Author Event: Dian Seidel - "Kindergarten at 60"
Dian Seidel joins us to discuss her new book, Kindergarten at 60: A Memoir of Teaching in Thailand.
This is a free event but we ask that you RSVP with the link below (no fees). If you would rather RSVP over the phone, you can call us at 781-431-1160.
You can add a copy of the book onto your RSVP. Copies will also be available at the event. Please note that if you would like the author to sign your book, it must have been bought from Wellesley Books.
If you cannot attend the event but wish to buy the book, you can do so by scrolling down to the bottom of this page. Just know that buying the book is not the same as an RSVP to the event.
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ABOUT THE BOOK
Teaching kindergarten in Thailand wasn’t the job Dian Seidel had in mind when, at age sixty and craving adventure, she convinced her husband that they should try working abroad. But coping with rambunctious children, sweltering heat, and Covid-19 turned out to be the challenge she needed. Struggling to understand Thai culture, their school, and their marriage, could she learn Thailand’s essential lesson: mai pen rai, don’t worry, keep cool?
Part travel memoir and part second act story, Kindergarten at 60 is a retirement tale like none other. With gentle humor and polished prose, Seidel explores universal themes via the adventures of everyday life. Job-hunting retirees confront age restrictions. A couple navigates 24/7 togetherness for the first time in their lives. Professionals accustomed to working with adults are overwhelmed, and charmed, by a passel of two-, three-, and four-year-olds. An introvert struggles to forge cross-cultural and cross-generational friendships. Americans face the challenges of the five-tone Thai language and five-alarm Thai chilies.
Seidel’s heartwarming story offers a unique perspective on contemporary Thailand and introduces readers to an unforgettable cast of characters at Pathum Thani Prep. Join the journey, meet the kids, and experience Kindergarten at 60.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Before her unexpected "second act" teaching kindergarten in Thailand, Dian Seidel was a climate scientist at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Her research contributed to the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize-winning Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Originally from Massachusetts, she now lives in the Washington, DC area, where she teaches English as a second language and Iyengar yoga. Her writing has appeared in Passager, Anak Sastra, Lucky Jefferson, Pen in Hand, The New York Times, and Bethesda Magazine. She loves crossword puzzles, book clubs, open ocean swimming, and the heart of a ripe watermelon on an August afternoon. Visit her at http://www.DianSeidel.com.
