Left Bank Books in downtown Belfast invites the public to two author talks and signings the week of August 4.

The first event, Monday, Aug. 4, at 6:30 p.m., features Alix Morris and Kathryn Miles in conversation to discuss Morris' new book, A Year with the Seals: Unlocking the Secrets of the Sea’s Most Charismatic and Controversial Creatures.

The second event will take place Wednesday, Aug. 6, at 6:30 p.m., when Penny Guisinger discusses her book Shift: A Memoir of Identity and Other Illusions.

In A Year with the Seals, Morris gets to know these elusive, intelligent beings, and investigates the effects of their extraordinary return from the brink of extinction and how we can try to bring nature back into balance. Not only have seals held a special place in the human imagination, but with their natural appeal, combined with decades of scientific study, they make for an unexpected symbol for environmental conservation.

While the remarkable comeback of seals in New England waters has been hailed as a victory by many conservationists and wildlife advocates, the reality has been more complicated. Morris delves into the challenges and triumphs of conservation in action—from local fishermen who catch is often diminished by savvy seals, to seal rescue workers and biologists, to surfers and swimmers.

Morris is a science writer whose work has appeared in the Boston Globe Magazine, Smithsonian, Sierra Magazine, Down East Magazine, and elsewhere. She has graduate degrees in science writing from MIT and global health from Johns Hopkins.

Joining Morris in conversation is science writer Kathryn Miles, author of five books including, most recently, Trailed: One Woman’s Quest to Solve the Shenandoah Murders, which was named a Best Book by The New York Times (2022). Her work has appeared in dozens of national publications, and she teaches in several low-residency MFA programs and for the Maine Writers and Publishers Alliance.

Penny Guisinger’s Shift is the 2025 winner of the prestigious Maine Literary Award for Best Memoir. In her book, Guisinger recounts her formative relationships with women and men, including the marriage that produced her two children and ultimately ended in part due to her affair with her now-wife.

Beginning her story as straight and ending as queer, she struggles to make sense of how her identity changed so profoundly while leaving her feeling like the same person she’s always been. Her personal story staggers against the backdrop of the national debate on same-sex marriage and how it played out in rural Maine, where Guisinger watched her neighbors vote against the validity of her family.

Guisinger’s work has appeared in Guernica, River Teeth, and The Rumpus, among other publications. She has received three notable designations from Best American Essays and a Pushcart Prize nomination. She lives at the easternmost tip of Maine with her wife, two teenagers, and a slowly increasing number of dogs.

Admission to both talks, which will take place at the bookshop, is by donation. Follow this link to reserve your seat(s). Questions? Call Left Bank Books at 207-338-9009, or email: info@leftbankbookshop.com. Ample free parking is available in front of the shop and in an adjacent city lot.