Jasmin Graham and Greg Skomal author talk: Sharks Don't Sink and Chasing Shadows

Titcomb's Bookshop and the Sandwich Public Library are thrilled to welcome author Jasmin Graham to speak about her new book Sharks Don't Sink: Adventures of a Rogue Shark Scientist (published July 16th) on Tuesday August 13th at 6:30pm at the Sandwich Public Library. 

ABOUT THE EVENT: 

Graham will be in conversation with local author, marine biologist, and shark expert Dr. Greg Skomal, whose book Chasing Shadows, will be published in paperback on July 2nd.

This event is in partnership with local non-profit Sandwich for All: an inclusive, non-partisan group dedicated to making the Sandwich community more welcoming and supportive of all residents, neighbors, and visitors.

This is a free event. Registration is required and space is limited. Registration can be completed HERE or by calling Titcomb's Bookshop at 508-888-2331.

ABOUT THE BOOK - Sharks Don't Sink: The uplifting story of a young Black scientist’s challenging journey to flourish outside the traditional confines of academia, inspired by her innate connection to nature’s most misunderstood animal—the shark.

"Jasmin Graham has that winning combination of talent and grit needed to excel as a scientist. Every girl who wants to be a marine biologist should have this book." —Hope Jahren, New York Times bestselling author of Lab Girl and The Story of More

Sharks have been on this planet for over 400 million years, so there is a lot they can teach us about survival and adaptability. For example: how do sharks, which unlike other fish are denser than water, stay afloat? They keep moving. When Jasmin Graham, an award-winning young shark scientist, started to feel that the traditional path to becoming a marine biologist was pulling her under, she remembered this important lesson: keep moving forward.

If navigating the choppy waters of traditional academic study was no longer worth it, then that meant creating an ocean of her own. Jasmin joined with three other Black women to form Minorities in Shark Sciences (MISS), an organization dedicated to providing support and opportunities for other young women of color. She became an independent researcher: a rogue shark scientist, seeking ways to keep these extraordinary endangered creatures swimming free—just like her.

Sharks Don’t Sink is a riveting, moving, and ultimately triumphant memoir at the intersection of science and social justice: a guidebook to how we can all learn to respect and protect some of nature’s most misunderstood and vulnerable creatures—and grant the same grace to ourselves.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: JASMIN GRAHAM is a marine biologist in the field of elasmobranch ecology and evolution, currently specializing in smalltooth sawfish and hammerhead sharks. She is the co-founder of Minorities in Shark Sciences (MISS), an organization providing support for women of color in the field of shark biology and ecology, in order to foster greater diversity in marine science. She is a recipient of the WWF Conservation Leadership Award, the Safina Launchpad Center Fellowship, and a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship.

ABOUT THE BOOK - Chasing Shadows: “At last: the story of tracking the ocean’s most charismatic and controversial predator, compellingly told by the man who has learned more about the Atlantic great white shark than any other person alive. You must not miss this fantastic book!” —Sy Montgomery, New York Times bestselling author of The Soul of an Octopus

Dr. Greg Skomal, one of the leading great white shark experts in the country, reveals the true nature of these mysterious apex predators, as well as the fascinating story behind their history and startling resurgence.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Dr. Greg Skomal—in addition to being an accomplished marine biologist, underwater explorer, photographer, and author—is a leading white shark expert in the Atlantic. He is a senior fisheries biologist with the Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries and currently directs the Massachusetts Shark Research Program. He is an adjunct professor at the University of Massachusetts Intercampus Marine Science graduate program; an adjunct scientist at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution in Woods Hole, Massachusetts; and a member of the Explorers Club and the Boston Sea Rovers. Greg has authored dozens of scientific research papers and has appeared in a number of film and television documentaries, including programs for National Geographic, Discovery Channel, PBS, and numerous television networks. He is a regular on Shark Week and Shark Fest and is the author of The Shark Handbook. He holds a master’s degree from the University of Rhode Island and a PhD from Boston University. He lives with his family in Marion, Massachusetts.

ABOUT SANDWICH FOR ALL: Sandwich for All is an inclusive, non-partisan group dedicated to making the Sandwich community more welcoming and supportive of all residents, neighbors, and visitors. Our community is richer when we value our differences in race, ethnicity, nationality, gender, gender identity, sex, sexual orientation, religious beliefs, class, abilities, age, or military/veteran status. We work to be agents of positive change—inspiring action that brings out the best in our town by viewing diversity as an opportunity for all. For more information, visit:  www.sandwichforall.org