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Harvard Book Store and the Cambridge Public Library welcome Ellen Pinsky and Michael Slevin, co-editors of the highly praised essay collection Driven to Write: 45 Writers on the Motives and Mysteries of their Craft. They will be joined for a panel discussion with several of the book's contributors including, Robert Pinsky, award-winning author of over twenty volumes of poetry, Stephen Greenblatt, Harvard professor and author of Dark Renaissance, Ha Jin, the William Fairfield Warren Distinguished Professor in English and Creative Writing at Boston University, and Sigrid Nunez, National Book Award-winning author of The Friend. This panel will be moderated by Rachel Dillon, poet and the managing editor of Ploughshares. Registration is required.

To mark the 250th anniversaries of the American Revolution and the founding of the United States, a coalition of local non-profits and government agencies will present Washington in American Memory, a seven-part speaker series. Consider how Americans understand the material culture of Washington and the Revolution, including art and clothing, featuring: Zara Anishanslin, author of The Painter’s Fire: A Forgotten History of the Artists Who Championed the American Revolution and Associate Professor of History and Art History at the University of Delaware Erica E. Hirshler, Croll Senior Curator of American Paintings at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston

Join the Cambridge Public Library in welcoming Elaine Castillo, author of How to Read Now and America Is Not the Heart, in celebrating the release of her newest novel, Moderation, published in August 2025. The recipient of starred reviews from Publisher's Weekly, Kirkus Reviews, and Booklist—which called Moderation "a slyly brilliant narrative ... cleverly interrogating interactions, communication, and relationships"—the novel follows Girlie Delmundo, a social media content moderator falling in love with her boss while her career veers into an increasingly virtual realm, raising pertinent questions about the future of love. After reading from Moderation, Elaine with sit in conversation with writer and editor Meagan Masterman for a wide-ranging conversation followed by an audience Q&A and book signing. This is a hybrid event and registration is required.

In honor of Women’s History Month, this collage workshop invites participants to explore collage as a practice rooted in storytelling, care, and reclamation. Together, we will look at how women and femmes have historically used cutting, layering, assemblage, and repair as forms of documentation and self expression, often working outside traditional art spaces and definitions of what is understood to be "fine art.” Participants will create collages using photographs, found papers, textiles, and personal ephemera, reflecting on lineage, memory, and the quiet labor of the women that shapes our lives. No prior collage experience is necessary. This workshop is designed as a welcoming, reflective space where participants are encouraged to work intuitively, honor their own histories, and engage with material in a tactile, intentional way. All are welcome. Registration is required.

Join us to celebrate Haiti's people, culture and history at the O'Neill Branch Library with local organization, Wee the People. We will celebrate one of Haiti's biggest national holidays -- Haitian Flag Day -- and explore the slave revolt that defeated Europe's most powerful armies. Families with children ages 5 and up will make Haitian Hero Shields with the colors of the Haitian flag. No registration required. Levez-vous ! Célébration de la révolution haïtienne de 1804 Rejoignez-nous pour célébrer le peuple, la culture et l'histoire d'Haïti avec l'organisation locale Wee the People. Pour les familles avec des enfants de 5 ans et plus. Aucune inscription n'est requise. Levé! Selebre Revolisyon 1804 Ayisyen an Rejwenn nou pou selebre pèp, kilti ak istwa Ayiti avèk òganizasyon lokal, Wee the People. Pou fanmi ki gen timoun ki gen laj 5 an oswa plis. Okenn enskripsyon pa obligatwa

Harvard Book Store and the Cambridge Public Library welcome Brandon M. Terry—John L. Loeb Associate Professor of the Social Sciences at Harvard University and Codirector of the Institute on Policing, Incarceration, and Public Safety at the Hutchins Center for African and African American Research—for a discussion of his new book Shattered Dreams, Infinite Hope: A Tragic Vision of the Civil Rights Movement. He will be joined in conversation by Danielle Allen—James Bryant Conant University Professor at Harvard University, Director of the Allen Lab for Democracy Renovation at the Harvard Kennedy School and Director of the Democratic Knowledge Project-Learn at the Harvard Graduate School of Education—and Michael Sandel—Anne T. and Robert M. Bass Professor of Government at Harvard University and the bestselling author of The Tyranny of Merit and Democracy’s Discontent. Registration is required.

Every year, June is proclaimed Month of Portuguese Heritage in Massachusetts. Join us for a free concert at the Main Library in celebration of Portuguese Heritage Month. The concert will feature a jazz quartet performing works by Carlos Paredes and other Portuguese composers. Carlos Paredes (1925 – 2004), the most renowned Portuguese guitar composer, maintained significant artistic dialogues with other musical genres. Amongst his most important collaborations was an album recorded together with jazz musician Charlie Haden. The concert will also be a tribute to Paredes’ work on the 100th anniversary of his birth. The band consists of Tim Pascoal on piano; Gen Yoshimura on Drums; and Youngchae on upright bass. The performance will also feature Francisco Pais Cardoso on Guitar. A reception with Portuguese pastries will follow the concert. This event is cosponsored by the Cambridge Public Library and the Consulate General of Portugal in Boston, with the support of Camoes – Institute for Cooperation and Language (Portugal). Registration is required.

This meeting is part of the Mayor’s ongoing commitment to keeping the public informed about efforts to ensure community safety. We will provide updates on the investigations into the shootings that occurred earlier this summer and share information about the City’s continued initiatives to reduce violence. Residents will have the opportunity to ask questions, express concerns, and engage in dialogue. This meeting aims to foster community involvement in identifying and implementing effective strategies to decrease violence and enhance safety in our city.

The Cambridge Department’s Traffic Enforcement Unit works all year to service the community by enforcing the rules of the road. Our goal is to reduce the number and severity of crashes in the city. Many of the current enforcement programs are a direct response to community complaints regarding speeding and other violations. The Department also spends time educating the public when there are any infrastructure changes, like new bike lanes or traffic patterns. We are committed to fostering greater traffic safety for motorists, bicyclists, and pedestrians.

Cambridge is not ready to move on from the World Cup fever. To keep the momentum going, the City of Cambridge, Harvard Square Business Association and local businesses are partnering to host an outdoor screening of Copa 71, an inspiring documentary celebrating the trailblazing women of the 1971 Women’s World Cup. Join us for a fun community night with family-friendly activities beginning at 6 p.m. on Thursday, July 30 on Bow Street between DeWolfe and Plympton Street. The movie will begin at 8 p.m.