Essential reading
A series of young adult fiction translated into 15 languages, New York Times-bestselling true crime stories, an award-winning picture book celebrating the ancient language Kriolu—members of the BC community have written (or illustrated) books in every genre, and on nearly every topic, imaginable. There are textbooks and works of nonfiction penned by acclaimed professors on everything from Irish history to early childhood education, historical novels and summer beach reads, memoirs and family histories, and poetry collections exploring themes of faith, love, and the fractures of modern-day life.
“Our alumni and faculty are publishing a truly impressive array of books,” said Kathleen Sullivan, a senior editor in the Office of University Communications, “from quiet little novels to award-winning bestselling works.”
Sullivan would know. Since 2010, she’s been chronicling the literary achievements of Boston College faculty, alumni, staff, and students on BC Bookmarks, a modest Wordpress blog with a devoted following. Twice a week, Sullivan features a book written by a member of the BC community or a literary event on campus. Over the past 16 years, she’s published nearly 1,900 posts and promoted more than 1,300 books while keeping the community apprised of upcoming author visits and lectures. She’s never struggled to find material.
“Boston College is such a vibrant intellectual and literary hub,” she said. “I’m constantly blown away by the caliber of writers who come through campus. We’ve had Pulitzer Prize winners, acclaimed novelists, poets, journalists—it seems like every day there’s someone great here.”
For years, the Office of University Communications has promoted faculty publications and literary events in the biweekly BC Chronicle newspaper, but “there literally weren’t enough pages to feature them all,” Sullivan recalled. She started BC Bookmarks on her own initiative, as a way to ensure coverage for every published author at the University, starting with faculty and eventually expanding to include alumni, staff, and students. As social media gained popularity, she launched @BCBookmarks on X (formerly Twitter) and began promoting events and books to a growing audience that includes readers as far away as Singapore.
Vincent Quealy ’75 (Matthew Healey)
In the early days, Sullivan sourced all of her posts from internet searches and publishing house announcements, but soon, she began receiving submissions from authors eager to be featured. When Vincent Quealy ’75 self-published a book of family history, based on original research he conducted in Ireland, he made sure to drop off a copy to Sullivan, who featured it on the blog. Quealy has since become a regular visitor to BC Bookmarks, often reading books and reaching out to authors he discovers through its posts.
“It's such an effective mechanism for BC alums to find other alumni and faculty authors,” he said. “It also reflects so well on the University. Our alumni are so engaged in the world—you can find an alum that's writing authoritatively on pretty much any subject.”
When faculty are planning literary events on campus, or looking for alumni to connect with student authors, BC Bookmarks is a go-to resource, said English Professor and award-winning novelist Elizabeth Graver, who teaches creative writing at BC.
“It’s become a vital part of the creative community at BC,” she said. “Kathy’s posts have allowed me—along with my students—to discover talented BC writers I didn’t know about before.”
Sullivan publishes her posts under the pseudonym “Bookworm” (a coffee mug emblazoned with the title sits on her desk) a nod to her own fondness for a good read, especially if it’s historical or literary fiction. For someone who loves books, it’s gratifying to see them be appreciated, she said, and to help authors promote projects that may have taken years to complete. Often, when she shares a new post on X or Instagram, the BC Bookmarks network springs into action, with followers like Quealy amplifying the message.
“Everyone talks about how toxic the internet and social media can be, but I get to see another side of it where authors are sharing posts or liking them and I look and the only connection is the BC connection,” she said. “The BC literary family, if you will, is very welcoming, very encouraging—and I get to witness it.”
Have Boston College-related book news? Send it to bcbookmarks@bc.edu.
Bookmarks by the numbers
89,373
Visitors to the blog
118
posts about poetry
125
memoirs featured
52
children’s and young adult titles