Community Calendar

Anna Quindlen is the author of many bestselling books including the #1 New York Times bestselling novel Rise and Shine, the #1 bestselling memoir Lots of Candles, Plenty of Cake, and A Short Guide to a Happy Life. Her other novels include Blessings, One True Thing, the Oprah Book Club Selection Black and Blue, Still Life with Bread Crumbs, and After Annie.

Event Details
Doors open at 1:30 p.m. with live music, and the conversation begins at 2 p.m. This event includes a Q&A session and an author signing immediately following in the lobby.

For much more information about virtual tickets, ticketing options, book sales, etc., please click here.

Join us for a special edition of Dead Poets Society, reflecting on Gravity. Weightlessness to extremely heavy... what does gravity mean to you?

Upon arrival, we will gather in a circle and take turns reading poetry in a round-robin style. Poetry may come from poets dead or alive, and our favorites are your own original works! Participation is encouraged but not mandatory—you’re welcome to pass if you don’t have a poem to share. However, it’s always more fun to join in!

Dead Poets Society is a community-based, open-mic style poetry reading event. At Blessed Be, we believe in the power of words and the importance of creating a sacred space for expression. While our group focuses on poetry, we also welcome writers, musicians, and all performance artists to share both mainstream and original works.

Important Note: This event is not specifically geared for children. We ask that parents use discretion when bringing kids, as poetry can sometimes touch on sensitive topics. The event is recommended for ages 15 and up.

What to Expect: Led by Allie Robinson-Ollila, this gathering forms organically, and all are welcome! Walk-ins and tag-a-long friends are always welcome.

Come and be part of our poetic community, where words come alive and everyone’s voice is heard!

Runners, dog lovers, truly anyone who loves a miraculous story, are invited to hear ultra-marathon runners Dion and Lucja Leonard talk about the New York Times bestseller Finding Gobi. It’s an amazing account of how Dion crossed paths with a small, stray dog during a 155-mile race across the Gobi Desert in China. The lovable pup, who would later earn the name Gobi, went step for step with Dion over the Tian Shan Mountains and across massive dunes, keeping pace with her new friend for 77 miles.

As Dion witnessed the incredible determination and heart of the tiny dog, he found a sea change in his own heart, which had been repeatedly broken during a rough childhood. By the end of the race, he decided to bring Gobi home to Scotland to live with him and his wife, Lucja, who also competes in ultra-marathon races.

The only problem: Dion had entrusted someone to take care of Gobi in China while he organized the required medical tests and a quarantine to fly the dog home to Scotland. Gobi had inexplicably vanished in Urumqi, a sprawling Chinese city of three million people. What happens next is so unbelievable you truly couldn’t make it up — a twist that captured the world’s attention as the story exploded across international media and became a global sensation. Come along to hear how this extraordinary true story unfolds.

Doors open at 6:30 p.m. ET with live music. Programming begins at 7:00 p.m.

For more information about the event and ticket options/packages, please click here.

The Robert Giles “Truth Matters” Author Series Presents "A Conversation with a Palestinian and Israeli Who Both Lost Family to War And Why They Believe Peace is the Only Answer." Presented in Partnership with the International Affairs Forum.

“If you must divide us, let it be as those who believe in peace and equality and those who don’t ... yet.” ~ The Future is Peace

Aziz Abu Sarah is Palestinian. Maoz Inon is an Israeli. Both have lost family to the conflict and have known the bitterness of righteous anger. The world expected them to be enemies, yet they chose a different path. They forged a bond of brotherhood.

In The Future Is Peace, co-authors Aziz and Maoz take readers on a transformative weeklong journey across a sacred and bloodstained land. Together, they discover the mythic, political, and personal history that divides but also binds them.

Guest host is Ed Ronco, IPR News Director

General Admission Ticket: $20
Ticket + Book Pickup: $47
Ticket + Book Shipped: $55
Student and Teacher Tickets: Free

No age restriction with a valid school ID, student and teacher tickets admit one person to the live event. Books are not included.

Group Tickets
For discounted rates on groups of 20 or more, please contact: hanna@nwstc.org