Submitted by Marleen Nienhuis, Nick Altschuler

Acclaimed writer, Allegra Goodman, will read from her recent novel The Chalk Artist, on Tuesday, May 22nd, at 6:30 PM for South End Writes. Her earlier novels include Intuition, The Cookbook Collector, Paradise Park, and Kaaterskill Falls, which was a National Book Award finalist. Her fiction has appeared in numerous literary magazines, including a recent one in The New Yorker, called F.A.Q's. In an interview about the story, Goodman explained it is part of a larger project about a multigenerational family called the Rubinsteins.

"The first story I wrote about the Rubinsteins is called Apple Cake and was published in The New Yorker a few years ago. Since that time, I've been writing about different members of the family and their relationships. Each character interests me, and each stage of life interests me, but what fascinates me the most is the way that characters and stages rub off one each other," she said.

Goodman's previous short stories have been anthologized in The O. Henry Awards and Best American Short Stories. Other collections collections include The Family Markowitz, Total Immersion, and a novel for younger readers, The Other Side of the Island. Her essays and reviews have appeared in The New York Times Book Review, The Wall Street Journal, The New Republic, The Boston Globe, and The American Scholar.

Starting in June, the South End Writes author series will host : David Hemenway (Private Guns, Public Health), with an introduction by Boston Police Commissioner Bill Evans on June 5; Karen Day (I'll Stay) on June 26; Iory Allison (Glamour Galore Trilogy: The Family Jewels; Naughty Astronautess; The Mermaid and the Sailor) on September 11; Randy Susan Meyers (The Widow of Wall Street) on September 25; playwright Melinda Lopez (Mala; Sonia Flew) on October 30, and Jessica Keener (Strangers in Budapest) on November 13. For details, click on Upcoming Events our website.


The planned renovation of Library Park is on track for late spring/early summer, according to Boston Parks Commissioner Chris Cook and project manager Lauren Bryant. The bids by contractors for the job are due around this time. The selection process and the scheduling will take place after that. The bulk of the work will be on infrastructure, including whatever ancient oil tanks, brick walls, skeletons or refrigerators may be hidden underneath the surface, as the site never appears to have been properly excavated.

Depending on the weather, it may only take a few months. The job includes trimming the five oaks, and making sure their roots remain protected. Stay tuned. For further details,www.friendsofsouthendlibrary.org

The South End Branch of the Boston Public Library is located at 685 Tremont Street, Boston.