Get Ready for Concord Reads Events

Concord Reads has several events planned in February and March tied to its one-community-reads book, The Last Policeman, by Ben Winters.

Book discussions and issues raised in the book, along with an author visit March 19, begin Tuesday, Feb. 3 at 7 p.m. in the auditorium of the Concord Public Library. A “What to do if an Asteroid is Coming, Emergency Preparedness” discussion features state and local emergency personnel who deal with a catastrophe, as mentioned in The Last Policeman. Weather, law and order, infrastructure, medical emergencies and all the “what-ifs” face our panel. The event is free.

The novel, which involves a murder as an asteroid threatens civilization on earth, takes places in Concord.

The Discover Center partners with Concord Reads on Friday, Feb. 6 for an evening of asteroid activities, which includes a planetarium show, teen workshop, presentation on NASA’s asteroid work and a sky watch. The event begins at 6:30 p.m. at the McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center. Call 603-271-7827 for details. Some fees apply.

Ralph Jimenez and Tom Fredenburg will host a free-and-open-to-the-public book discussion at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 10, at The Barley House.

Members of the local media will discuss the way they would operate with impending doom on the horizon. “Reporting the End of the World, a Media Panel Discussion” begins at 7 p.m. on Feb. 17, in the library’s auditorium. Concord Monitor editor Steve Leone and photographer Geoff Forester; Ernesto Burden, vice president, digital for Newspapers of New England, and Brady Carlson, N.H. Public Radio host, talk about what they would do to report on the end of the world. Event is free and open to the public.

A brown bag lunch discussion about the book runs noon to 2 p.m. in the library’s lower lounge. Library director Todd Fabian hosts this bring-your-own-lunch discussion. Hot beverages will be provided. Drop in anytime.

The Corner View restaurant, the thinly veiled favorite breakfast place of The Last Policeman’s detective Hank Palace, is the site of a book discussion hosted by Lincoln Financial Foundation’s Byron Champlin and Deb Baker of the library staff. This event is BYOB (buy your own breakfast) and is presented in partnership with Greater Concord Chamber of Commerce & Concord Young Professionals Network. Discussion runs 7 to 8:30 a.m.

The library auditorium hosts another panel discussion, “The Art and Science of Sleuthing,” at 7 p.m. Tuesday, March 10. Local will discuss how police scour the crime scene, use forensics and go about solving crime methodically. Event is free and open to the public.

Area teens are invited to a discussion of The Last Policeman from 3 to 4:30 p.m. Wednesday, March 11, at Bishop Brady High School. Concord Reads and Bishop Brady welcome all area teens to the discussion with CPL librarian Deb Baker and Concord High English teacher Heather Ouelette-Cygan.

Bishop Brady will host a “Seniors Meeting Seniors” author lunch from 1 to 2:30 p.m. Thursday, March 19. Senior citizens invited to have lunch and discuss The Last Policeman with members of the senior class and author Ben Winters. Seating is limited for this free event. Please reserve your spot with Blithe Damour, 224-7418.

Concord Reads will wrap up its year-long event at 7 p.m. Thursday, March 19, with an author visit from Ben Winters in the Library’s Auditorium. Winters, who set his novel in Concord and is the author of The Last Policeman trilogy, will read from his Concord Reads selection, take questions and sign books. Gibson’s Bookstore will be on hand with all of his titles. This event is free and open to the public.

The Concord Reads committee selected “The Last Policeman” to tie in with Concord’s 250th anniversary celebration (Concord250). The book’s events take place in Concord, where the author has family ties. While impending doom isn’t the rosiest of topics, readers will find a determined protagonist and an interesting array of characters with events taking place at actual Concord locations such as the South Main Street McDonald’s, the West Street playground, the police station, Concord Hospital and Concord Public Library.

The hero of the novel, Detective Hank Palace, won’t give up on his job even as asteroid 2011GV zooms toward earth. The world’s economy is in tatters, communication is difficult, and some people have given up on life. But Hank plugs on seeking the killer of an actuary.

Concord Reads, a program of the Concord Public Library Foundation and supported by Lincoln Financial Group, brings people together by encouraging them to read and participate in discussions and other events about the book. The Concord Reads Committee is and open committee made up of Concord Public Library Foundation members, library staff and, most importantly, interested community members.

For further information contact Concord Reads chair George Geers at 226-1020, at gnews@empire.net, or through the Concord Public Library Foundation’s Facebook page.

Copies of “The Last Policeman” and the second and third books in Winters’ trilogy are available at the Concord Public Library and Gibson’s Bookstore.

Submitted text.