Howard Mansfield
discusses
Dwelling in Possibility: Searching for the Soul of Shelter
in conversation with JOHN STILGOE
DateOct
18
Friday
October 18, 2013 7:00 PM |
LocationHarvard Book Store
1256 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge, MA 02138 |
Tickets
This event is free; no tickets are required.
|
Harvard Book Store is pleased to welcome author HOWARD MANSFIELD for a discussion of his book, Dwelling in Possibility: Searching for the Soul of Shelter. Joining him in this discussion is author and Robert and Lois Orchard Professor in the History of Landscape, JOHN R. STILGOE.
What qualities are missing in our homes? How can we regain them?
The mystery that attracts Howard Mansfield’s attention is that some houses have life—are home, are dwellings, and others aren’t. Dwelling, he says, is an old-fashioned word that we’ve misplaced.
When we live heart and soul, we dwell. When we belong to a place, we dwell. Possession, they say, is nine-tenths of the law, but it is also what too many houses and towns lack. We are not possessed by our home places. This lost quality of dwelling—the soul of buildings—haunts most of our houses and our landscape.
Dwelling in Possibility is a search for the ordinary qualities that make some houses a home, and some public places welcoming.
“Like Thoreau, Mr. Mansfield is a keen observer and, in his neck of New Hampshire, a granitic critic of the rushed life.”— The Wall Street Journal
Walking from the Harvard Square T station: 2 minutes
As you exit the station, reverse your direction and walk east along Mass. Ave. in front of the Cambridge Savings Bank. Cross Dunster St. and proceed along Mass. Ave for three more blocks. You will pass Au Bon Pain, JP Licks, and TD Bank. Harvard Book Store is located at the corner of Mass. Ave. and Plympton St.
Unable to attend a Harvard Book Store author event? You can still pre-order a signed book by one of our visiting authors.
While we can't guarantee fulfillment of a signed book pre-order, our authors are almost always able to sign extra books to fulfill such orders.
Ordering a signed book on harvardsquarebookstore.com:
- Add the book to your shopping cart and then click Checkout.
- Specify in Order Comments that you want a signed copy of the book.
- Please note: online orders for signed copies must be placed at least one business day before the event. If you are ordering the day of, please call us instead.
Ordering a signed book by phone:
- Call us at (617) 661-1515 and one of our booksellers will take your order. Specify you'd like a signed copy.
- If you are requesting a personalized inscription and/or requesting your book be shipped, we'll need to take down credit card information. If you are planning to pick up the signed book in the store, you can pay on pick-up.
FAQ:
Can I request a personalized inscription?
We are happy to take requests for the author to sign your book to a specific person, but we can't guarantee it. If you do get a personalized inscription, the book will be non-returnable. We will require credit card information when you place the order.
Do signed books cost more?
There is no extra fee for a signed book!
Do I have to pick it up in the store, or can you deliver my signed book?
As with all web or phone orders, we can hold your book for in-store pickup, or ship it anywhere in the country.
I am planning to attend an author event. Do I need to pre-order a book?
No need. We'll be selling books at the event, and nearly all of our events include a signing at the end of the talk.
More questions? Give us a call!
(617) 661-1515
info@harvardsquarebookstore.com
Media Inquiries
(617) 661-1424 x1
mharris@harvardsquarebookstore.com
Gift Cards
Can't decide? Give a gift card! Redeemable in the store and on harvardsquarebookstore.com.
Learn More »Digital Books
Introducing Kobo, our new eReading partner. Kobo is the best way to read eBooks while supporting Harvard Book Store.
Learn More »Shipping & Delivery
Featuring Green Delivery:
books to your doorstep,
same day and with
zero emissions.
