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In January 2020, the largest and most eagerly awaited cache of new materials written by the Nobel-Prize-winning poet T. S. Eliot was finally opened: the 1,131 letters he sent Emily Hale, his little-known American love, over the course of their lifetimes. Their relationship was, in their own words, an “unnatural” love affair, one that began in Cambridge in 1913, when Eliot was a graduate student at Harvard and Hale, an aspiring amateur actress, and that played out in Boston, England and California over the years. Named as one of its "Fifty Notable Non-fiction Books of 2024" by the Washington Post, Fitzgerald's biography of Hale is based on the embargoed letters and extensive research into Hale’s life and times. Hale was much more than just a muse to a literary celebrity. She overcame personal hardship to pursue a career as a professor of speech and drama at prominent American women’s colleges and schools, including Simmons and Smith Colleges and Abbot and Concord Academies. She was a talented amateur actress and director, who performed at many Boston area theaters and later guided Eliot as he tried his hand at playwriting. But in the end, Eliot disavowed her, sending a secret letter to Harvard in 1960 that claimed his love for Hale was that of “a ghost for a ghost,” and confirming that he had arranged for Hale’s side of their 27-year correspondence to be destroyed. In the words of The Washington Post reviewer, “Missing letters, a secret love affair, a famous poet, a beautiful actress—what else could you possibly want in a story?" Sara Fitzgerald is a retired journalist whose career included fifteen years as an editor and new media developer for The Washington Post. In 2020, she also published The Poet’s Girl: A Novel of Emily Hale and T. S. Eliot. Since then, her essays about Hale have appeared in multiple volumes of the Journal of the T. S. Eliot Society and the T. S. Eliot Studies Annual. She has presented at the annual meetings of the Modern Language Association, the American Historical Association, the International T. S. Eliot Society, and at the T. S. Eliot Summer School at Oxford. She is also the author of the biography, Elly Peterson: “Mother” of the Moderates and Conquering Heroines: How Women Fought Sex Bias at Michigan and Paved the Way for Title IX.

Put on your best royal outfit and join us for a special afternoon! Listen to a story, decorate a crown and dance to some royal music! This program is for children of all ages and their grown-ups. Registration is required; register below. When registering, please include the total number of children who will be attending the program as your number of attendees. Call the library at 617-349-4015 for more information.

Join the Valente Branch for an exploration of literature! The Valente Branch will be reading a new fiction title monthly. January's selection will be Harlem Rhapsody by Victoria Christopher Murray. How to get the print book: Copies of the book are available at the Valente Branch Library. How to get the e-book and digital audiobook: This month’s book is available as an e-book and digital audiobook through https://minuteman.overdrive.com/. No registration is required.

Join the Valente Branch for an exploration of literature! The Valente Branch will be reading a new fiction title monthly. May's selection will be Severance by Ling Ma. How to get the print book: Copies of the book are available at the Valente Branch Library. How to get the e-book and digital audiobook: This month’s book is available as an e-book and digital audiobook through https://minuteman.overdrive.com/. No registration is required.

Join the Valente Branch for an exploration of literature! The Valente Branch will be reading a new fiction title monthly. June's selection will be Martyr by Kaveh Akbar. How to get the print book: Copies of the book are available at the Valente Branch Library. How to get the e-book and digital audiobook: This month’s book is available as an e-book and digital audiobook through https://minuteman.overdrive.com/. No registration is required.

Just A Start Corporation (JAS), a local non-profit affordable housing provider, purchased 1826 and 1840 Massachusetts Avenue, two surface parking lots, from Lesley University in late November 2024. Located in the Neighborhood Nine neighborhood, the site is in close proximity to the many amenities of Porter Square including restaurants, retail and the MBTA station. JAS is planning to create new affordable housing at the sites under the provisions of the Affordable Housing Overlay (AHO).

The Cambridge Police Department is pleased to announce the addition of five new police officers, all of whom have prior experience working as police officers in the greater Boston area.

The recent national political climate has generated considerable concern and anxiety on the part of many Cambridge residents, especially members of our immigrant communities. The City of Cambridge wants to clearly state to our community that it is committed to supporting and promoting the safety, health, and well-being of all of its residents.

CALLING ALL TEENS: learn to meditate, share your experiences, and build community with others. Meditation can be a profound skill to find more ease, joy, and spaciousness in your life. It can also help make the world more livable, just, and peaceful. Come check this out! About the presenter: Hey everyone! My name is Charles FitzGibbon, and I’m excited to be offering this space for teens to learn to meditate. A little bit about me, I love to learn! I'm a curious person who loves to learn from nature, from other people (like you!), and through meditation. I've been a teacher and a mental health counselor and I live in Somerville with my partner and our cat. This event is intended for teens ages 14-18. No registration required.

CALLING ALL TEENS: learn to meditate, share your experiences, and build community with others. Meditation can be a profound skill to find more ease, joy, and spaciousness in your life. It can also help make the world more livable, just, and peaceful. Come check this out! About the presenter: Hey everyone! My name is Charles FitzGibbon, and I’m excited to be offering this space for teens to learn to meditate. A little bit about me, I love to learn! I'm a curious person who loves to learn from nature, from other people (like you!), and through meditation. I've been a teacher and a mental health counselor and I live in Somerville with my partner and our cat. This event is intended for teens ages 14-18. No registration required.