Stephen Greenblatt presents: Dark Renaissance (Main)
Harvard Book Store and the Cambridge Public Library welcome Dr. Stephen Greenblatt—Cogan University Professor of the Humanities at Harvard University, general editor of The Norton Anthology of English Literature, and the author of fourteen books including The Swerve, winner of the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Award—for a discussion of his new book Dark Renaissance: The Dangerous Times and Fatal Genius of Shakespeare's Greatest Rival. He will be joined in conversation by Neel Mukherjee—author of four novels, including The Lives of Others, which was shortlisted for the Booker Prize. Registration is required.
Your Fat Friend Documentary Screening (Central Square)
Join the Central Square Branch Library for a screening of Jeanie Finlay's documentary Your Fat Friend.
Made over 6 years, acclaimed director Jeanie Finlay charts the rise of writer and activist Aubrey Gordon from anonymous blogger to NYTimes best selling author and beloved podcaster. Her aim? A paradigm shift in the way we see fat people and the fat on our own bodies.
Her life changing work has brought her an ardent, international audience but also threats to her life. One of her biggest challenges is getting her parents to listen.
Your Fat Friend, a film about fatness, family, the complexities of change and the deep, messy feeling we hold about our bodies.
yrfatfriendfilm.com / @yrfatfriendfilm
John Cassidy presents: Capitalism and Its Critics (Main)
Harvard Book Store and the Cambridge Public Library welcome John Cassidy—staff writer at The New Yorker and author of the books Dot.con: The Greatest Story Ever Sold and How Markets Fail, which was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in Nonfiction—for a discussion of his new book Capitalism and Its Critics: A History: From the Industrial Revolution to AI.
Registration is required.
Remembering Together: Grief Support Group (Central Square)
The "Remembering Together" support group is for patrons who are grieving the loss of a loved one. Facilitated by the library social worker, this online group offers a safe and confidential online space for peers to come together, share common experiences and heal in community. If you are interested in participating, or simply learning more about this offering, please email Brett Dixon, the library social worker, at bdixon@cambridgema.gov.
Summer Reading: Make Your Own Flower Press (Boudreau)
Join our friends from New England Botanic Garden to create an upcycled press for preserving leaves and petals. We will also learn about the lifecycle changes from flower to fruit, and dissect a tulip. Recommended for age 7 and up with a caregiver.
Funding for Summer Reading has been generously provided by the City of Cambridge, Cambridge Public Library Foundation, Friends of the Cambridge Public Library and the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners.
Youth Dungeons and Dragons Session 1/3 (Valente Branch)
Youth ages 10-16 are welcome to join for three sessions of cooperative role-play and storytelling as we build out skills playing the table-top game DnD. The first session will include a character-building introduction followed by play continued into the next two sessions. No prior DnD experience is required, and experienced players are also welcome to join.
Registration is required, as the program is capped at 8 players. Please plan to attend all sessions!
The City of Cambridge does not discriminate, including on the basis of disability. We may provide auxiliary aids and services, written materials in alternative formats, and reasonable modifications in policies and procedures to people with disabilities. For more information contact us at library@cambridgema.gov, 617-349-4032 (voice), or via relay at 711.
Stephen Greenblatt presents: Dark Renaissance (Main)
Harvard Book Store and the Cambridge Public Library welcome Stephen Greenblatt—Cogan University Professor of the Humanities at Harvard University, a leading scholar of English Renaissance literature, and author of sixteen books, including the Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award–winner The Swerve—to celebrate the paperback release of Dark Renaissance: The Dangerous Times and Fatal Genius of Shakespeare's Greatest Rival, which released in hardcover in 2025 and received immense praise from The New York Times, The Washington Post, NPR, and The Wall Street Journal.
In addition to the paperback release of Dark Renaissance, Greenblatt's first work Sir Walter Ralegh: The Renaissance Man and His Roles, originally published in 1973 and based on Greenblatt's dissertation, will be rereleased in paperback on September 1, 2026 with a new foreword from Greenblatt.
Registration is required.
[CANCELED] Use your smartphone to stay organized (Main)
Learn how to use your smartphone (iPhone or Android) to stay organized. You will learn how to use calendar apps, navigation apps like Google Maps and note-taking apps. This class will be delivered by a DOORS program instructor. To learn more about the DOORS program please go to: https://www.digitalpsych.org/doors-program.html
To view and register for other Basic Tech Classes at the Library, please go to tinyurl.com/basictechclass.
Registration is encouraged, but not required.
Summer Reading: Wikipedia Edit-a-Thon: Artists of Color (Main)
Join us as we edit and create Wikipedia pages related to artists of color!
At an edit-a-thon, people work together to contribute to Wikipedia, often focusing on expanding our knowledge of underrepresented groups. You might add to the information on an existing page, create a new one, find reliable sources for others to use, or copyedit and format a page. No experience necessary! Laptops will be provided.
This program is generously supported by the Friends of the Cambridge Public Library.