Lily Books and Cafe is pleased to announce that Award-Winning author and Cumberland resident Russell Shorto will be our first author of our Lecture Series. The Lecture series is named for long-time owners of The Book Centre, Lee Schwartz and Gayle Griffiths. Lily Books and Cafe hopes to carry the legacy of Lee and Gayle onward as Cumberland’s downtown bookstore where people find community in addition to new and used books.

As the first author of this inaugural Schwartz-Griffith Series, Russell Shorto will speak on why history matters—especially relevant in America’s 250 celebration year. Shorto has spent decades researching and writing about transformational and turbulent periods in history including the American Revolution, the Age of Enlightenment and even the days of small-town mob life in his hometown of Jonestown, Pennsylvania. His most recent book, “Taking Manhattan: The Extraordinary Events That Created New York and Shaped America” illustrates the rich multi-cultural heritage that undergirds our country even before the American Revolution. Shorto’s ability to showcase individual histories within the greater story of a time in history make the stories that shape us as Americans come alive. He is currently at work about the artist Rembrandt.

Please join us for a lively lecture and discussion.