A new history book about Lowell by Richard P. Howe Jr and Chaim Rosenberg to be published on March 11, 2013. To order a copy and to learn about local readings and book signings, check out our Legendary Locals of Lowell page.
A picture of Armand P. Mercier who passed away today. Armand is in the front right of this photo wearing a blue sports jacket and a great smile. Joining him in the photo are the members of the Lowell City Council elected in November 1999 on Inauguration Day in January 2000. Front row from left: Rita Mercier, Mayor Eileen Donoghue, Armand Mercier. Back row from left: Rithy Uong, Rodney Elliott, William Martin, Bud Caulfield, Richard Howe, Dan Tenczar. In terms of electoral longevity, Richard Howe had first been elected in 1965; Bud Caulfield in 1987; Rita Mercier and Eileen Donoghue both in 1995; Armand Mercier and Rodney Elliott in 1997; and Bill Martin, Rithy Uong and Dan Tenczer had been on the council for about 75 minutes when this photo had been taken.
During this past fall’s council campaign, I attended three neighborhood candidate forums and recorded video of each candidate’s opening and closing statements. You can see Armand’s of September 8, September 21, and October 3, here – here – and here. Finally, the clip below is from the October 20, 2009 council meeting which marked Armand’s return from an illness.
I took this photo a year ago trying to give a sense of that crazy winter weather to family and friends living in Florida and elsewhere. Remnants of the snowfall of December 26, 2010 through January, February, March and April of 2012 lasted well into Spring.
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The MRT has released a new trailer for its latest production, “The Voice of the Turtle” which runs from January 5 through January 29. Here’s what the MRT writes about the play:
The Voice of the Turtle by John Van Druten runs through January 29 at Merrimack Repertory Theatre.
Directed by Carl Forsman. Featuring Megan Byrne, William Connell and Hanley Smith. Scenic design by Bill Clarke, costume designed by Theresa Squire, lighting designed by Josh Bradford and original sound designed by Stefan Jacobs. Photos by Meghan Moore.
In this lovely, fresh and surprisingly-modern 1943 romantic comedy about single life and sexual yearning in wartime Manhattan, a serviceman on leave finds himself without a date or a place to stay, only to accidentally arrive at the apartment of a wide-eyed young actress.
For more information about the show and to get your tickets, visit the MRT website.
Dick’s post about changes in journalism applies in many respects to what has been happening in the publishing sector (books and magazine and e-pubs) since the 1960s, when the mimeograph machine made it easier to mass-produce written material. Remember those school test papers in faint purple ink? Editors, writers, and poets, along with protest movement activists cranked out countless pages of fiction, political commentary, meeting notices, underground poetry, and more. In the Soviet Union there was a name for this stuff: samizdat (self-publishing).
The change in technology led to a revolution in publishing that got labeled “the small press movement.” There had been “small” literary magazines throughout the 20th century and even earlier (The Dial, 1840-1929, on and off, in Boston with Emerson and friends), but the 1960s saw an exponential growth of small literary book and magazine publishers. There are still plenty of small presses around like Lowell’s Bootstrap Press, but the new thing is how this activity has migrated to the web with everything from e-zines and blog-like lit journals to e-books for download and print-on-demand options for both publishers and authors. There’s a book-production machine at Harvard Bookstore in Cambridge that allows the user to insert a fully designed and formatted document on a flash drive and receive a finished paperback book in hand.
All this has thrown today’s publishing industry into semi-chaos as the companies try to figure how to acquire, produce, market, and distribute the books and magazines they are used to publishing. The “people” have more control of the means of production and as always have a lot to say. This is an exciting time to be around. Big concepts like Freedom of Speech and Freedom of the Press are being translated into action now more than ever.
This morning at 10 I’ll be speaking at the Chelmsford Public Library at 25 Boston Road about the coming of the American Civil War. The talk is free and open to the public so please join us if you’re able. More information is available on the library website.
The next regular breakfast meeting of Greater Lowell Area Democrats - the first in the New Year - will be held tomorrow – Saturday January 14, 2012 – at 8am SHARP at the Independence Grill at the Radisson Hotel in Chelmsford.
The regular agenda will include updates and discussion on: ward/town caucuses for the 2012 convention delegate selection (training at the meeting); the race for U.S Senate nomination; the Presidential Primary locally and nation-wide; dates and deadlines for local ward and town committee reorganization; redistricting results; national convention delegate selection caucuses – and other topics on the minds of members.
At 9am there will be a caucus training/discussion session for the 2012 Massachusetts Democratic Convention delegate selection caucuses scheduled to be held locally between February 11 and February 20 to be followed by a brief discussion and training session for use of Votebuilder. It’s important to review all the rules, discuss the minor changes approved by the DSC, and answer any questions about the process.
GLAD Members, Associates and interested Democrats are invited to attend the GLAD meetings along with elected and appointed officials.
Directions: Independence Grill at the Radisson Hotel – Exit 34/Rte. 495 – take right off Rte 110 at the hotel sign / parking in front and behind the hotel.
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