RHPL Welcomes Bestselling Author Catherine Newman
- Betsy Raczkowski
- 1 day ago
- 2 min read
An Evening with Catherine Newman
Thursday, January 8, 7 p.m. (Doors open at 6:30 p.m.)
Register at calendar.rhpl.org
This January, RHPL presents a three-part programming series on caregiving, kicking off on Thursday, January 8, at 7 p.m. with a visit from New York Times bestselling author Catherine Newman.
Presented in partnership with PBS Books and Detroit Public Television, Newman will share insights from her newest novel, Wreck (2025), and speak with RHPL Director Juliane Morian and PBS Books’ Heather-Marie Montilla about caregiving both on and off the page.
Speaking about the visit, Morian said, “We are thrilled to welcome Catherine Newman to RHPL. Her wit and wisdom speak to so many of our patrons, especially those who identify as part of the sandwich generation. This is a great opportunity to have a warm and supportive community conversation surrounding caregiving.”
RHPL’s Caregiving initiative was developed to respond to the needs of community members, and offers not just information, but entertainment and encouragement. Morian shared, “We want caregivers to be able to find both resources and respite this January, and Catherine Newman’s work perfectly reflects the empathy and understanding so many caregivers seek.”
Wreck is the companion novel to Sandwich, the bestselling novel released in 2024 to widespread critical and reader acclaim. Both novels follow the story of Rocky, a woman sandwiched between two generations of family members, who juggles caregiving needs, household chaos, shifting relationships, and the personal upheaval of body and mind. Wreck picks up where Sandwich left off, bringing back beloved characters and centering them squarely in the bittersweet evolution of life, and highlights the moments and emotions that readers find so relatable.
The interview will be filmed and broadcast by Detroit Public Television as part of PBS’s ongoing Caregiving initiative. For more information about resources and features, visit detroitpbs.org/caregiving.
Newman’s visit will be followed in late January by a screening of the PBS documentary Caregiving and a panel discussion with Rochester-area organizations that focus on the needs of caregivers and those they care for. For more information on these events, visit calendar.rhpl.org.
An Evening with Catherine Newman
Thursday, January 8, 7 p.m. (Doors open at 6:30 p.m.)
Register at calendar.rhpl.org
Caregiving Documentary Screening
Tuesday, January 27, 6 p.m.
Register at calendar.rhpl.org
It Takes a Village: Caregiving Panel
Thursday, January 29, 6:30 p.m.
Register at calendar.rhpl.org
Catherine Newman is the New York Times bestselling author of the memoirs Catastrophic Happiness and Waiting for Birdy, the middle-grade novel One Mixed-Up Night, the kids’ craft book Stitch Camp (co-authored with Nicole Blum), the best-selling how-to books for kids How to Be a Person and What Can I Say? and the novels We All Want Impossible Things, Sandwich, and Wreck. She writes the Substack newsletter Crone Sandwich and has been a regular contributor to the New York Times, Real Simple, O, The Oprah Magazine, Cup of Jo, and many other publications. She lives in Amherst, Massachusetts.