Author Lehane to Provide Commencement Address
April 09, 2009
Emmanuel College is pleased to announce that author Dennis Lehane will deliver the Commencement Address during the 87th Commencement Exercises to be held on Saturday, May 9th, 2009 at 11:00 a.m. Honorary degrees will also be awarded to alumna Catherine Costello '64 and civic leader Paul Guzzi.
In 1995, Lehane received the Shamus Award for his first novel, A Drink Before the War. Since that time he has published six more novels that have become international bestsellers: Darkness, Take My Hand; Sacred; Gone Baby Gone; Prayers for Rain; Mystic River; and Shutter Island. His most recent work, the acclaimed historical novel The Given Day, focuses on the Boston Police Strike of 1919. Lehane has also published Coronado, a compilation of his best short stories. His work has been translated into 28 languages.
Lehane reached the New York Times bestseller list with Mystic River, winner of the Anthony Award for Best Novel, the Barry Award for Best Novel, the Massachusetts Book Award in Fiction, and a finalist for the PEN/Winship Award. The film adaptations of both Mystic River (directed by Clint Eastwood) and Gone Baby Gone (directed by Ben Affleck) have garnered numerous awards and the film adaptation of Shutter Island, directed by Martin Scorsese, is scheduled for release this fall. Lehane has also written for the HBO series "The Wire," earning him a nomination for the Writers Guild of America Award.
Lehane is a native of Dorchester, Massachusetts and a graduate of Boston College High School. He completed undergraduate studies at Eckerd College in St. Petersburg, Florida and earned an M.F.A. from Florida International University. He is currently the writer-in-residence at Eckerd College where he runs the annual Writers in Paradise conference. He has also taught in writing programs at Pine Manor College, Tufts University, Boston College, Harvard University, and the University of Southern Maine.
Last spring, Lehane gave a captivating lecture to Emmanuel College faculty, staff and students and shared an excerpt from his novel, The Given Day.
Catherine Costello '64 founded the Mass Spectrometry Resource and the Cardiovascular Proteomics Center, which she directs at Boston University School of Medicine, pursuing longtime interests in organic chemistry and mass spectrometry. She is internationally recognized for her work and has served on Emmanuel's Science Advisory Council for the past three years. She obtained her undergraduate degree in chemistry from Emmanuel and her Ph.D. in organic chemistry from Georgetown University.
Paul Guzzi serves as President and Chief Executive Officer of the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce where he is a leading advocate for economic development and job creation. He enjoyed a distinguished career in public service, including being elected state representative from Newton in 1970 and then Massachusetts' secretary of state in 1974. He later served as chief of staff for Governor Edward King and chief administrator of the Board of Regents of Public Higher Education. His career in the private sector has included roles at Boston College, Heidrick & Struggles, Data General Corporation and Wang Laboratories. He is a graduate of Harvard University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in government.
We look forward to welcoming these special guests to Emmanuel's campus and celebrating the Class of 2009! Learn more about Commencement ยป
