Barrington Books, in partnership with the Barrington Public Library, presents Will Schwalbe and Chris Maxey in conversation with Dawn Tripp in honor of the paperback release of "We Should Not Be Friends." A moderated discussion and Q&A are to be held at the Salem Family Auditorium in the Barrington Public Library on Thursday, March 21, at 6:30 p.m.

By the time Will Schwalbe was a junior at college, he had already met everyone he cared to know: the theater people, writers, visual artists and comp lit majors, and various other quirky characters including the handful of students who shared his own major, Latin and Greek. He also knew exactly who he wanted to avoid: the jocks. The jocks wore baseball caps and moved in packs, filling boisterous tables in the dining hall, and on the whole seemed to be another species entirely, one Will might encounter only at his own peril.

All this changed dramatically when Will collided with Chris Maxey, known to just about everyone as Maxey. Maxey was physically imposing, loud, and a star wrestler who was determined to become a Navy SEAL (where he would later serve for six years). Thanks to the strangely liberating circumstances of a little-known secret society at Yale, the two forged a bond that would become a mainstay of each other’s lives as they repeatedly lost and found each other and themselves in the years after graduation.

From New Haven to New York City, from Hong Kong and Panama to a remarkable school on an island in the Bahamas—through marriages and a divorce, triumphs and devastating losses—"We Should Not Be Friends" tracks an extraordinary friendship over decades of challenge and change. Schwalbe’s marvelous new work is, at its heart, a joyful testament to the miracle of human connection—and how if we can just get past our preconceptions, we may find some of our greatest friends.

Will Schwalbe is the author of The End of Your Life Book Club, which was a #1 Indie Next pick, an Entertainment Weekly Best Book of the Year, and spent nine weeks on the New York Times bestseller list. He has worked in digital media; in book publishing; and as a journalist, writing for various publications, including the New York Times and the South China Morning Post. He is also the author of Send (co-written with David Shipley) and Books for Living. His most recent book is We Should Not Be Friends. He grew up in Cambridge, Mass, and now lives in New York City with his husband.

Chris Maxey and his wife Pam founded The Island School in 1999. After graduating with a BA in history from Yale University, Chris served six years as an officer in the US Navy SEAL community. He holds an M.A. degree in Marine Studies from the University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences. His friendship with Will Schwalbe is the subject of Will’s memoir, We Should Not Be Friends.

WHEN: Thurs, March 21 at 6:30 p.m.

WHERE: Salem Family Theater at Barrington Public Library, 281 County Rd, Barrington

PRICING: General admission (presentation only) tickets are free. Presentation, book, and signing tickets are $22 each.

MORE INFO: To learn more and purchase tickets, click here.