Ferry Street Food & Drink kicks off Malden Reads dinners

A waxing crescent moon was brightly visible, as was Jupiter and the bright star Sirius. Through the telescope, event goers to the top of Waitt’s Mount got to see the close-up surface of our moon, as well as the moons of Jupiter, and other stars. They were treated to a variety of storytelling and live, acoustic music on a beautifully windy, but warm, night in April. The second annual “Sunset, Storytelling and Stargazing on Waitt’s Mount” on April 29 proved to be a successful and delightful community event. Co-sponsored by Malden Reads and Ward 4 City Councillor Ryan O’Malley, the event celebrated a central theme of this year’s Malden Reads book selection—getting to know your neighbors and creating a shared sense of community. It featured family storytelling at sunset with professional storyteller Sharon Kennedy, live acoustic Americana music from the band “Slow Boat Home,” and local folks telling their own personal stories that were honed under the direction of Malden-based writer and spoken word artist CD Collins. The telescope was provided compliments of the North […]

By Jennifer McClain A Malden Reads initiative that sent readers into orbit with The Martian serendipitously uncovered an astronomical mystery here on Earth. Through hosting stargazing events on Waitt’s Mount, organizers discovered that there was an antique telescope at Malden High School. Not only was the majestic antique riveting to the eye and grand in scale but, they wondered, could it also provide an excellent view of the night sky? Where did it come from? And what should be done with it? The mystery began three years ago when Malden Reads began stargazing on Waitt’s Mountain, in connection with The Martian, the novel by Andy Weir. Jodie Zalk, Malden Reads Co-Facilitator, learned that there was a telescope just gathering dust at MHS, and that this was a “telescope of historical significance.” Zalk was captivated. She attempted to research the telescope through the Blue and Gold (Malden High School’s official newspaper) and tried to follow up with local experts. She was able to determine that the instrument was made by Alvan Clark and Sons, famed optics makers of the 19th […]

The Malden Reads Book Selection Committee has been busy reading all summer as they considered the contenders for the 2017 pick. The popular One City, One Book program will be entering its seventh year of promoting literacy, encouraging a love of reading and building community in the city of Malden. The program is organized collaboratively by MATV, Malden’s Media Center, and the Malden Public Library in collaboration with a dynamic group of community volunteers. Whittled down from a long list of suggestions from the community, here are the top 10 contenders: Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates Using letters to his teenage son, Coates talks in lyrical, yet uncompromising, prose about race in America and how it has shaped our history.   A Common Struggle: A Personal Journey Through the Past and Future of Mental Illness and Addiction by Patrick J. Kennedy, Stephen Fried The youngest son of Ted Kennedy describes his personal and political struggle with addiction and the hidden damage to his famous family.   A Man Called Ove by Frederik […]