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William Orem’s first collection of stories, Zombi, You My Love, won the GLCA New Writers Award, formerly given to Louise Erdrich, Sherman Alexie, Richard Ford and Alice Munro. His second collection, Across the River, won the Texas Review Novella Prize. His first novel, Killer of Crying Deer, won the Eric Hoffer Award and has been optioned for film. His first collection of poems, Our Purpose in Speaking, won the Wheelbarrow Books Poetry Prize and was published by MSU Press. It also won the Rubery International Book Award in poetry and was chosen Book of the Year. His second novel, Miss Lucy, won the Gival Press Novel Award; Kirkus listed it as one of the Best Books of 2019. He has been nominated for the Pushcart Prize five times, in poetry, fiction and creative nonfiction. Meanwhile, his short plays have been performed internationally, winning both the Critics’ Prize and Audience Favorite Award at Durango Theatre Fest, and thrice being nominated for the prestigious Heideman Award at Actors Theatre of Louisville. Currently he is a Senior Writer-in-Residence at Emerson College. Details at williamorem.com.

To mark the 23d anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, Mayor Katjana Ballantyne and the City of Somerville Department of Veterans’ Services invited the community to a 9/11 Remembrance Ceremony on Wednesday, September 11, in Davis Square.

Dance and Drums from Somerville and Tbilisi, Georgia. — Photo courtesy of Somerville Arts Council

The Somerville Arts Council, in partnership with the Program on Georgian Studies at Harvard University’s Davis Center, invites the community to attend a unique cultural exchange project, Exchanging Notes. 

This free event features performances by four talented artists from Somerville and Georgia, blending dance and percussion to celebrate the richness of both cultures.

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The Massachusetts general election is Tuesday, November 5. This election will determine the offices of U.S. President and Vice President, U.S. Senator, U.S. Representative, Governor’s Councillor, State Senator, State Representative, Register of Deeds, and Clerk of Courts. Somerville residents can vote by mail, vote early, or vote on election day.

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Rebecca German, Lin Rogers, Karinna Cave-Hawkins, Kaitlynn Cooney, Rachel Allende, Elizabeth Troll, Kyla Shaye, Elise Fredericks, Joe Casucci, Kasey Gagnon, and 23 other Somerville residents, along with thousands of other walkers, will participate in the iconic annual event that will unite the community to raise funds to support all forms of adult and pediatric care and research at the nation’s premier cancer center, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. The Jimmy Fund Walk has raised more than $176 million for Dana-Farber in its 35-year history, raising a record-breaking $9.4 million in 2023.

To mark the 23d anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, Mayor Katjana Ballantyne and the City of Somerville Department of Veterans’ Services invited the community to a 9/11 Remembrance Ceremony on Wednesday, September 11, at 6 p.m. in Davis Square.

Expectant mothers in Cambridge, Somerville, and Medford are invited to Riverside Early Head Start’s free community baby shower on Wednesday, September 18.

Riverside’s Early Head Start (EHS) program prepares children to successfully enter preschool and helps families learn important parenting skills. To introduce families to the program, we are holding a free community baby shower on Wednesday, September 18, at 474 Broadway, Somerville, from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m.

Looking for a fun, healthy activity the whole family can enjoy? Somerville’s Department of Veterans’ Services is hosting its third annual Health & Wellness Day to promote physical and mental wellbeing for all community members.

The annual Gilman Arts and Music Festival celebrates the Gilman Square neighborhood now and for the “what if…” Featuring live music, an award-winning acrobatic performer, many artists, makers, vendors and seven food vendors. Activities for kids and adult kids.