March 4, 2025, Day 5815

It's Boswell Book Company's 16th Anniversary celebration! Join us Thursday, April 3, 6:30 pm at the store when we host beloved comedic writer Elinor Lipman, who helped us cut our opening ribbon 16 years ago. Boswell has sponsored an event in Milwaukee for every one of Lipman's books since, so it's extra-special to celebrate this anniversary with Lipman and her pitch-perfect new romantic comedy, Every Tom, Dick & Harry. For this event, it's only right that Lipman be in conversation with Boswell proprietor Daniel Goldin.

Please click here and register now at elinorlipmanmke.eventbrite.com. And be sure to order a copy of Every Tom, Dick & Harry now, too - it's out now! Call us, stop in and buy a copy in-person, or click here and order on our website. (Psst! Here's a hot tip, too - the book is currently on our Boswell Best list, which means it's on sale for 20% off - but that only lasts until Tuesday, March 11. So get yours now!)

Here's Daniel Goldin's write up about the book: "Emma Lewis moves back to Harrow, Massachusetts after being given the reins of the Finders Keepers estate sales business when her father and his wife decide to move to the Cape. She needs a big score, and she might have one, a mansion in an exclusive neighborhood, a B&B that did double duty as a house of ill repute. What secrets it must have! And also, good barware! I’d call this a romantic comedy, but the romantic attraction doesn’t quite drive the plot the way it did in some of Lipman’s earlier books. Her last few have been more like comic farce, with a grand cast of eccentrics bouncing off each other. In what other genre would one of the villains, the chief of police whose wife ran the escort service, be run out of town, only to return with an exhibit at Harrow’s finest art gallery? The most apt comparison I can think of is one of the more sparkling extended plotlines of classic Frasier (which I’ve coincidentally been rewatching) if Roz were the center of the story. So, I guess I’d say that this comedy is Emmy-worthy!"

Don't just take his word for it. People magazine says it's: "Quirky and fun, with bawdy wit." And Booklist says: "In the delightfully reassuring rom-com tradition of Nora Ephron, the perennially mood-lifting Lipman is equally revered for her lovable characters, spitfire wit, and happily-ever-after romantic escapades."

Elinor Lipman is author of sixteen books, including The Inn at Lake Devine, On Turpentine Lane, and Ms. Demeanor, a finalist for the Thurber Prize for American Humor. Her first novel, Then She Found Me, was adapted into a film directed by and starring Helen Hunt, with Bette Midler, Colin Firth, and Matthew Broderick. Lipman has also served as the 2011–12 Elizabeth Drew Professor of Creative Writing at Smith College. Click here and register now for our anniversary celebration with Lipman on Thursday, April 3, 6:30 pm central.

Poet Susan Aizenberg with Mary Helen Stefaniak at Boswell, Thursday, March 27, 6:30 pm

Boswell welcomes poet Susan Aizenberg for a conversation about her new collection, A Walk with Frank O’Hara, in which she strives to remind readers that it’s between love and grief that we find the moments worth being shared and savored. Aizenberg will be joined by novelist and memoirist Stefaniak.

Please click here to register for this event at susanaizenbergmke.eventbrite.com. And be sure to order your copy of A Walk with Frank O’Hara now, too. Call us, stop in and snag a copy in-person, or click here and order online.

Aizenberg uses a range of techniques in her newest collection of poetry to explore contemporary daily life in a difficult world. She critiques gender, grief, culture, and the myriad experiences that define us. But even when grappling with old wounds, a strain of romance runs throughout the book.

From poet Erin Belieu: "Aizenberg is a poet with a wonderfully distinct voice… a clean elegance allows Aizenberg’s natural lyricism to shine. Aizenberg is one of the most accomplished poets writing in America today."

Leslie Ullman adds: "These beautifully detailed yet restrained poems smolder with the force of resistance - against ‘good-girl rules,’ against the indignities of death, against what the news brings us every day. Aizenberg’s is a sensibility grown brave, empathic, and supple, flinching from nothing, and able to hold but not surrender to the pain of not flinching."

Susan Aizenberg is the author of the poetry collections Quiet City and Muse and the coeditor of The Extraordinary Tide: New Poetry by American Women. Mary Helen Stefaniak is author of The Turk and My Mother, The Six-Minute Memoir, and The World of Pondside. Click here and register for their conversation at Boswell on Thursday, March 27, 6:30 pm central.

And More!

Thursday, March 6, 6:30 pm, at Boswell - Rob Osler visits with his charming new historical mystery, The Case of the Missing Maid. Chicago, 1898. Detective Harriet sets out in search of a servant missing from a grand household, but what she might just uncover is a fulfilled queer life, free to discover joy, friendship, love, and her own true potential. Click here and register now at roboslermke.eventbrite.com.

Friday, March 7, 6:30 pm, at Boswell - The UWM Graduate Creative Writing Program’s student-faculty reading series United We Read features student and faculty readers. No registration required.

Tuesday, March 11, 6:30 pm, at Boswell - Milwaukee author and filmmaker Alice Austen appears for an event featuring her debut novel, 33 Place Brugmann. Daniel says: "Suspense, espionage, romance, and lots of historical detail; Austen’s debut will leave you breathless." Click here and visit aliceaustenmke.eventbrite.com.

Thursday, March 13, 6:30 pm, at Milwaukee Public Library's Centennial Hall, 733 N Eighth St - Christian Cooper, author of

Better Living Through Birding: Notes from a Black Man in the Natural World and host of Extraordinary Birder on National Geographic. He'll chat with WUWM Lake Effect producer Xcaret Nuñez, who hosts the Chirp Chat series. Click here to register on the MPL website at mpl.libnet.info/event/12939603.

Friday, March 14, 6:30 pm, at Boswell - W Bruce Cameron, bestselling author of A Dog’s Purpose, appears with Piper’s Story: A Puppy Tale, the latest installment in his series for middle grade readers. Kirkus Reviews says: "Twists and turns make this catnip for animal-loving readers." Cohosted by Pets Helping People. Click here to register at wbrucecameronmke.eventbrite.com.

Tuesday, March 18, 6:30 pm, at Boswell - Wisconsin fantasy author Katherine Addison appears with The Tomb of Dragons, the latest entry in her Cemeteries of Amalo trilogy, which returns readers to the award-winning world of The Goblin Emperor - this time, with dragons!  In conversation with Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Books and Arts Editor Jim Higgins. Please click here to register for this event at katherineaddisonmke.eventbrite.com. 

Thursday, March 20, 6:30 pm, at Boswell - Original Onion staff writer Christine Wenc appears with her new book, Funny Because It’s True: How the Onion Created Modern American News Satire. In conversation with Milwaukee Record founder and former A/V Club editor Matt Wild. Wenc delivers the real truth behind the beloved original fake newspaper. Register now at christinewencmke.eventbrite.com.

Tuesday, March 25, 6:30 pm, at Boswell - Wisconsinite Erica Ruth Neubauer makes a triumphant return with Homicide in the Indian Hills, the latest installment in her Jane Wunderly historical mystery series. What could possibly be more dangerous than the tigers in India?! Register right this moment at ericaruthneubauermke.eventbrite.com.

Wednesday, March 26, 6:30 pm, at Boswell - Award-winning Midwestern artist Anders Nilsen visits with his new graphic novel, Tongues: Volume 1. Author Mark Haddon says: "Mind-bendingly good. It’s up there with Maus, Fun Home, Persepolis, Jimmy Corrigan." This event is cohosted by Lion's Tooth. Register for this event at andersnilsenmke.eventbrite.com.

Friday, March 28, 4 pm, at Boswell - A ticketed book signing with Molly Yeh, the Emmy and James Beard Award-nominated star of Food Network’s Girl Meets Farm and author of Sweet Farm!: More Than 100 Cookies, Cakes, Salads (!), and Other Delights from My Kitchen on a Sugar Beet Farm. Tickets for this signing cost $32.50 plus tax and ticket fee. Each ticket includes one copy of Sweet Farm! and admission for one or two people to the signing line. Do note, this is a signing only, and not a talk or presentation. Click here to purchase tickets now at mollyyehmke.eventbrite.com.

Monday, March 31, 6:30 pm, at CelticMKE, 1532 Wauwatosa Ave in Wauwatosa - Acclaimed Irish author Emma Donoghue appears for a ticketed event with her new novel, The Paris Express, a propulsive book based on the infamous Montparnasse train station disaster. In conversation with Pulitzer finalist Rebecca Makkai. Cohosted by Alliance Française de Milwaukee. Tickets for this event cost $35 and each includes a copy of the book. Purchase tickets at etix.com/ticket/p/54148715/emma-donoghue-the-paris-express-conversation-with-author-and-book-signing-milwaukee-celticmke-center.

Wednesday, April 2, 6:30 pm, at Franklin Public Library, 9151 W Loomis Rd - Beloved Wisconsin author Jennifer Chiaverini appears with her brand new Elm Creek Quilts novel, The World’s Fair Quilt, a timely celebration of quilting, family, community, and history. Registration is required - click here to visit the Franklin Public Library website and register now.

Friday, April 4, 6:30 pm, at Boswell - Milwaukeean, acclaimed poet-philosopher, and UWM Distinguished Professor Emeritus John Koethe appears with his new collection, Cemeteries and Galaxies: Poems. Book critic extraordinaire Ron Charles writes: "Koethe’s verse is enticingly accessible even as it plumbs the most fundamental conundrums of human life with wit and humility." Click here to register now at johnkoethemke.eventbrite.com.

Sunday, April 6, 4 pm, at Boswell - The Holocaust Education Resource Center presents an afternoon event with Rebecca Brenner Graham, author of Dear Miss Perkins: A Story of Frances Perkins's Efforts to Aid Refugees from Nazi Germany. Brenner Graham will be in conversation with Samantha Abramson. Click here and register at holocaustcentermilwaukee.org/missperkins/.

Thursday, April 10, 6:30 pm, at Boswell - Theresa Okokon appears for an event featuring her debut memoir-in-essays, Who I Always Was. Okokon's book chronicles her challenges growing up as the child of African parents in suburban Wisconsin just outside of Milwaukee and tracks the unsolved mystery surrounding her father's disappearance and death on a trip to Nigeria. Click here and register now at theresaokokonmke.eventbrite.com.

New Listing! Friday, April 11, 2 pm, at Boswell - Enjoy an afternoon with Jean Hanff Korelitz for the sequel to her bestseller The Plot, aptly titled, The Sequel. With her signature wit and sardonic humor, Hanff Korelitz gives readers an antihero to root for while illuminating and satirizing the world of publishing in this deliciously fun and suspenseful read. She's also author of novels like The Latecomer and You Should Have Known, which aired on HBO as The Undoing. Click here and register now at jeanhanffkorelitzmke.eventbrite.com.

Saturday, April 26, 12 pm, at Boswell - A ticketed book signing with food personality Alton Brown for his new book, Food for Thought: Essays & Ruminations. Tickets cost $23.19 plus tax and ticket fee and include one hardcover copy of Food for Thought and admission to the signing line for up to two people. Do note, this is a signing only, and Brown will not be giving a talk at this event. Get tickets now at altonbrownmke.eventbrite.com.

Travis Mulhauser's Atmospheric New Midwestern Gothic

Travis Mulhauser visits Boswell next week (Thursday, March 13, 6:30 pm) with his page-turning and darkly funny new Upper Peninsula-set crime novel, The Trouble Up North, and the book already has big fans here among the Boswellians.

Chris Lee writes: "Travis Mulhauser’s The Trouble Up North is a crime novel, yes, but it’s also a book about family. By the end of this Midwestern gothic, you feel like you know the Sawbrooks as well as you know your own kin. The family’s matriarch, Rhoda, is the beating heart of the clan, a tough as nails bootlegger who’s trickier by half than any of the lawmen she’s run circles around her whole life. Her husband Edward is a shadow of himself since the cancer’s started to take him, but he hangs on for a few last, soft moments on the porch with the love of his life. Their offspring, though, are causing an awful fuss. One daughter’s a scheming cardsharp prone to diving into water that’s over her head, though she’s usually strong enough to swim her way out. The other daughter’s a too-smart-for-her-own-good park ranger and rule follower who wants to turn the family’s land into a dang nature preserve. And the son, well, he’s a knuckleheaded drunk in love with a stripper, which might just be the best thing that’s ever happened to him. They say, “Sawbrooks don’t ever get caught,” and well, that may have been true up to now, but after some light arson-for-hire gets quickly out of hand, drastic measures will be required. We hear from everyone in the family before this story’s through; they all have their own ideas about how best to dodge the law and hang tough together. The Trouble Up North is a page-turner for sure, but it doesn’t skimp on good writing – the prose is crisp, the voice is warm, loose, and inviting, and each chapter offers up keenly observed asides about hardscrabble life. Dive into these chilly waters. You surely won’t regret it."

And here are Tim McCarthy's notes on the book: "The Sawbrooks have owned 600 acres on Northern Michigan's Crow River for nearly two centuries, but the modern world is closing in. When rich people want your beautiful spot for recreation and profit the options are limited. Taxes rise with property values. Pay to stay, sell, or maybe work for conservation. Sawbrooks are at extreme, thought-provoking odds over what to do about it. Their dubious family connections can’t stop the change, but Sawbrooks are also creative. They've always fought for their land. They’re accustomed to trouble and to skirting the law for survival. Exhibit A: The first chapter opens with Jewell Sawbrook deciding that it makes perfect sense to commit arson for needed cash, and her proud mother insists on helping to protect her. We’ll see how much sense that makes. These characters are bold and honest in a way that cuts to the American heart. With their own vices and ironies in full view, they made me laugh through their losses and feel grateful for their gains. They care, but they’re not waiting around for the powerful to care about them. The powerful should take notice"

Travis Mulhauser will be at Boswell for an event featuring The Trouble Up North on Thursday, March 13, 6:30 pm. Click here and register right now at travismulhausermke.eventbrite.com.

More Staff Recs

Kay Wosewick recommends Wild Dark Shore by Charlotte McConaghy. Kay says: "Shearwater, a tiny subantarctic island, was a lively research center until climate change made it uninhabitable. Caretakers for nearly a decade, five family members are now prepping the island for imminent, permanent closure. Teenager Fen rescues an unconscious, battered woman she finds floating among coastal debris after a brutal storm. When Rowan regains consciousness, the father Dominic is already at odds with her. As preparations take them across the fantastical and terrifying island, Rowan’s suspicions grow. Rowan, the five family members, and the island itself are all strong, unique characters in this moody thriller. Gorgeous writing is the icing on this delicious, devilish cake."

Greta Borgealt recommends No Longer Human by Osamu Dazai, translated by Donald Keene. Greta says: "2025 brings a new translation of the Japanese classic, No Longer Human. It details a man's life and path to, ultimately, self-destruction. Originally written shortly after World War II, the book has actually had a renaissance, reaching a new generation of readers due to its popularity online. Many readers have been affected by Dazai's nihilistic voice, speaking to feelings many keep hidden within themselves. The novel's protagonist tragically mirrored its creator, which is part of the reason it remains strong. There is truth in it."

Jenny Chou recommends The River Has Roots by Amal El-Mohtar. Jenny says: "Anyone looking for a bittersweet yet lovely story about the devotion of two sisters to each other will love The River Has Roots. Set in a fantasy world where humans reside on the border of the faerie realm, magic bleeds over onto the land that has been in the Hawthorn family for generations. They are tasked with tending the trees that grow along the river, and in return, the willows provide their livelihood. When one of the fae crosses over, drawing Esther into a passionate romance, the consequences test the bond between the sisters. Through sparse and lyrical writing, much is conveyed in a few words. Don’t miss this lovely little gem of a novel."

Photo credits: Rob Osler by Jeff Singer, Molly Yeh by Charlotte and Brett Quernemoen, Jennifer Chiaverini by Michael Chiaverini, and Travis Mulhauser by Eamonn Donnelly. Newsletter compiled by Chris. As always, thank you for your patronage and apologies for the typos,

Daniel Goldin with Alex, Amie, Chris, Claire, Greta, Idalis, Ingrid, Jason, Jen, Jenny, Jeremy, Kathy, Kathryn, Kay, Keith, Kim, McKenna, Oli, Rachel, and Tim