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Adventure Travel Lecture Series 2010:

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Schooner: Building a Wooden Boat on Martha’s Vineyard

• Thursday, June 17th, 6 pm
• A.R.T. Meeting Room, 2 Arrow St., Harvard Square
(entry on right corner)
• Free, Reservations Recommended: (617) 649-5700 x.21, or events@gcb.com

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Martha’s Vineyard‘s boat builders Ross Gannon and Nat Benjamin will join author Tom Dunlop and photographer Alison Shaw in an evening celebrating the publication of Schooner: Building a Wooden Boat on Martha’s Vineyard. Tom Dunlop will speak about and read from his story of the construction of Rebecca of Vineyard Haven, a sixty foot wooden schooner designed and built by the Gannon and Benjamin Marine Railway. Alison Shaw will present her extraordinary photographs of Rebecca‘s construction, which capture the design and craftsmanship which have earned the boatyard the respect and awe of on-island and off-island sailors. Ross Gannon and Nat Benjamin will talk and answer questions about Rebecca and the boatyard’s design, construction, and repair of traditional wooden boats.

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At her launch in 2001, Rebecca of Vineyard Haven was the largest sailing vessel built on the Island of Martha’s Vineyard since the mid-19th century. Based on Nat Benjamin’s hand-drawn design, her construction survived delays and took close to three and a half years. She was the 34th new boat built by the boatyard, which has built or rebuilt boats ranging in size from an 8 foot row boat to a 65 foot schooner. It’s projects have included yacht tenders, canoes, Beetle cats, Alden schooners, Rhodes sloops, Concordia yawls, bass boats, Herreshoff designs, and Lawleys.

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Their shared passion for sailing prompted Ross Gannon’s and Nat Benjamin’s 30-year partnership to design and build boats. Designer Nat Benjamin writes that he has “tried to include the basic ingredients for safety, speed, and comfort, with a strong emphasis on good looks. I am not concerned with any rating system; I prefer to see men, women and children sailing with a smile. I feel it’s very important to keep an eye on current trends, but not to be influenced by the glitter, only the grace.”

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This event will take place at 6 p.m. at The Meeting Room at Two Arrow Street, Harvard Square. A book signing and reception follows at our store at 90 Mt. Auburn Street.

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Reservations are recommended for this free event. For reservations or further information, please send an email to events@gcb.com, call us at 617-649-5700 (x21) or speak with us at the store. If you would like to purchase an autographed copy of Schooner, but are unable to attend the event, please email or call us or with your shipping and payment info. We will hold the book in Harvard Square, if preferred.

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www.gannonandbenjamin.com

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The Book Release Breakfast Club – The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest

The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest

Tuesday May 25th, 7:30 a.m.

An in-store event at The Globe Corner Bookstore

90 Mt. Auburn St., Harvard Square

Are you as anxiously awaiting the release of the third and final book in Stieg Larsson’s internationally best selling mystery series as we are? If so, then the wait is almost over!

To celebrate the publication of The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest, we’re putting together a traditional Swedish mini “smorgasbord” on the morning of the book’s release; the new hardcover release is a Staff Pick and 20% off . We’re opening our store at 7:30 a.m. on Tuesday May 25th and serving juice, blueberry bread, crisps and cheese through mid-morning.

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We’re also giving away temporary dragon tattoos and tote bags with The Globe Corner Bookstore and Lonely Planet logos with the purchase of a Stieg Larsson book. Copies of the previous two books The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and The Girl Who Played with Fire will also be on hand.

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Stop by on your way to work on Tuesday to buy the book, indulge in a breakfast “smorgasbord” and take a few minutes to talk about Lisbeth and Mikael. In a rush? We will have the book, a temporary tattoo and a slice of blueberry bread ready to go at the counter – all in a free tote bag. If you want to zip in and out, first thing in the morning or later in the day, please place your order for the book ahead of time and we’ll have everything set aside for a quick getaway so you can start reading right away.

As a celebration of the amazing mystery series’ location, all books and maps for Sweden will be 15% off from May 25th through the end of the month.For more info on this or other events, please visit our pages on Facebook and Twitter for updates on upcoming events and store news.

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Spring in to Great Runs

Mark Lowenstein, author of the Great Runs Guides

Date: Saturday, April 17th
Time: 5-6 p.m.
Location: An in-store event at 90 Mt. Auburn St., Harvard Square
An event in the Square’s Bookish Ball Celebration (No need for reservations)

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Mark Lowenstein‘s new guidebook, covering Great Runs in Cambridge and surrounding communities, will be out by mid-month. Mark will be in the store on Marathon Weekend to talk about recommended runs in the new guide and his two previous guides, Great Runs in Boston and Great Runs in Brookline & Vicinity. He’ll inspire us to unearth running shoes and try new routes, as we take advantage of longer sun-lit days.

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The Great Runs guides include a range of runs, many under 10 miles, with route descriptions and maps. Suggestions for “additional spurs” accompany practical info about terrain, lighting, and water fountains,. Mark’s introduction to each guide lists his favorites by category. His notes about access by public transportation to longer, one-way routes are especially useful for longer training runs. The new guide includes neighborhood runs, the Charles River path from Boston to Weston, and some Off-Road trails.

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Mark Lowenstein, an avid recreational runner, has logged thousands of miles across dozens of Massachusetts communities over the past 25 years.

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100 Places In Italy Every Woman Should Go

Date: Monday, April 5th
Location: First Parish Church, 3 Church Street, Harvard Square
Accessibility: Wheelchair Accessible
Time: 6 p.m.
Admission: Free, Reservations Requested
Reservations: 617-649-5700 x21 or events@gcb.com
Additional info: www.globecorner.com

Susan Van Allen, author of 100 Places In Italy Every Woman Should Go will give an illustrated talk on travel in Italy. Susan will speak about the role of women in inspiring art and in creating a culture of encompassing cuisine. She’ll talk about and present  photographs of her favorite sites, from Florence’s Uffizi Gallery to Sicily’s Temple of Segesta – and the women depicted in their breathtaking paintings and sculpture. Susan’s descriptions of city streets and piazzas, as well as rural touring routes, will be sure to not only encourage new adventures and evoke travel memories, but also to reinforce why Italy is so appealing to women travellers.

Her book reflects Susan’s broad knowledge of Italy. It includes very practical advice about the best times to visit a museum or a region, recommended walks and itineraries, exceptional restaurants, and suggested reading. She’ll respond to specific travel questions after her formal presentation.

An excerpt from Susan’s introduction:
Treat this book like a cookbook. What do you want a taste of? Botticelli’s Birth of Venus? The best chocolate in Rome? A ceramic painting class in Deruta? A wine therapy spa treatment in the Veneto? Allow your mood to be your guide, savoring the experience Italian style, letting it unfold with an unhurried Old World pace.

To make a full meal of it, I’ve included suggestions for Golden Days—matching a place to a nearby restaurant, just like I do when I send out lists to girlfriends. These are only suggestions, because each of us has our own deeply personal experience of encountering Italy.

But as unique as each encounter is, I’m amazed at always hearing, even from travelers without a drop of Italian blood in them, the same words: “It felt like home.” Home, in the sweeping sense of a place that brings peace and comfort, a place that stirs the soul.

About the Author
Based in Los Angeles, Susan Van Allen’s love for Italy stems from her maternal grandparents, who emigrated from Southern Italy.  Travelling in Italy for over 30 years, she has explored the country up and down the boot–visiting relatives, immersed herself in the country’s masterpieces and culture, taken language and cooking classes, and gone on boating, biking, and hiking adventures. Her writing about Italian travel has appeared in numerous publications, including Town & Country, Student Traveler, and several Travelers’ Tales anthologies (including Best Travel Writing 2009.)

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A Taste of Iceland & performance by Ólöf Arnalds

Photo courtesy of the Icelandic Consulate, NYC

From March 11-17, Boston will be hosting A Taste of Iceland. This festival of Icelandic culture and entertainment is bringing Icelandic musicians, DJs, acclaimed chefs, and a film festival to various venues in and around Boston in celebration of all things Icelandic…and Icelandair’s non-stop service to Reykjavik. You can even enter a drawing to win a trip to Reykjavik! The full schedule of events can be found at the “Iceland Naturally” website.

We’re so excited about the festival that we’re taking 15% off all books about and maps of Iceland through March 17th. And as an extra bonus, Icelandic singer Ólöf Arnalds will be dropping by the store on Saturday, March 13th at 4:30 p.m. to play a few songs for us!

More details and links here.

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The Weeping Goldsmith: Discoveries in the Secret Land of Myanmar

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 10TH

Author W. John Kress will give an illustrated talk about and read from The Weeping Goldsmith: Discoveries in the Secret Land of Myanmar.

Location: First Parish Church, 3 Church Street, Harvard Square
Accessibility: Wheelchair Accessible
Time: 6 p.m.
Admission: Free, Reservations Requested
Reservations: 617-649-5700 x21 or events@gcb.com

The Weeping Goldsmith is a remarkable memoir of the over nine years that Dr. Kress spent exploring the wilderness of Myanmar in search of rare and beautiful plants, and how he came to appreciate Myanmar’s unique people and culture. The book contains past explorers’ archival photographs as well as 200 of the author’s color photographs of plants, people, landscapes, and temples. A 10-page “portfolio” includes photographs of 50 Myanmar plants, with botanical profiles and habitat detail.

W. John Kress prefaces his book by explaining that it “is about the natural landscapes and people of Myanmar as interpreted through the eyes of a modern-day scientist and plant explorer…I surveyed the teak forests, bamboo thickets, timber plantations, rivers, and mangroves to document the plant diversity of this vast unknown land. Myanmar is one of the world’s great biodiversity hot spots in Asia, but because of its social isolation and reputation for political repression it has been off-limits and avoided by many biologists, conservationists, and environmentalists.”
The book’s title is the name of a ginger flower “whose Burmese name was derived from the legend that the local goldsmiths were reduced to tears because none of their own creations could rival its exquisiteness.”

W. John Kress is Curator of Botany and Research Scientist at the National Museum of Natural History at the Smithsonian Institution, and was formerly the chairman of the Smithsonian’s Department of Botany. He is the executive director of the Association for Tropical Biology and Conservation and a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. He is also an adjunct professor of biology at George Washington University in Washington, D.C., and at the Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, in Yunnan.
Dr. Kress’s research interests focus on the evolution of and relationships among tropical plants; his field studies focus on the evolution of pollination systems, speciation in tropical angiosperms, and the conservation of tropical ecosystems. In his work as a classifier of plant species, he has traveled extensively in Latin America, Southeast Asia, southern China, and the islands of the South Pacific.

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Let’s Go Greece & Italy

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 24TH

Let’s Go Greece and Let’s Go Italy writers will talk about their summer 2009 adventures and offer budget travel advice.
Location: First Parish Church, 3 Church Street, Harvard Square
Accessibility: Wheelchair Accessible
Time: 6 p.m.
Admission: Free, Reservations Requested
Reservations: 617-649-5700 x21 or events@gcb.com

Let’s Go is celebrating 50 years of publishing! Irreverent and jam-packed with information, the guides are written entirely by Harvard undergraduates and offer comprehensive advise for readers seeking affordable travel. Every guide’s’ Beyond Tourism section offers listings to support readers’ interest in volunteering, studying, or working abroad. We’re pleased to present an event with Let’s Go researcher-writers who contributed to the 2010 editions of Let’s Go Greece: The Student Travel Guide and Let’s Go Italy: The Student Travel Guide.

Our panel of writers will talk about their adventures in Greece and Italy as researchers for Let’s Go. They’ll offer travel advice about budget travel to these two Mediterranean destinations. The four panelists had specific travel assignments in either Greece or Italy. They’ll discuss the personal travel experiences (expected and unexpected) which allow them to provide unique expertise on regional travel on limited budgets.

The focus for Greece will be on the Aegean Islands. Charlotte Alter and Ansley Rubinstein boarded innumerable ferries to reach both popular and lesser-known islands. Charlotte’s itinerary included The Dodecanese, Northeast Aegean and Aegina. Ansley “island-hopped” to Crete, the Cyclades, Evia, and the Sporades. Based in Rome for the summer, Emily Chertoff will talk about day trips from Rome, ways to avoid long waits to visit sights, take advantage of local transportation, and discover economical accommodations and places to eat. Marykate Jasper will provide similar information about Florence and her efforts to master “the vagaries of Tuscan transportation.”

Charlotte Alter is a Sophomore History and Literature concentrator. Ansley Rubinstein is a Senior Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations concentrator; she worked for Let’s Go as a Researcher-Writer for the 2009 Let’s Go Australia guide. Emily Chertoff is a Sophomore English concentrator. MaryKate Jasper is a Junior English concentrator. Both Charlotte and Marykate currently work at Let’s Go as Managing Editors.

Let’sGo.com

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Chuck Thompson – To Hellholes and Back

Chuck Thompson spoke about and read from his book, “To Hellholes and Back: Bribes, Lies, and the Art of Extreme Tourism.”

Location: The Globe Corner Bookstore, 90 Mt. Auburn Street, Harvard Square
Date & Time:  Tuesday, January 19th, 6 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.
Accessibility:  Wheelchair Accessible
Admission: Free, Reservations Requested
Reservations: 617-649-5700 x21 or events@gcb.com

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Chuck Thompson will talk about and read from his new book, “To Hellholes and Back: Bribes, Lies, and the Art of Extreme Tourism.”  Our in-store book signing and reception will include a reading, a Q&A period, and time to speak informally with Chuck about his travel and writing.

Whether writing about the Congo, India, Mexico City, Disney World, or any destination that he views with trepidation. Chuck’s descriptions of his adventures are opinionated, funny and thought-provoking.  In a recent interview by a GCB staff member (on our staff blog), Chuck offered his definition for extreme tourism as “often associated with space tourism or living in a grass hut in Papua New Guinea for a month. But if your idea of a good time is hanging out in grass huts, what’s so extreme about that? Extreme travel, to me, is anything that takes you out of your comfort zone — physically, intellectually, emotionally. That’s why both the Congo and Disney presented me with “extreme” opportunities. I didn’t want anything to do with either one.”

The object of several GCB staff members’ affection, (see Why We Continue to *Heart* Chuck Thompson, a 2008 staff blog) Chuck Thompson became a bit of a cult figure after the publication of “Smile While You’re Lying.”  This earlier account of the travel industry’s dirtiest secrets remains a GCB best seller. Smile While You’re Lying earned high praise from The New York Times:  ”(Thompson) knows the score and he tallies it accurately…..(a) dead-on demolition job…The book is a savagely funny act of revenge …”

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Adventure Travel Lecture Series 2009:

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Kilimanjaro: A Photographic Journey to the Roof of Africa

Wednesday, September 30th 6 p.m.

At the A.R.T. Meeting Room
2 Arrow Street, Harvard Square
Reservations recommended

Read our event coverage on Boston.com

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Author Michel Moushabeck and photographer Hiltrud Schulz will talk about exploring and climbing Tanzania’s Mt.  Kilimanjaro. Kilimanjaro: A Photographic Journey to the Roof of Africa combines their story with hundreds of color photographs of their ascent of Africa’s highest mountain. They’ll discuss their preparation for the climb, traveling to Africa, trekking from the jungle through arctic climates on the scenic but remote Lemosho Route, views they chose to photograph, and the experience of reaching the 19,340 foot Uhuru Peak summit.  A book signing and reception will follow the event at our Harvard Square store.

Towering above the Great Rift Valley, Kilimanjaro has seven summits, lies 3 degrees south of the equator (on the border of Tanzania and Kenya), and is described by Moushabeck as “a geological wonder formed, sculpted, and molded by the natural forces of volcanic fire and glacial ice.”

Michel Moushabeck is the publisher and founder of Interlink Publishing. Hiltrud Schulz is a travel photographer involved in the promotion of study and screening of East German films through the University of Massachusett’s DEFA Film Library.  Their book is available in both hardcover and paperback.

The A.R.T. Meeting Room in Harvard Square is wheelchair accessible. This event is free, but reservations are recommended.  To reserve tickets, please call 617-649-5700 (ext. 21), email events@gcb.com, or contact our store in Harvard Square at 617-497-6277.

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Martha’s Vineyard’s Morning Glory Farm

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 24TH, 6 PM
At the A.R.T. Meeting Room
2 Arrow Street, Harvard Square
Reservations recommended

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Martha’s Vineyard farmers Jim and Debbie Athearn will join author Tom Dunlop and photographer Alison Shaw in an evening celebrating the publication of Morning Glory Farm and the family that feeds an island. Year-round and summer fans of the farm rave about its plants, flowers, vegetables, fruit, herbs, eggs, poultry, pork and beef.  Buoyed by this incredibly natural and healthy bounty, it’s nearly impossible to resist the farm stand’s tempting freshly baked goods and breads. Enthusiasm for the farm is based on an overwhelming understanding that the many varieties of lettuce and the knock-your-socks-off zucchini bread are available only through the hard work of experienced farmers who cherish their land and support their community.

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The Athearns will talk about their family’s 30-year commitment to the farm and their vision of sustainability. Tom Dunlop’s introduction to the 70-recipe cookbook chronicles the history and year-round operations of an island farm. He’ll talk about the time that he spent at the farm in order to write about the efforts which support well-known seasonal activities and a famed farm stand. Alison Shaw’s color photographs not only illustrate the cookbook’s tantalizing recipes, but also present the farm’s family and crew, fields, animals, gardens, and incomparable produce. She’ll describe the challenges and fun in photographing the farm at its busiest time. A selection of images of the book’s photographs will be shown.

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A book signing and reception follows at our store at 90 Mt. Auburn Street. For reservations, please send email to events@gcb.com, call us at 617-649-5700 (x. 21), or speak with us at the store. If you would like to purchase an autographed book, but are unable to attend the event, please email or call us to provide your shipping and payment info. We will hold the book in Harvard Square, if preferred.

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Author and film maker Tom Dunlop has written and edited a number of Vineyard-related books and publications; many readers have enjoyed his articles in the Vineyard Gazette and Martha’s Vineyard Magazine. Alison Shaw’s photographs are found in a number of Vineyard photography books, cookbooks and publications.  For more information about her photography and the Alison Shaw Gallery in Oak Bluffs, visit www.alisonshaw.com.

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Jim and Debbie Athearn’s pursuit of family farming and the growth of Morning Glory Farm have had a tremendously positive impact on Martha’s Vineyard.  For a sense of why islanders are so supportive and admiring of the farm, visit www.morninggloryfarm.com.

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Jeffrey Tayler: Murderers in Mausoleums

Thursday, February 5th, 6:00 PM

Tayler writes about emerging alliances between an energy-rich Russia and a China buoyed by economic growth and foreign currency reserves, “a new Great Game between Russia and the West” re. the region’s governments and democratic movements, Eurasian workers’ migration to Moscow, and an increasing presence of Chinese development in bordering states These significant economic, political, and social changes are juxtaposed with the region’s widespread allegiance to strong and murderous former Russian and Chinese leaders. as well as very prevalent, intense loyalties to historic cultural identities and antipathies for other groups.. Hoping to gain a clearer idea of Eurasia’s future, Tayler set out to listen to people “in the villages and rust belt towns and ignored metropolises between Moscow and Beijing” as they talked about their day to day lives and aspirations.

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Jeffrey Tayler’s own words, in his introduction to Murderers in Mausoleums, describe his remarkable qualifications for this journey: “I spoke Russian and Turkish, and possessed a fair knowledge of spoken Mandarin, which I set about sharpening. I had already traversed Russia from east to west, rafted through its Arctic north and trundled across its Caucasian south; I had twice sojourned in outback China, and for a while, before moving to Moscow, had even worked in Central Asia. I hoped this experience would stand me in good stead and help me understand what I saw.”

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His prior books include Facing the Congo, Glory in a Camel’s Eye, and River of No Reprieve. He is a correspondent for the Atlantic Monthly and a contributor to Condé Nast Traveler, Harper’s Magazine, and National Geographic.

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Adventure Travel Lecture Series 2008

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Rick Steves on European Travel and Iran

• Thursday, December 4th, 5 PM

• At The First Parish Church, Mass Ave at Church Street, Harvard Sq

• Free, Reservations Recommended: 617-649-5700 x.21, or events@gcb.com

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Rick Steves

Wayne Bernhardson – Patagonia

Thursday, October 16th, 6 PM

At The First Parish Church

Wayne Bernhardson will talk about current conditions in and travel to Patagonia. Wayne is the author of Moon’s Patagonia Handbook and Buenos Aires Handbook. New editions of both guides are due this fall. Wayne’s previous presentations, including maps and travel photos, have wowed GCB audiences. With his apartment in Buenos Aires as a base, he spends half the year travelling in southern South America. His first-hand knowledge of travel in the region, from the “gateway cities” of Buenos Aires and Santiago, is impressive. Wayne is also the author of Moon’s guides for Argentina and Chile.

Wayne’s blogs on Buenos Aires and Patagonia can be found at http://southernconeguidebooks.blogspot.com/
It’s a great source for reports on Volcán Chaitén, as well as other travel and environmental updates. Recent entries described travel on troubled Aerolíneas Argentinas (now nationalized), public transportation in Buenos Aires, Chile’s designation of its whale species as national monuments, and a NASA expedition’s unexpected discovery of water in a cave while exploring in Chile’s Atacama Desert.

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Steven Kazlowski- The Last Polar Bear

Wednesday, September 17th, 6 PM
At the Brattle Theatre

Wildlife photographer Steven Kazlowski’s The Last Polar Bear: Facing the Truth of a Warming World has received much acclaim. Steven will present his photographs of polar bears and discuss the impact of climate change on their Arctic habitat. He’ll talk about his travel (over an eight-year period) to the Beaufort and Chukcki Seas, from Point Hope in western Alaska to Herschel Island in the Yukon.

The Last Polar Bear places the reality of climate change in our hands. We see the plight of the polar bear, an indicator species already feeling the detrimental effects of our reliance on fossil fuels, as its icy habitat melts. The book includes many such anecdotes of life among the bears, relayed by the photographer, Alaskan natives and Inupiaq elders. Essays written by conservationist Theodore Roosevelt IV, Natural Resources Defense Council President Frances Beinecke, cultural anthropologist Richard Nelson, environmental journalist Daniel Glick, and Alaskan residents and writers Nick Jans and Charles Wohlforth provide a more in-depth understanding of the scientific, political and social issues that surround climate change.

We’re thrilled to host Steven, whose photographs have appeared in Audubon, Backpacking, Canadian National Geographic, National Geographic For Kids, National Wildlife, Sierra and TIME magazines. His prior books include Alaska’s Bears of the North, Alaska’s Wildlife of the North, and Alaska Wildlife Impressions.

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Jenna Ringelheim — Dog Day Afternoon in Harvard Square

Sunday, August 24th, 4:00 p.m. At Winthrop Park, at the corner of JFK & Mt. Auburn Streets.

Celebrate the Dog Days of Summer with a dogs-invited event in Winthrop Park! Jenna Ringelheim, author of Best Hikes With Dogs: Boston and Beyond, will talk about her favorite dog hikes, discuss hike planning and safety and answer questions about how all hikers can have a tail-wagging good time. The hikes in the book cover areas on Boston’s outskirts, and as far away as Ipswich, Medfield and Great Barrington.

Best Hikes With Dogs: Boston and Beyond will be on sale at our store, and Jenna will be autographing books at the event. Afterwards, we’ll set out to walk or paw it on a short, guided Harvard Square Hike. Please call or email us if a dog or two will accompany you – we’ll reserve a “Biscuit Bag” (surprise gifts) for each attending pup.

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Heather Hansen — Disappearing Destinations

Wednesday, June 11th, 6 pm
3 Church St., Harvard Sq.
Co-sponsored by Hostelling International

Disappearing Destinations: 37 Places in Peril and What Can Be Done to Help Save Them, by Heather Hansen and her co-author Kimberly Lisagor, presents cherished, world-wide “wild and sublime places.” The places selected include treasured cities such as Venice and Timbuktu, as well as endangered natural areas such as the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and the Great Barrier Reef. Disappearing Destinations is a unique mix of armchair travel, natural history, and remarkably practical information for eco-tourists.

Understanding the destinations’ draw for those who wish to tread lightly, the authors include conversations with each area’s wildlife or preservation activists and long-time residents. The authors discuss ways in which travellers can support both advocacy organizations and local economies. The book’s lists of recommended travel resources and advocacy groups provide very useful information for responsible travel.

Kimberly Lisagor and Heather Hansen are freelance journalists whose articles about the environment and travel have appeared in many newspapers and publications (including National Geographic, Smithsonian, Modern Traveler, and Outside.) Kim is an award-winning guidebook author. Many Boston and Cape Cod readers followed Heather’s writing during her years on the staffs of Boston Magazine and The Provincetown Banner

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G. Franco & Gwen Romagnoli — Italy, the Romagnoli Way

Thursday, May 1st. Please note that this is an In-Store event, from 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

Authors G. Franco and Gwen Romagnoli will talk about Italy, the Romagnoli Way: A Culinary Journey and their visits to less travelled towns and eateries serving “simple, satisfying food.” Franco and Gwen’s preference for “peasant fare” and their enjoyment of regional dishes, breads, wines and sweets is clear. Chapters dedicated to both regions and smaller areas (i.e. the Aeolian Islands) include historical background, landscape and architecture descriptions, favorite routes and restaurants, typical meals, and a small number of unforgettable recipes.

Franco first introduced his native Italian cooking over 30 years ago, as a co-host of PBS’ television series, The Romagnoli’s Table. He operated a number of restaurants in this area and has written nine cookbooks. Gwen lived in and wrote about Italy for many years before meeting and marrying Franco. Their travels during the past ten years, to seemingly endless out-of-the-way spots in Italy, are inspiring and fascinating. Italy, the Romagnoli Way presents the Romagnolis’ extraordinary attachment to and familiarity with traditional Italian cooking.

Franco’s prior books include Cucina di Magro: Cooking Lean the Traditional Italian Way and A Thousand Bells at Noon: A Roman Reveals the Secrets and Pleasures of His Native City.

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Great Days & Nights in Eastern Europe Event

Saturday, April 12th, 2008

The Globe Corner Bookstore’s staff and “alumnae” who have journeyed through and lived in Eastern Europe talke about their travels and ways to survive the high Euro. They will answer questions about extended stays in Prague, Moscow, St. Petersburg, Dubrovnik, Zagreb and Sarajevo. Advice will cover travel east from Vienna and Moscow, backpacking in the Balkans, cycling in Hungary, coastal escapes in Croatia and Montenegro, hiking in Transylvania, riding the Trans-Siberian rails – and much more about Russia, Ukraine, Poland, the Czech and Slovak Republics, Romania, Bulgaria, Slovenia and Croatia.

Our in-store event is part of The Bookish Ball celebration in Harvard Square, sponsored by the Harvard Square Business Association. The afternoon and evening celebration will include a Book Stroll, events in bookstores, discounts, prizes tied to a “Passport to Wisdom” and a party (with the Sweet Divines dance band) at Holyoke Center’s Forbes Plaza.

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Susan Spicer — Crescent City Cooking

Wednesday, March 19th, 2008

Susan Spicer’s cookbook, Crescent City Cooking: Unforgettable Recipes from Susan Spicer’s New Orleans is a treat for fans of the chef’s mix of Southern and international dishes served at her French Quarter restaurant, Bayona.

Our in-store book signing and reception includes a brief Q&A period during which Susan will answer questions about her cooking history prior to Bayona’s opening, Bayona, Gulf Coast cuisine post-Katrina, writing the cookbook, ways that we can all support NOLA and other topics.

About the book…
One of New Orleans’s culinary stars and a James Beard award winner, Susan Spicer has been indulging Crescent City diners at the highly acclaimed restaurants, Bayona and Herbsaint, for years. Her long-awaited cookbook brings her signature dishes to the home cook’s table. It features over 170 recipes, ranging from traditional New Orleans dishes (Cornmeal-Crusted Crayfish Pies and Cajun-Spiced Pecans) to twists on down-home cuisine (Smoked Duck Hash in Puff Pastry with Apple Cider Sauce; Grilled Shrimp with Black Bean Cakes and Coriander Sauce) and, of course, a recipe for Gumbo z’Herbes (Green Gumbo with Oysters).

Our connection with Susan Spicer is one degree of separation, as our son Nat cooks at Bayona.

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Helen Thayer — Walking the Gobi

Helen Thayer will read from Walking the Gobi A 1600-Mile Trek Across a Desert of Hope and Despair. She’ll talk about her and her husband Bill’s adventures as the first man and woman to walk the entire length of almost 1,500 miles, east to west, of the Mongolian Gobi Desert. They persevered as they faced Siberian winds, accompanying sand storms, heat reaching 126 degrees, scarcity of water and plenty of scorpions. The Thayers’ time spent with the Gobi Desert’s nomads is one of many remarkable experiences described in her book.

Named “One of the Great Explorers of the 20th Century” by National Geographic, Thayer noted that she “first heard of the Gobi as a 13 year old growing up in New Zealand. Then the Gobi was as far away as the moon; now at 63 the dream has come full circle.”

Her previous feats are impressive. In 1988, she became the first woman to walk and ski to either pole when she trekked solo to the Magnetic North Pole without dogsled or snowmobile. She was the first woman and first American to circumnavigate the Magnetic North Pole. Her amazing adventure with her beloved companion Charlie (her Canadian Eskimo Husky) was the basis for her first book, Polar Dreams.