Our Boston: Writers Celebrate the City They Love
While the terrorist bombings that took place during the Boston Marathon on April 15th, 2013, had nowhere near the impact on the national psyche that 9/11 did, the attacks were nonetheless devastating.  As a charitable tribute to the victims, with proceeds going to the many wounded survivors and the families of those slain, literary agent and editor Blauner has assembled a collection of nonfiction pieces by an impressive array of writers, including  Susan Orlean, Pico Iyer, and George Plimpton, paying homage to the Massachusetts capital affectionately known as Beantown.  Boston Globe columnist Kevin Cullen reports on the courageous response from police, firemen, and bystanders on that fateful day.  Several writers, such as Mike Barnicle, celebrate the city’s multicultural neighborhoods, like Brookline and Dorchester. Some recount their attraction to Boston as outsiders; one mulls over the “missing R” of the Bostonian accent; others fondly remember their Beantown upbringings or winning sports teams. A must-read for everyone who already cares about Boston and anyone looking beyond the tourist guides for a more intimate view of this iconic American city. --Carl Hays