MIT Urban Planning alum John Bullard will present his book Hometown.

Hometown is a state of mind. In this deeply moving and thoughtful memoir, John K. Bullard weaves a tale of a family legacy intertwined with the pitfalls and promise of New Bedford, a storied Massachusetts seaport whose past and future can be found in every gritty city struggling to survive and thrive. Bullard explores the meaning of public service, greater good, personal responsibility, and the ties that bind people to their hometowns. He grapples with immigration, economics, race, poverty,politics but also our innermost conflicts and ambitions as we make our way in the world.

Bullard’s story—and his sense of hometown—as he changes roles from a local to federal leader becomes more sophisticated but never loses sight of the importance of involving the people he is working with in the decisions that affect their lives. All politics is personal,  acknowledging that community is nothing without family, friends, and yes, even rivals. Hometown is about what sends you into the world to seek your fortunes and what draws you home to enhance your life.

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