Stories That Stay With Us: A Community Discussion
Join Stoneham Reads as we wrap up our 2026 season, Stories That Stay With Us, for a community discussion of "They Called Us Enemy," a graphic novel and memoir by George Takei.
Event Details
- What: Stories That Stay With Us: A Community Discussion
- Free, light snacks and refreshments will be served
- Who: All Stoneham and surrounding community members are welcome
- When: Thursday, November 12, 6:15-8:00 PM
- Where: Stoneham Public Library, Marcy Room
- RSVP: Please RSVP here on Eventbrite so we know how many people to expect
- Schedule 6:15 PM: Arrive and settle in. 6:30 PM: George Takei's TED Talk, "Why I Love a Country That Once Betrayed Me" will be shown (16 minutes) 7:00-8:00 PM: Community discussion and closing
The book is a thoughtful and engaging memoir of Takei’s incarceration during his childhood in the Japanese-American internment camps during World War II. Stoneham Reads selected this timely and important work to highlight an overlooked part of American history, and to bring the thread of historical events together to weave a picture of where we are today.
As we read together, we invite the community to reflect on how experiences of displacement, uncertainty, and resilience, which are central to many immigrant stories, continue to shape our collective understanding of what it means to belong.
Read Along with Us (Optional)We encourage you to read They Called Us Enemy before the event, but it’s not required. Borrow a copy from the Stoneham Public Library, buy one at Book Oasis, or download the ebook.
We’ll open the evening with George Takei’s TED Talk, “Why I Love a Country That Once Betrayed Me,” so everyone has a shared starting point for the conversation.
Come as you are, whether you’ve finished it, started it, or are just curious.
About Stoneham Reads - Stoneham Reads is a project of Stoneham Community Action Network. We have brought residents together since 2021 through the shared experience of reading and discussing a book that connects to issues affecting our community and broadens residents' perspectives.