Family Tree

Patrick Kennedy walks, beaming, into the John F. Kennedy Library for a gala luncheon. At his side is his fiancee, Amy Petitgout. In his arms is her 3-year-old daughter, Harper. On his mind is another new passion of his: the brain. On his way to the podium, Kennedy shakes hands, slaps backs, and poses for pictures. When he begins to speak, the crowd gives him a standing ovation. It’s a big change from the days when Kennedy, who represented Rhode Island in Congress for eight terms, made headlines for various shenanigans, including an early morning crash in 2006 outside the Capitol and...

PROVIDENCE — Ruth Simmons isn't a "Real Housewives" type of gal. It does seem unlikely that Simmons — the first black president of an Ivy League university and a woman with a PhD from Harvard and nearly 30 honorary degrees — would be clamoring for the attention of television cameras. She says with a chuckle, "I would never have been a person to be in a reality TV show. " But the "reality show" that Simmons did agree to appear on keeps it as real as her own DNA. The PBS program "Finding Your Roots With Henry Louis Gates, Jr.," which airs Sunday nights at 8 on Channel 2 (WGBH)

PROVIDENCE — Ruth Simmons isn't a "Real Housewives" type of gal. It does seem unlikely that Simmons — the first black president of an Ivy League university and a woman with a PhD from Harvard and nearly 30 honorary degrees — would be clamoring for the attention of television cameras. She says with a chuckle, "I would never have been a person to be in a reality TV show. " But the "reality show" that Simmons did agree to appear on keeps it as real as her own DNA. The PBS program "Finding Your Roots With Henry Louis Gates, Jr.," which airs Sunday nights at 8 on Channel 2 (WGBH)

A family tree of the bartenders who began the craft drink movement, beginning at the B-Side, Eastern Standard, No. 9 Park, and Silvertone, and ending at the bar where you sip today. Bartenders are listed with the venue with which they are most often associated. Colored stripes below the boxes represent a connection to another branch of the bartender family tree.

A family tree of the bartenders who began the craft drink movement, beginning at the B-Side, Eastern Standard, No. 9 Park, and Silvertone, and ending at the bar where you sip today. Bartenders are listed with the venue with which they are most often associated. Colored stripes below the boxes represent a connection to another branch of the bartender family tree.

The Family Tree , By Carole Cadwalladr, Dutton, 392pp, $23.95 Rebecca Monroe is a pop-culture researcher. Working on her PhD in cultural studies, she is fascinated by how our personalities are informed by our experiences. Rebecca's husband, Alistair, however, is a behavioral geneticist. He maintains it's all in the genes. Handsome and charming but deliberately clinical and emotionally obtuse, he is the kind of man so absorbed by the details that he "can see trees but not woods.

Nancy Holler stood in front of a group of parents at Fontbonne Academy recently and talked about her son, Brendan. There was pride: Brendan had been an honor student at Boston College High School, a pitcher on the baseball team, had lots of friends, and was bound for college. But as his mom spoke, there were also tears. Senior spring, Brendan’s grades slipped and dark circles appeared under his eyes. The once-immaculate son had turned into a slob. His anxious parents soon figured it out: Brendan was sneaking OxyContin from his parents’ cabinet; his father used it for a...

Memoir writing tips: ■ Read other memoirs. ■ Interview older family members and have them annotate old photos. ■ Make a family tree as a starting point. Templates are available on www.ancestry.com and www.familytreetemplates.net. ■ Decide who or what you will write about - the entire family, one side, one person. ■ Determine the audience for whom you are writing and what you hope to learn. ■ Make a list of what you remember from the past - let your mind wander and memories will come as you write them down.

The down economy didn't put a damper on the Possible Dreams auction, the annual fund-raiser for Martha's Vineyard Community Services. Among those attending the celeb-heavy island affair were Aussie-born writer Geraldine Brooks and her husband, author Tony Horwitz , software publisher Peter Norton , Art Buchwald 's daughter-in-law Tamara , and former ABC anchor Carole Simpson , who bid to have Harvard professor ...

The House of Medici was a powerful family dynasty in Florence during the 14th, 15th, 16th, and 17th centuries. They made their money in banking, and although they were not monarchs, they held great political power. Their greatest legacy was their support of art and architecture during the Renaissance. As patrons they supported many important artists, including Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, Donatello, Brunelleschi and Botticelli. Florence Art Guide: The Medici Genealogical Tree www.mega.it/eng/egui/epo/medalb.htm With the Medici dynasty spanning...

THE ISABELLA STEWART GARDNER MUSEUM'S new wing certainly makes a horticultural statement. By moving the entrance from the Fenway traffic to quiet Evans Way and replacing the old fencing there with new trees, open lawn, and a working greenhouse, architect Renzo Piano has created a connection with Frederick Law Olmsted's Evans Way Park across the street. "One of Renzo Piano's goals," says Gardner director of operations James Labeck, "was to have green facing green. " The result feels almost pastoral.

By Betsy Levinson, Globe Correspondent The return of the "Family Trees: A Celebration of Children's Literature" exhibit at the Concord Museum marks the start of the holiday season just as surely as the lighting of the town tree in Monument Square. It is the museum's 16th annual holiday showing. From "Pippi Longstocking" to "Alice through the Looking Glass," and many books in between, the museum is decked out in bright colors and warm sentiments. Individuals, families and organizations such as the Garden Club got together to decorate a tree.

Memoir writing tips: ■ Read other memoirs. ■ Interview older family members and have them annotate old photos. ■ Make a family tree as a starting point. Templates are available on www.ancestry.com and www.familytreetemplates.net. ■ Decide who or what you will write about - the entire family, one side, one person. ■ Determine the audience for whom you are writing and what you hope to learn. ■ Make a list of what you remember from the past - let your mind wander and memories will come as you write them down.

The down economy didn't put a damper on the Possible Dreams auction, the annual fund-raiser for Martha's Vineyard Community Services. Among those attending the celeb-heavy island affair were Aussie-born writer Geraldine Brooks and her husband, author Tony Horwitz , software publisher Peter Norton , Art Buchwald 's daughter-in-law Tamara , and former ABC anchor Carole Simpson , who bid to have Harvard professor ...

Nancy Holler stood in front of a group of parents at Fontbonne Academy recently and talked about her son, Brendan. There was pride: Brendan had been an honor student at Boston College High School, a pitcher on the baseball team, had lots of friends, and was bound for college. But as his mom spoke, there were also tears. Senior spring, Brendan’s grades slipped and dark circles appeared under his eyes. The once-immaculate son had turned into a slob. His anxious parents soon figured it out: Brendan was sneaking OxyContin from his parents’ cabinet;...

Patrick Kennedy walks, beaming, into the John F. Kennedy Library for a gala luncheon. At his side is his fiancee, Amy Petitgout. In his arms is her 3-year-old daughter, Harper. On his mind is another new passion of his: the brain. On his way to the podium, Kennedy shakes hands, slaps backs, and poses for pictures. When he begins to speak, the crowd gives him a standing ovation. It’s a big change from the days when Kennedy, who represented Rhode Island in Congress for eight terms, made headlines for various shenanigans, including an early morning crash in...

More than simply a whirlwind journey into her family’s past, historian Buzzy Jackson’s account is a deep look inside the often-obsessive world of genealogists, people notable for their “willingness to just keep at it and never give up.’’ After giving birth to her son, Jackson becomes fascinated with her family’s history. She puts in an incredible amount of legwork, visiting archives and libraries, traveling the country to interview relatives, seeking advice from world-renowned genealogists on a genealogy ocean cruise, and documenting everything she finds along the way. Following solid...

The House of Medici was a powerful family dynasty in Florence during the 14th, 15th, 16th, and 17th centuries. They made their money in banking, and although they were not monarchs, they held great political power. Their greatest legacy was their support of art and architecture during the Renaissance. As patrons they supported many important artists, including Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, Donatello, Brunelleschi and Botticelli. Florence Art Guide: The Medici Genealogical Tree www.mega.it/eng/egui/epo/medalb.htm With the Medici dynasty spanning hundreds of years, the easiest way to understand...