campus news & events

Books Sandwiched In Series at Colby-Sawyer College Features Scottish Poetry, Peyton Place and Volunteer NH

NEW LONDON, N.H – Colby-Sawyer College will present its spring Books Sandwiched In discussion and lectures series in April with events featuring Scottish poetry, the best-selling 1956 novel “Peyton Place” by New Hampshire author Grace Metalious, and the state's extensive network of volunteers.

Sponsored by the Friends of the Colby-Sawyer College Library, the series will begin on Wednesday, April 2, with poet Anne Shivas, who will discuss contemporary Scottish poetry. On Wednesday, April 9, Colby-Sawyer Adjunct Assistant Professor Sally Hirsh-Dickinson will discuss “Banned & Contraband, Dog-eared & Dirty: the Return of Peyton Place.” Finally, Executive Director of Volunteer NH and New Hampshire Americorps Tim Dupre will speak about the state's volunteer networks on Wednesday, April 16. The programs will begin at noon and will be held in Alumni Lounge at the Ware Campus Center. The community is invited to attend, and admission is free. Attendees may bring their lunch to the events.

Anne Shivas is a Scot, poet and resident of the Upper Valley in Vermont who grew up in and received her B. Ed in Edinburgh and her M.A. in Philosophy of Education in London. She taught in the Institute of Education at London University before moving to Jerusalem, Israel, and then to Vermont. Shivas now teaches in the ILEAD program at Dartmouth College.

Sally Hirsh-Dickinson, who began teaching in Colby-Sawyer College's Humanities Department in 2005, will discuss the controversial novel “Peyton Place,” written by Grace Metalious and the subject of Hirsh-Dickinson's doctoral research at the University of New Hampshire. Metalious, who was born in Manchester, N.H., and grew up in the Lakes Region, produced a novel about a small New England town's dark secrets, including incest, abortion and murder, some of which were based on the lives of people she knew. “Peyton Place” remained a best-selling book for more than a year and was also made into a film.

Tim Dupre will speak about Volunteer NH!, the organization created through a merger of three groups: the former Governor's Council on Volunteerism, the New Hampshire Office of Volunteerism, and the New Hampshire Commission for National and Community Service. Volunteer NH seeks to link volunteers to the information, the tools, the speakers, and the training they need to engage in the best volunteer and volunteerism practices in the state.

For more information about the Books Sandwiched In series, contact Librarian Carrie Thomas at cathomas@colby-sawyer.edu.


Colby-Sawyer, founded in 1837, is a comprehensive liberal arts college located in the scenic Lake Sunapee Region of central New Hampshire. Our students learn in small classes through a select array of programs that integrate the liberal arts and sciences with pre-professional experience.

Colby-Sawyer College, 541 Main Street, New London, N.H. 03257 (603) 526-3000.