After Lives: On Biography and the Mysteries of the Human Heart

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“In these intricately braided essays, Marshall approaches her own life through the lives of others as she revisits her grandfather’s experience in World War I, a school friend’s tragic death, a stay in Kyoto, and a 19th-century biographical mystery.”

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In After Lives: On Biography and the Mysteries of the Human Heart , Pulitzer Prize-winning author Meghan Marshall explores how the stories of people from the past continue to shape our understanding of history—and ourselves. Through six interconnected essays, she combines biography, memoir, and historical investigation, reflecting on the lives of figures ranging from Sophia Peabody Hawthorne to Black Power activist Jonathan Jackson while sharing her own experiences as a biographer. Marshall's talk offers a fascinating look at the process of uncovering history, the relationships between researcher and subject, and the enduring power of the stories we choose to tell.

Meghan Marshall is a Pulitzer Prize-winning biographer and one of America's foremost literary historians. She is the author of the acclaimed biographies The Peabody Sisters and Margaret Fuller , which received the Pulitzer Prize for Biography. Through her groundbreaking work, Marshall has brought new life to influential figures in American history while exploring the art and enduring relevance of biography itself.

Our Speaker Series is free & open to the public! Light refreshments will be served.

Get After Lives: On Biography and the Mysteries of the Human Heart on Amazon

This series is made possible by our generous sponsor, Christine Mayer, and is presented in partnership with the Wellesley Free Library.

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