On Monday, April 7, Harvard Book Store (1256 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, 617-661-1515) will welcome Michael Holley. The current co-host of radio’s Dale & Holley Show on local sports station WEEI is also the author of Patriot Reign and Never Give Up — books that both made the New York Times bestseller list — as well as a former sportswriter at the Boston Globe for ten years.

Holley’s free talk will focus on his latest book, the March 25, 2008, release Red Sox Rule: Terry Francona and Boston’s Rise to Dominance. According to the publisher description, “[w]ith the exclusive cooperation of [Boston Red Sox manager] Terry Francona and stories from the clubhouse and the conference room, Holley reveals the private sessions and the dugout and front-office strategies that have made the Boston Red Sox a budding dynasty.”

Enthusiasts can get an even closer look inside the Red Sox organization by attending Holley’s presentation tomorrow at 7pm EST in Cambridge. [More Information]

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Last year, Praeger Publishers released Sophie Freud’s captivating memoir Living in the Shadow of the Freud Family. The autobiographical book recounts her life during the previous century, when she lived in Europe and the United States with her mother Esti, who was married to Sigmund Freud’s eldest son Martin. Mother and daughter were both avid diarists, and their diligence recording the details of their lives produced vivid accounts of historical events, such as when they were in Paris and were forced to flee France by bicycle in order to avoid the Nazis just two days before their arrival.

Interestingly, neither of Sophie Freud’s grandfathers approved of the other’s child as a spouse for their own child. Her maternal grandfather, a prominent lawyer in Vienna, thought the Freuds were not affluent enough, while Sigmund Freud believed Esti and her family led too lavish a lifestyle. And then there’s the matter of Esti’s father describing Sigmund Freud’s writing as so-called “pornography.” It’s a good thing he’s not around today.

Like her grandfather, Sophie Freud is a scholar. Not only does she hold the distinction of Professor Emerita of Social Work at Boston’s Simmons College, but she’s also a graduate of Harvard and Simmons, as well as a former clinical social worker. Hearing her speak about her amazing life and book will be divine. Getting her signature on your copy will be icing on the cake.

Admission to Sophie Freud’s book engagement is free, but I suggest arriving early since the library notes that space is limited. Interested parties can also call 781-314-3425, extension 2 in advance to reserve a seat, which seems like a very smart idea.

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At 7pm EST on Tuesday, January 29th, the popular and well-stocked shop will host an appearance by African-American author and Harvard Law School professor Randall Kennedy, a leading researcher on race relations. In his latest book, Sellout: The Politics of Racial Disloyalty, the attorney examines what it means for a black person to be burdened with the label “sellout,” a term denoting someone who has engaged in “racial betrayal.”

Keep in mind that Randall’s previous book, Nigger: The Strange Career of a Troublesome Word, was both a timely and controversial bestseller. With Democratic Illinois Junior Senator Barack Obama—a public official who’s no stranger to the stereotype of selling out—currently making significant, historic headway in presidential politics, the follow-up is arriving at yet another auspicious moment in the United States’ development as a society.

Read more about the free scheduled Kennedy talk at Harvard Book Store’s website. Directions to the 1256 Massachusetts Avenue location in Cambridge are here.

Post from: The Boston Traveler