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Health & Fitness

Go Ahead and Be Square in November

New Indie Publisher to Launch Three Books by Local Authors at Events in November.

Four Square Press, an independent publisher of quality fiction, poetry, and other writing, will launch three books at separate events in November, a quiet month of cool gray skies and warm reads.

A collaborative venture on Boston’s North Shore, Four Square Press caters to readers who seek books that transport them, respect their intelligence, and leave them with something to ponder.

Bird Calls

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Marked by exquisite description and a depth of understanding, Maria Mello brings the force of a life lived fully to her highly readable, memorable poems. Rooted in the natural world and arranged in sections named for the sounds of different bird species, each grouping corresponds to a different theme—longing, discovery, loss, communion, and wisdom.  Hear Maria read from her latest collection at the Swampscott Senior Center, Nov. 7, 3:00–4:30 p.m., 200 Essex St., Swampscott.

How to Earn your Keep

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Set on the windy ocean marshes north of Boston and in historic Salem, Massachusetts, Deahn Berrini’s second novel, How to Earn Your Keep, is written in spare, lyrical prose that takes a hard look at how economic stress can unravel one’s morality—and how one illuminating moment can bring us back to our senses. How to Earn Your Keep will debut at Gaga Gallery, Nov. 15, 7:00–9:00 p.m., 459 Humphrey St., Swampscott.

Hope runs through it

Luminous with perception and grace and grounded in heart-wrenching detail, M. W. MacKay’s poetry reveals a deep connection with the natural and spiritual worlds, finding clarity and humor in both. But the narrative string winding through Hope runs through it is the sometimes joyful, sometimes sorrowful, often overwhelming experience of raising a child with special needs. MacKay’s award-winning poems have appeared in The Aurorean, Nantucket Magazine, and other publications. She will read from the collection at the Church of St. Andrew, Nov. 18, 11:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m., 135 Lafayette Street, Marblehead.

Live and in-person

All are welcome to attend the launch events, where refreshments will be served and signed copies of the books will be available for purchase. Four Square Press also encourages readers to patronize local independent bookstores, such as the Spirit of ’76 in Marblehead and the Spirit of ’76–2 in Swampscott, to support this channel for independent voices.

Four Square Press

Four Square Press benefits from the deep skill set of its staff and editorial board. Deahn Leblang, executive editor and publisher, is a culture columnist and graduate of Brown University and Boston College Law School. She teaches writing at several North Shore venues, and is the author of the acclaimed novel Milkweed, released in 2009. Laura Smith brings 20 years of editorial experience at newspaper, magazine, book and online publishers. She is a community manager at Digital Collaboration Solutions and the author of the upcoming Young Adult dance novel, Above Average in New York City. Margaret Eckman, an editor for Lippincott Williams & Wilkins and other publishing houses, and Lana Barrett Owens, a writer of fiction and non-fiction with a marketing and management background, round out the Four Square editorial board.

For more information and to listen to podcast readings, visit www.foursquarepress.com.

Contact: Deahn Leblang, deahnlee@gmail.com, 617-840-5330, on Twitter @DeahnBerrini; or Laura Smith, laurabrennansmith@gmail.com.

 

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