COHASSET MARINER – For 31 years, Buttonwood Books and Toys has been a mainstay in Cohasset.
Kathy Detwiler, Buttonwood’s owner, says that the store takes its identity as an independent bookstore very seriously.
Part of that identity is becoming immersed in the surrounding community, something Detwiler does by connecting with writers who live on and write about the South Shore.
“Our goal was always to be sort of this business rooted in the community,” Detwiler said. “We have really tried to stand by that in a lot of different venues, and part of that is supporting local authors.”
On Saturday, June 12, Buttonwood will do just that, with Local Authors Signing Day.
Between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., nine authors from around the South Shore will be at Buttonwood to chat about their recent publications and sign copies.
Detwiler frequently hosts similar events, but after a long layoff due to COVID, she said this one feels “special.”
“With COVID, it’s been tough to get people able to come browse in our store,” Detwiler said. “Now that some of the restrictions have lifted, we have a nice overhang on our sidewalk where we’re going to be setting up booths for people to come visit the authors.”
From 10:30 a.m. to noon, five children’s authors will showcase their stories.
Then, from 12:30 to 2 p.m., four adult title authors will take over.
“I think we have some incredible offerings,” Detwiler said. “There’s a lot of local talent coming through.”
“It’s a really cool thing,” said Cohasset’s Deborah Cook, who will be showcasing her book “Parted Waters” at the event. “It’s got something for everyone.”
Detwiler said aspiring writers will be welcome to come talk to the authors about the writing process and the road to publication.
“There are a lot of aspiring writers out there,” Detwiler said, “and it’s a great way for them to come and informally talk about how they got to write their book and how they publish their book, whether through a publisher or self-published, and the pros and cons of each.”
“It’s a great venue to talk to someone who’s just recently gone through the process.”
Detwiler said that with COVID keeping people at home, her store has seen a rise in local contacts. With people searching for a purposeful way to spend their time in quarantine, she said, an area already filled with creatives upped its production.
“We’ve always had a really strong community of writers on the South Shore,” Detwiler said. “We’re proud to support those authors. It’s an important part of our mission.”
Detwiler said she hopes the event will give people unfamiliar with Buttonwood a chance to check her store out.
“It’s just a great way to support an independent bookstore,” she said. “It’s a great way to pop by, meet authors, and then just browse in the store.”
Meet the authors
Five children’s authors will be present at the morning session:
- Elaine Kiklis of Scituate with “The Farmer’s Promise”
- Jeff Michaelson of Hingham with “Thistle’s Magical Whistle”
- Mary Clair of Weymouth with “Bunnies Don’t Box”
- Frank DeGiacomo of Norwell with “The Legend of the Chocolate Cows”
- Conor Detwiler of Scituate with “Light, Bright Light”
Four adult title authors will be present at the afternoon session:
- Ken Spears of Stoughton/Scituate with his coming of age novel “The Flowers of Peggotty Beach”
- Deborah Cook of Cohasset with “Parted Waters”
- Michelle M. McGrath of Scituate with her cookbook “The Creative Table”
- Caroline Kautsire of Weymouth with her memoir “What Kind of Girl?”
Buttonwood Books and Toys is located at 747 Chief Justice Cushing Hwy (Rt. 3A) in Cohasset.
By Quinn Kelly
