Advice From Literary Agent Doug Grad
MONDAY, JULY 31 AT 7:00—8:00PM

Are you a writer -- or an aspiring writer -- looking for some support? The Tewksbury Writing Group, which generally meets the fourth Monday evening of every month, is open to everyone who's interested in writing -- all genres, all skill levels. Each meeting -- which will take place via Zoom -- features a guest speaker (typically a published author or editor) offering some tips of the trade.

The July 2023 guest speaker is literary agent Doug Grad. Grad, a 37-year veteran of the publishing industry, is the President of Doug Grad Literary Agency. Prior to starting his own agency in 2008, Grad spent the previous 22 years as a Senior Editor at four major New York publishing houses, including Simon & Schuster (1987-1995), Random House (1995-1998), Penguin (1998-2004), and Harper Collins (2005-2008). Grad promises to give aspiring and new authors the cold, hard reality of the business of publishing—from landing a deal with a major publisher to self-publishing your manuscript. He’ll give you a general overview of publishing; how the publishing industry has changed in recent years; and the various steps to getting a book published, from the writer’s ideas to the bookstore (or library) shelves.

Sponsored by the Friends of the Tewksbury Library and made available through a partnership with the Tewksbury Public Library. All registrants will receive the recording via email within 24 hours of the program. Register Here.

Author Chat with Gail Sahar, "Blame and Political Attitudes..." (Virtual)
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 9 AT 7:00—8:00PM

Have you been asking yourself "what does culture war even mean" and "what does it mean to be 'woke'" and how do these questions contribute to the current divide in America? If you have been, please join us for this conversation with Professor Gail Sahar, author of "Blame and Political Attitudes: The Psychology of America’s Culture War".

You can buy signed books (by bookplate) by Gail from Aesop's Fable. Just write that you would like the book signed in the notes section at checkout.

About the book: Questions about the causes of events, from terrorist attacks to mass shootings to economic and public health crises dominate conversations across the US. Recent research in social psychology outlines the process we use to identify the causes of such events, reveals how we determine who is responsible or to blame, and documents the far-reaching consequences of these determinations for our emotions, our actions, and our attitudes. Current approaches to political opinions posit a direct path from a person’s worldview (liberal or conservative) to their attitudes toward specific political issues like abortion and welfare. This book argues that blame is the missing link between the two.

About the Author: Gail Sahar is the Jane Oxford Keiter Professor of Psychology at Wheaton College in Norton, MA. She earned her Ph.D. at UCLA and has been teaching social and political psychology while researching attitudes toward controversial social issues for over 25 years. She has won awards for her teaching and was recently honored with an endowed chair for teaching and research. Her research focuses on how a person’s worldview or political ideology is linked to their perceptions of the causes of social problems and how those perceptions influence blame, emotions, and opinions. She has investigated public attitudes toward numerous issues, such as poverty, abortion, and terrorism. Her work offers hope to those working for political change as it suggests ways to influence the attitudes of others by focusing less on political ideology and more on perceptions of the causes of social problems. In her free time, she enjoys hiking, reading, music, movies, cooking and tasting good wine. She lives in Massachusetts with her husband and beloved mutt.

This program is made available through a partnership with the Ashland Public Library sponsored by the Friends of the Ashland Public Library. Register Here or call 978-526-7711.

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