BATH

The Mustard Seed Bookstore will host career journalist and author Douglas Rooks on July 21 at 6 p.m. Rooks will speak on his new book, “The Statesman: George Mitchell and the Art of the Possible,” which was released by Down East Books this spring. Books will be available for purchase and signing, and the event is free.

Sen. George Mitchell was a lawyer and judge in Maine before becoming a U.S. Senator. He is widely known for his work on the environment as well as his culminating work on peace and justice, particularly in Ireland and in the Middle East. He is considered one of the most bi-partisan senators, who easily conversed and worked with colleagues on both sides of the aisle.

Through extensive research and interviews, the book is largely a political biography. However, it also shows gives the reader glimpses of the personal and public life before and after the senator’s time in office.

Rooks has worked for weekly and daily newspapers for over 25 years, including being the editor of the Granite State News in Wolfeboro, New Hampshire. He also was the editorial page editor for the Kennebec Journal in Augusta and editor and publisher of Maine Times. He is a graduate magna cum laude of Colby College and lives, with his wife, in a 210-yearold farmhouse in West Gardiner. His editorials can be found biweekly in The Times Record.

Mustard Seed Bookstore is located at 74 Front St., Bath.