Category: Brookline.News

  • Brookline demonstrators fill Coolidge Corner to mark American Revolution anniversary, protest Trump

    Brookline residents waved American flags and held signs condemning President Trump’s administration at Coolidge Corner Saturday on the 250th anniversary of the start of the Revolution.

    Brookline PAX, a civil rights and social justice activist group, organized the “Stand Up for Our Constitution!” demonstration. Jon Margolis and Bob Weintraub, who serve on the PAX board, helped lead the charge to set up the event a week prior.

    “I didn’t know if we would have six people or 600 people,” said Margolis, holding an American flag.

    Weintraub estimated 200 people participated in the event, which began at 11 a.m. on the hot and humid Saturday. He held a sign that read, “After 250 years, we are the new sons and daughters of liberty.”

    The Sons of Liberty, a colonial resistance group, led the first armed conflict against England in the Battles of Lexington and Concord in Massachusetts on April 19, 1775.

    Participants held signs reading “Fight Oligarchy,” “Defend Democracy,” and “Elon is not President! Trump is not King!”

    “I’ve been around a while,” Weintraub said. “This is by far the most dangerous moment for our democracy.”

    Motorists honked their horns in support of the demonstration as they drove by on Harvard and Beacon streets.

    Margolis said he wanted the event to express contempt for the Trump’s administration for violating the spirit of the U.S. Constitution and American democracy.

    Jon Margolis carried a sign at the demonstration on April 19, 2025. Photo by Charlie Johnson

    Trump has been criticized for imposing aggressive tariffs against foreign countries and for mass deportations of noncitizens carried out by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. A federal judge Friday blocked the Trump administration from deporting more people without due process.

    “People need to get into the streets,” he said. “It’s obvious that the people in power in Washington don’t care about democracy.”

    Cindy Rowe, president of the Jewish Alliance for Law and Social Action and a Brookline resident, participated in the demonstration.

    “A weekend like this makes people reflect on democracy…to see it torn to shreds is very painful,” Rowe said.

    Rowe said more Americans should come together to protest the Trump administration.

    “We have to take our responsibilities seriously and reflect upon the government that we want for our modern times,” she said. “We can’t just let an irresponsible administration run amok and ruin all the systems that have been created.”

    If political change requires waving signs and standing on street corners, she said, then so be it.

    “We have to stand up in every way we can possibly think of to protect our democracy,” she said.

    Perry Grossman, assistant registrar at Boston University’s dental school, said he is concerned about the state of education in the country after Trump signed an executive order to begin eliminating functions of the Department of Education and transfer more control to state governments. He has one kid in high school and another who is a sophomore at BU.

    “I would really call it a regime more than an administration,” he said. “They have gone off the rails in terms of what they are doing.”

    Liam Hennessy and Daniel Wasserman made signs from cardboard they got from their friend who works at the Brookline Booksmith down the street.

    Liam Hennessy and Daniel Wasserman made signs from cardboard they got from their friend who works at the Brookline Booksmith down the street. Photo by Charlie Johnson

    Hennessy, 18, said the pair were protesting to protect the rights of people close to them. He is concerned for all their friends who are immigrants and members of the transgender community.

    “We are fighting for their lives,” he said.

    Hennessy grew up in Newton but attends boarding school in Western Massachusetts.

    Hennessy said he wished more young people joined Saturday’s protest and were more politically active in general.

    “There is a culture of neutrality going on,” he said. “I think there is so much to tackle that people just get emotionally stressed.”

  • Introvert-approved: a Brookline library book club where silence isn’t awkward – it’s the point

    A silent book club meets monthly at the Coolidge Corner branch of the Brookline Public Library. Photo courtesy of the Brookline Public Library.

    Bring any book you want to this book club.

    There are no assigned chapters, no fishbowl discussions – just readers enjoying one another’s silent company, lost in their own books.

    Here, reading is a social activity – but not one where there’s pressure to share your thoughts on your reading, said Brookline resident Kaarkuzhali Krishnamurthy, founder of the group and one of seven people who attended its monthly meeting Thursday night in the Coolidge Corner library.

    “We often think of reading as a solitary thing that we do, and it doesn’t have to be that,” said Krishnamurthy, who goes by her middle name, Babu. “We’re all looking for new ways to make connections.”

    The group’s meetings are modeled after those of Silent Book Club, an organization with chapters worldwide. Krishnamurthy said she’s applying to become an official chapter – until then, they’re calling themselves the Silent Book Group.

    Krishnamurthy started the group in September as a way to create a natural opportunity for people to meet other readers. Loneliness, she said, is not uncommon, especially for adults, who might not have as many built-in opportunities for community as children or students.

    “You have your work friends, you may have friends left over from college, but new opportunities to meet people can be limited,” Krishnamurthy said. “I welcome this as a chance not only to meet people whose just natural paths through life wouldn’t necessarily cross mine, but also as an opportunity to meet people at different stages of their life.”

    There is power, Krishnamurthy said, in simply being with others.

    “It’s not dissimilar to when people go to coffee shops to write, or to do personal activities, but to do it in the company of others,” said Krishnamurthy, who was reading “Three Junes” by Julia Glass.

    The group meets on the first Thursday of each month at 7:30 p.m. in the Coolidge Corner branch of the Public Library of Brookline. The meetings, which are free to attend, start with half an hour of snacks and conversation, before a silent hour of reading.

    “You don’t have to have access to reading materials on your own,” Krishnamurthy said. “You could pick something up at the library as you come downstairs.”

    Shannon McDonald, supervisor of the Coolidge Corner braanch, said it’s nice the book club is at the library rather than at a coffee shop or bookstore.

    “Libraries are the ultimate ‘third place,’” McDonald said, referring to a term in sociology meaning a place other than work or home. “Public libraries are one of the few places where anyone can come in, and there’s no expectation they spend money.”

    McDonald said programs like this at the library allow people to meet.

    “We’ve got a small group of regulars,” said McDonald, who ws reading “The Ballad of Never After” by Stephanie Garber. “It’s so nice to check in with everyone each month.”

    Brookline resident Peggy Morrison, who attended a meeting for the first time Thursday, said she loved the idea of a silent book club.

    “Nobody’s going to say we need to discuss,” said Morrison, who was reading a book written by her son. “Everyone has what they want to read.”

    For Krishnamurthy, the meetings are strangely rejuvenating – like a retreat, she said.

    “I feel like in all the other aspects of my world, I’m just so acutely aware of time,” said Krishnamurthy, who is a neurologist, bioethicist, and assistant professor at Harvard Medical School. “Here, it’s just so relaxing. This, to me, is like more than a spa. I don’t think I’ve ever felt like this getting a pedicure.”

    The book club meetings allow her to honor the act of reading, Krishnamurthy said, simply by making time for it.

    “It’s not reading as an afterthought,” she said. “It’s purposeful. You’re there for exactly that reason, and no other.”

  • Brookline officials outline local public health strategy amid federal funding cuts

    Brookline public health officials promise more local support as President Trump’s administration slashes federal funding for programs across the country.

    Dozens of residents attended Friends of Brookline Public Health’s event “High Stakes for Public Health in 2025” at the Brookline High School freshman building Wednesday night. The event was part of National Public Health Week, which included a public health carnival and a pilates class earlier in the week.

    Patricia Maher, the Friends’ president, said the event is critical at a moment when public health programs are being threatened across the country.

    “These are not normal times,” said Maher, a nurse practitioner. “There already are and will continue to be profound consequences for everyone but especially for vulnerable populations.”

    Trump terminated $11 billion in public health grants last month, though a federal judge has temporarily blocked the cuts. The Massachusetts Department of Public Health will lose $100 million over the next year if the cuts go through, according to Governor Maura Healey’s office.

    The cuts will likely not mean direct staff cuts to Brookline’s public health services, said Sigalle Reiss, director of the town’s public health department, but could create uncertainty that has “ripple effects.”

    It’s possible that state grants could get redistributed, she said, or that local nonprofit partners could lose funding that limits their services.

    “There’s really exciting public health work that we might have to pare down or go back to basics,” Reiss said in an interview. “There’s certain things we have to do, and there’s certain things we’d like to do.”

    Maher said the best way to handle the federal cuts in Brookline is to care for people in the community – including by donating to the Friends of Brookline Public Health.

    The organization raised $3,812 in a fundraising push in the fall of 2024. The money is directed to programs to assist public health such as health services for Brookline public schools and funds for the food pantry.

    “Caring is a form of power,” Maher said.

    Public health awards

    Outstanding contributors to public health in Brookline received awards to start Wednesday’s event.

    Chris Chanyasulkit, former president of the American Public Health Association, was given the Alan Balsam Public Health Leadership Award. Previous recipients include former Massachusetts Governor and Brookline resident Michael Dukakis, who was a mentor to Chanyasulkit.

    Chanyasulkit assisted in the creation of the Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Community Relations office in the Brookline Public Health Department.

    “I hope each of you leaves today recognizing that things are tough but together there’s all these great people and we’ll be fine,” she said.

    Deborah Brown, president of the Brookline Community Development Corporation, received the inaugural Public Health Equity award.

    Brown, who works on projects such as improving housing stability for town residents and helping fund the Brookline Food Pantry, said health and justice are intertwined.

    “Equity is not a dirty word,” she said.

    A fitness center, Healthworks Fitness, and a yoga studio, Down Under School of Yoga, both received the Herb Carlin Community Health Award.

    Academic advice on navigating cuts

    Nicole Huberfeld, a Boston University professor of health law who researches the intersection of health and constitutional law, spoke about navigating federal cuts in public health at the local level.

    Huberfeld said local officials should prioritize “cost-efficient” instead of “cost-saving” public health initiatives. Public health requires significant investment to create healthier citizens, so the main focus should be on efficiency and not simply on reducing costs for the sake of it, she said.

    “Almost nothing has happened in medicine or public health in the United States without partnership between the federal government and the states,” she said.

    Reiss, the town’s public health director,and John Kleschinsky, the assistant director of policy and programming, talked about the new Community Health Improvement Plan.

    The improvement plan focuses on four priorities: financial security, access to social and health services, affordable housing, and mental and behavioral health.

    For financial security, the plan includes working with career development programs to help residents find financially secure jobs, Kleschinsky said. Access to social and health services will be improved by hiring “diverse and culturally competent” social workers and other facilitators.

    “Each strategy is designed with health equity at its core,” Reiss said. “We want to make sure that resources and opportunities are distributed fairly, and that historically underserved communities receive the support they need.”

    Brita Lundberg, founder of Lundberg Health Advocates in Brookline, attended the event and said she appreciated the plan’s emphasis on working with nonprofits.

    “We always talk about in healthcare how things are so siloed,” said Lundberg, who is a physician. “But they are very siloed in the nonprofit world too.”

    Chanyasulkit said the event established a strategy for dealing with federal cuts even though it was planned well before they were handed down.

    “The theme is it starts here,” she said. “We have a plan that has actual strategies attached to each, as opposed to just lofty goals.”

    Sam Mintz contributed reporting. 

  • Contractor faces fines after ‘egregious’ unpermitted demolition of Beverly Road home

    The debris on the site of a home which was illegally demolished on Beverly Road. Photo taken on March 17. Photo by Charlie Johnson

    A contractor demolished a Brookline house without the proper permit, failed to turn off the gas and electricity before tearing down the building, and improperly handled asbestos there.

    The demolition at 73 Beverly Road has sparked concern in the neighborhood and drawn the ire of the Brookline building department. State regulators have fined the contractor, and the town plans to do the same.

    “It was the most egregious violation of building code I have seen in my 30 years on the job,” said Brookline Building Commissioner Dan Bennett.

    The contractor, meanwhile, says they were honest mistakes. He told Brookline.News he thought the proper permits were in place and that he was told the utilities had been disconnected.

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    Debris including a shattered toilet now litters the site,  and the foundation and the chimney are all that still stands.

    Carolyn Thall, who lives across the street, witnessed the demolition begin on February 28. The demolition took multiple days to complete.

    “I was looking out my window just thinking, ‘Oh, that doesn’t look good,’” she said.

    The home at 73 Beverly Road before it was demolished. Photo via Google Street View.

    ‘A mistake happened’

    Built in 1950, the two-story house near the Baker School had been vacant since July 2023, when it was sold to Monica Ahluwalia and Sankalp Sehgal.

    “This home seemed like something we could rehabilitate, renovate and rebuild to be the home of our dreams,” Sehgal told Brookline.News.

    But they decided renovating it wouldn’t work. They decided to tear it down and to build a modern, energy-efficient house on the site.

    Ahluwalia and Sehgal – who are living in Jamaica Plain with their two children while they wait for the new house to be built – hired Ian Teesdale’s company, IDR Construction Inc., to complete the project.

    IDR demolished the interior of the house in September 2023 and applied for an exterior demolition permit in early 2024. Sehgal said he was under the impression that IDR had received that permit.

    Teesdale said he assumed he had the correct permit when his crew began demolishing the house Feb. 28. After the demolition, he realized he had only obtained a partial demolition permit for the roof and rear wall.

    “A mistake happened,” he said. “It was not an act of willful intent.”

    Mike Harrington, who lives in the neighborhood, was driving past the house on the day the demolition began when he saw workers stripping the roof off the house.

    “I just thought to myself, wow, it’s about time they got working on that, but it’s kind of weird they are starting it so late in the day on a Friday,” Harrington said.

    Thall said she was concerned that no fence was put up before the demolition – a violation of state building code, according to Brookline building commissioner Dan Bennett.

    “It was really sloppy and kind of weird,” Thall said. “There was a lot of dust, and nobody seemed protected.”

    A couple of days later, the house was gone. Thall took a picture of the site after the demolition and sent it to the Brookline Preservation Commission, which reviews all demolition permits.

    Jason Granai, a Brookline building department inspector, arrived at the site later that day.

    Granai observed a makeshift electric pole sticking out close to the sidewalk, Bennett wrote in a report. The power and gas lines had not been cut off prior to the demolition, the report says.

    The Brookline electrical inspector was notified to cut the power to the house after the demolition. The attempt was unsuccessful, prompting Eversource to come in to cut the power.

    Sehgal said he thought that the electricity had been shut off months before the demolition. But an Eversource spokesperson said in an email to Brookline.News that the company has no record of receiving requests to cut the power on the site before the demolition started.

    The inspector smelled gas at the site and notified the Brookline Fire department.

    When firefighters arrived, they found a live gas line, Bennett’s report says. The firefighters tried unsuccessfully to shut off the gas at the site. A National Grid worker was called in to shut off the gas at the street.

    Sehgal said National Grid had posted a notice, saying the company had turned off the gas, on the front door roughly six months after the couple bought the house. National Grid workers visited the house multiple times before the demolition, he said.

    A National Grid spokesperson told Brookline.News that it did not receive a request to cut the gas line until after the demolition had occurred.

    Teesdale was told to erect fences around the perimeter, Bennett wrote.

    Debris on the site of a home that was illegally demolished on Beverly Road. Photo by Charlie Johnson

    Asbestos on the site

    The demolition crew also failed to remove asbestos prior to the demolition, according to Bennett’s report.

    Teesdale said he hired an asbestos contractor to inspect the site six months before the demolition. The contractor reported no asbestos in the pipes and reached the same conclusion when he returned to the site the week before the demolition.

    Asbestos – which was widely used for insulation and fireproofing until it was discovered to be carcinogenic in the 1970s – was discovered on a pipe behind a wall after the demolition, Teesdale said.

    People exposed to asbestos can develop lung cancer or other diseases years or decades later. The inspector required Teesdale and his crew to place warning signs around the property.

    “I never saw that pipe,” Teesdale said. “He never saw that pipe.”

    Teesdale said he realized after the demolition that the asbestos contractor had an expired license.

    State and local consequences

    State regulators have fined Teesdale $750 for handling asbestos without a license, according to a civil citation and civil penalty filed by the state’s Department of Labor Standards.

    Bennett said he is waiting to hear from Brookline’s attorney before deciding how much to fine Teesdale. He could face fines of as much as $1,000 per day by the building department. The Zoning Board of Appeals can also impose fines of up to $300 per day for failing to have the proper permit.

    Sehgal told Brookline.News he thought all the necessary inspections for asbestos, gas, water and electricity had been completed before the demolition.

    Dietra Litt, who also lives across the street, said she was not bothered by the demolition.

    “From my perspective, from across the street, the demolition seemed very efficient,” Litt said.

    Litt was relieved to see the house torn down after sitting untouched for almost two years.

    She said the owners deserve the benefit of the doubt for the problems that have arisen from the demolition.

    “I can’t wait for them to be my neighbor,” she said. “I don’t know what happened. Whoever’s in charge, go figure out what happened and prevent it and fix it, and let’s move on.”

    This story is part of a partnership between Brookline.News and the Boston University Department of Journalism.

  • Police chief, immigration advocate and civic leader named Brookline’s ‘Women of the Year’

    Chief of Police Jennifer Paster is named one of the Brookline Women of the Year. Photo by Charlie Johnson

    Brookline Police Chief Jennifer Paster, immigration advocate Jessica Chicco and civic leader Anne Meyers were honored Wednesday night as Brookline’s Women of the Year.

    The annual event – which drew dozens of people to Hunneman Hall in the Brookline Public Library– began with a tribute to former Massachusetts first lady Kitty Dukakis, who lived in Brookline and died last Friday.

    “She was one of the best of us among women in Brookline,” said Elizabeth Stillman, chair of the Brookline Commission for Women.

    Each of Wednesday’s honorees received a citation from State Senator Cynthia Stone Creem, an orchid, and an crystal star with their name engraved.

    Paster, who grew up in Brookline and started working at the Brookline Police Department in 2000, is the first woman to serve as its chief.

    “It really was a humbling experience, and I am so appreciative of the recognition,” she said in an interview.

    Paster said her parents inspired her to pursue a career in public service. Her father was a custodian in Brookline schools, and her mother was a full-time mom of eight children. Both parents died of lung cancer a couple years ago.

    “My parents were big on showing appreciation and giving something back,” she said.

    John VanScoyoc, vice chair of the Brookline select board, said he was happy to see Paster honored.

    “There are people in Brookline who believe so intensely in Jen Paster,” he said. “There’s a special place in my heart for Jen.”

    Chicco, the director of training at the Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Coalition, has served immigrant communities throughout her career. She has set up citizenship clinics and has trained volunteers on Know Your Rights sessions.

    “I never quite feel like what I do is enough or could ever really be enough,” she said in her speech. “But what is being recognized tonight is not really me. It’s the importance of the work I do, and I’m lucky enough to do it everyday with my incredibly devoted colleagues at the MIRA coalition.”

    In Brookline, she chairs the Immigrants Advancement Committee of the Commission for Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Community Relations, which helped create the towns’ sanctuary policy.

    Immigration assistance, she said, is her life’s work.

    “I wake up in the middle of the night thinking about it,” she said in an interview. “Despite all the rhetoric about the U.S. being a country of immigrants, it’s always been a challenge for folks, and this is not the first time that as a country we’ve been in dark places with regards to how we treat our immigrant communities.”

    Meyers, 78, who chairs the Economic Development Advisory Board, has worked in public service for 30 years in roles such as deputy director of development for the Massachusetts Port Authority. She was traveling and unable to attend Wednesday’s event. Her son, David, accepted the award for her.

    “I feel both honored and qualified to accept this award on my mom’s behalf,” David Meyers said in his remarks. “I worked with her wisdom, her guidance and her love for many years.”

    He read from the letter his mother wrote for the event. “I didn’t reach this stage in my life without the help and support of a huge number of people, my village,” she wrote.

    Anne Meyers reflected on the honor in a phone interview from Palm Springs, California.

    “I learned from my parents, who were not in Brookline, but did all kinds of community work while I was growing up,” she said. “I think that passing this on and being an example for people in future generations is important now more than ever.”

    Mindy Paulo, a 2024 honoree who is the director of Brookline’s English language education, made closing remarks about the significance of the women of the year event and commended the newest honorees.

    “These women don’t just serve Brookline,” she said. “They elevate it.”

    This story is part of a partnership between Brookline.News and the Boston University Department of Journalism.

  • Independent pharmacy opens in Washington Square, offering alternative to crowded chain stores

    Days before New England Pharmacy & Wellness opened, owner Sepideh Amirifeli was already fulfilling prescriptions and getting to know patients.

    The independent pharmacy opened Thursday at 1655 Beacon Street in Washington Square, bucking a national trend. Nationwide, nearly one in three pharmacies have closed  since 2010.

    Amirifeli, who lives in Brookline and goes by the name “Dr. Sepi,” opened the pharmacy as an antidote to chain pharmacies where service can feel less personal

    “We don’t want people waiting to get their medication in the line for hours,” she said. “I decided, what if I have my own place so I can help people exactly to their needs and consult with them properly?”

    The store’s opening harks back to a pre-2000 era, when independent pharmacies dotted every neighborhood. Nowadays, independent pharmacies make up just over a third  of retail pharmacies in the country but collectively fill only around 20%  of all retail prescriptions nationwide.

    Amirifeli, who was a Walgreens pharmacist for five years, said the volume of customers there made for long wait times and a pressured pharmacist, which made it difficult for patients to ask questions. Once, she said, a woman waited in line for over half an hour – not to pick up a prescription, but just to ask about her husband’s weight gain after taking a medication.

    “Over there, the system is crowded … one pharmacist has to work the whole shift, even if we have 400 patients,” Amirifeli said. “Here, we’re going to provide health care to people.”

    At her pharmacy, she said, patients can have more one-on-one time with the pharmacist, either by appointment or whenever they stop by.

    Amirifeli said pharmacists can play a huge role in health care. Besides filling prescriptions and giving vaccinations, she said, pharmacists can teach patients how to use their medications, talk about side effects, give advice on over-the-counter drugs, and guide patients to see a doctor.

    “I can say, OK, you’re taking this medication,” Amirifeli said. “You should take this vitamin. Or, you have to take this medication in this specific way in order for it to be effective. Or, you want to take this medication in the morning – you don’t want to wake up so many times at night to use the bathroom.”

    New England Pharmacy & Wellness owner Sepideh Amirifeli. Photo by Claire Law

    Amirifeli, who grew up in Iran, has experience both as a physician and a pharmacist. She was a doctor in Tehran and then in England, she said, before becoming a researcher at Brigham and Women’s hospital. Then, she worked as a fellow at Tufts Medical Center doing research in pediatric neurology, before going back to school to become a pharmacist.

    For now, Amirifeli is the sole pharmacist working alongside two pharmacy technicians. If needed, she said, she will hire another pharmacist so that she would still be able to provide personalized experience.

    Elsa Chulvis-Avalo, one of the pharmacy technicians, said Amirifeli is the most well-informed pharmacist she’s ever met.

    “Once she’s focused on something, she’s not going to stop until it’s done,” Chulvis-Avalo said. “It’s a great inspiration to be around people like that.”

    Chulvis-Avalo said she’s excited to be working at a new business, especially one where she has more time to get to know patients. It’s a stark difference from her previous jobs at Boston Children’s Hospital and Brigham and Women’s Hospital – fast-paced environments where she mainly focused on dropping off medication without much interaction with the patients.

    “I hit the jackpot,” Chulvis-Avalo said. “It’s like a new family, and you grow together … I’m excited.”

    The store will host a grand opening April 29 that will include food, a $100 raffle, branded mugs and tote bag giveaways, and a ribbon cutting ceremony.

    Amirifeli’s 14-year-old son, Amir, hung out at the store for a few hours Saturday, giving suggestions on what she should purchase for the store – like a little stand to display her business cards on the counter or a hopscotch rug for kids.

    Brookline resident Sarah Coggan, who picked up a prescription last week said Amirifeli was welcoming and asked Coggan what items she would want the pharmacy to stock.

    “When it comes to something like a pharmacy, it is part of how you take care of yourself, so I think having a good relationship with the pharmacy is important,” Coggan said. “It’s not a chain, so the money that people spend there will go back into the community.”

    This story is part of a partnership between Brookline.News and the Boston University Department of Journalism.

  • Why top authors and literary stars keep coming back to the Brookline Booksmith

    When Kelly Andrew was growing up in Connecticut, she went to Brookline Booksmith many times to hear authors talk about their work when her family would visit Boston.

    Now that she’s a best-selling novelist herself, she returns there to talk about her own work. She was at the Coolidge Corner mainstay Thursday night for a conversation about her new book, “I Am Made of Death,” a horror-romance tale featuring characters who are deaf.

    “The first time I came to an event was as a reader,” said Andrew, who lost her hearing at age 4 but regained it through an implant at age 9. “It was a formative and prominent part of my journey.”

    C.L. Herman, a fellow author, interviewed Andrews in front of dozens of people. A sign language interpreter stood next to the pair, translating what they said, as some audience members were deaf.

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    The 64-year-old store is a major destination for best-selling authors and other celebrities. This month alone Brookline Booksmith will host young adult novelist John Green, journalist Omar El Akkad and nonfiction writer Laurie Woolever.

    Comedian and actress Chelsea Handler talked about her new memoir, “I’ll Have What She’s Having,” before a crowd of hundreds at the store last week. Novelist and essayist Elinor Lipman was there Tuesday to talk about her new book, “Every Tom, Dick & Harry.”

    Best-selling author Joseph Finder has been promoting his psychological thrillers at the bookstore since 1991. In late January, he had a conversation with Hank Phillipi Ryan, a fellow thriller writer, about his new book “The Oligarch’s Daughter.”

    People enjoy hearing what authors have to say about their writing processes instead of just hearing them read aloud from their books, Finder said.

    “They want to hear the story behind the story,” he said. “They want you to talk more than they want you to read.”

    Brookline Booksmith customers are sophisticated and savvy, Finder said.

    “One of the most engaged bookstores that I’ve been to,” Finder said. “I made a lot of sales that night alone.”

    He has seen bigger audiences at other bookstores on his tours but rarely audiences as engaged.

    Marshall and Judy Smith opened Brookline Booksmith at Coolidge Corner in 1961. They expanded in the 1970s, opening more than 70 Booksmith stores across the country. The chain didn’t last long. By the 1980s, the couple closed down the majority of the other stores. They held onto the neighboring Wellesley Booksmith before selling it in 2010.

    The Smith family has remained at the helm of the store throughout its lifetime. Marshall died in May 2022, but Judy still serves on the board of directors.

    In September 2022, the store added a wing. The author events, which had been held in the basement, have moved to the new space.

    Lisa Gozashti, who began working at Brookline Booksmith in 1991 and became a co-owner 24 years later, said the store hosts a wide variety of events to engage with the diverse customer base.

    “We try to have an oasis for an examined life,” she said. “People that are engaged in living in any capacity will walk into our space and find something that inspires them.”

    Silas Winer, who has worked as the assistant director for events at the bookstore for two years, said the event is an opportunity for the community to come together to learn new things.

    “These are the best hours of our lives,” he said.

    This story is part of a partnership between Brookline.News and the Boston University Department of Journalism.