Union Church Presents SUMMER 2010 SPEAKER SERIES Richard Russo –July 8 Dennis Lehane – July 29 Roland Merullo – August 12 Mameve Medwed –August 26 Sure to sell out – Please order early! We are privileged -- indeed THRILLED! -- to bring you this outstanding line-up of literary talent, in this our Ninth Summer Speaker Series. These award-winning and internationally best selling authors are each donating their time for the benefit of Union Church and our charitable work, primarily Safe Passage*. To accommodate their wide readership, the Russo and Lehane events will be held at Thornton Academy’s beautiful new auditorium, 438 Main Street, Saco. The Merullo and Medwed events will be at Union Church, Biddeford Pool. All events begin at 7:30 PM. Doors open/book sale begins at 7 PM. RICHARD RUSSO, Thurs., JULY 8, THORNTON ACADEMY, 7:30 PM. Maine’s most celebrated Pulitzer- prize winning novelist, Russo is one of the best chroniclers of small-town American life. His stories are set in fading industrial towns throughout the Northeast. In these otherwise bleak environs he infuses “wit and optimism” and characters who are sometimes less than lovable but also ”funny, rueful and unfailingly human.” His novels include Empire Falls (2001); Nobody’s Fool (1993), made into the film starring Paul Newman; Straight Man (1997); Bridge of Sighs (2007); and That Old Cape Magic (2009). DENNIS LEHANE, Thurs., July 29, at THORNTON ACADEMY, 7:30 PM. Internationally best-selling author Lehane has published eight novels, which have been translated into more than 30 languages. His award-winning Drink Before the War was followed by Darkness, Take My Hand; Sacred; Gone Baby Gone: Prayers for Rain; Mystic River; Shutter Island; and The Given Day. Two have been made into award-winning films: Mystic River, starring Sean Penn, and Gone Baby Gone, directed by Ben Affleck, with Morgan Freeman and Ed Harris. The film adaptation of Shutter Island , starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Ben Kingsley, is currently in theaters. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - *Safe Passage Safe Passage is a 501(c) (3) nonprofit organization, founded in Portland and working in Guatemala City to bring hope, education and opportunity to the children and families living in extreme poverty near the city dump. Proceeds from our past summer series have funded, for example, installing screens in a school established for these children. We hope to be able to subsidize one or two discrete projects this year, such as furnishing the school with desks and/or supporting a monthly food bag program, all thanks to the generosity of our speakers and you, our series patrons. ROLAND MERULLO, Thurs., AUGUST 12, UNION CHURCH, 7: 30 PM. An award-winning and master storyteller, Merullo has published nine novels and three works of non-fiction, spanning the spectrum of literary genres: memoir (In Revere, In Those Day); novel as fable (Golfing with God ); road trip (the very popular Breakfast with Buddha, a man’s unexpected spiritual journey that “makes you think while laughing out loud”), and a political thriller, Fidel’s Last Days (2008), a ”wry, humane, thinking man’s thriller … One of the best books of the year.” (Dennis Lehane). Born in Boston and raised in the working class city of Revere, Mass., he has twice won the Massachusetts Book Award, for non-fiction (Revere Beach Elegy) and fiction (American Savior), among many honors. MAMEVE MEDWED, Thurs., August 26, at UNION CHURCH, 7:30 PM. Widely acclaimed for her lively, witty and intelligent style, Mameve (pronounced May Meeve) Medwed has published five novels: Mail , a “wacky, funny, an off-the-wall sendup of the take charge of your life novel” (New York Times); Host Family, “a cuttingly funny . . . heartwarming tale full of hilarious twists and practical wisdom” (Publishers Weekly); The End of an Error, a “witty and diverting, even enchanting, look at middle age” (Booklist) ; How Elizabeth Barrett Browning Saved My Life, “a novel as delicious as its title . . a canny writer . . . a distinctive voice” (Boston Globe); and Of Men and Their Mothers, ”nervy sense of humor . . . an absorbing page turner . . . deft prose ” (Boston Globe) and, “I LOVED IT! “ (Anita Shreve). Tickets at the door will be $15/event, space permitting. For advance series or single-event tickets, please mail completed form below with your check. Advance purchases of series tickets will be given priority. Tickets paid in advance will be held at the door of the event. Questions? Contact Sandy Wolcott sandywolcott@aol.com (or 207-284-9807 after 5/24). Our Special Thanks to Nonesuch Books of Saco for the book sale and donating part of their event proceeds, to Anita Shreve for being a great friend of Union Church, and to all of our supporters . CUT HERE - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Your NAME :_____________ Tele.______________ Email: __________________ Today’s Date:______ Mailing Address: __________________________City ________________ State ___Zip____________ a) Advance/ series ticket (all 4 events) # ______ @ $40/each = Subtotal $__________ b) Advance / single event: # ___ Russo; #____ Lehane; #_____ Merullo; #____ Medwed @ $12/each = Subtotal $__________ c) Series subtotal $_____+ Single event subtotal $______= Advance Ticket Total $___________. Please send completed order form and check payable to “Union Church”. Mail to Sandy Wolcott, P.O. Box 110, Biddeford Pool ME 04006 Any contribution beyond the ticket price will be gratefully acknowledged in our program.