuring exclusive new interviews with the cast and writers, including star Sarah Jessica Parker, creator Darren Star, executive producer Michael Patrick King, and author Candace Bushnell, Sex and the City and Us brings us behind-the-scenes for a nostalgic look at a TV series that changed the way women everywhere see themselves.

Jennifer Keishin Armstrong is also the author Seinfeldia, and Mary and Lou and Rhoda and Ted, a history of The Mary Tyler Moore Show. She writes about pop culture for several publications, including The New York Times Book Review, and BBC Culture.

Saturday, June 9, 6:00 pm, at Boswell:
Morgan Matson, author of Save the Date

Registration requested for this event at matsonmke.bpt.me. The first forty people to register and attend this event get a complimentary tricked-out donut from Donut Squad.

In the latest novel from New York Times bestselling author Matson, Charlie Grant’s older sister is getting married, and Charlie can’t wait. For the first time in years, all four of her older siblings will be under one roof. Charlie is desperate for one last perfect weekend, before the family house is sold and everything changes. Making decisions about things like what college to attend and reuniting with longstanding crush Jesse Foster, all that can wait. She wants to focus on making the weekend perfect.

The only problem? The weekend is shaping up to be an absolute disaster. There’s the dog with a penchant for howling, a house alarm that won’t stop going off, and a papergirl with a grudge. Relatives aren’t speaking, her favorite brother’s brought home an awful girl, and a tux is missing. The justice of the peace is missing, too. The band will only play covers. The guests are all crazy. And the wedding planner’s nephew is distractingly cute. Charlie will learn more than she expected about the family she thought she knew by heart and realize that sometimes, trying to keep everything like it was in the past means missing out on the future.

Morgan Matson received her MFA from the New School and was named a Publishers Weekly Flying Start author for her first book, Amy and Roger’s Epic Detour, which was also recognized as an ALA Top Ten Best Book for Young Adults. Her second book, Second Chance Summer, won the California State Book Award.