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Authors! with Tom Seeman

Join us for Authors! with Tom Seeman, a Toledo, Ohio native, who will share his memoir of growing up and defying the odds.

ABOUT THE BOOK: In Animals I Want To See: A Memoir of Growing Up in the Projects and Defying the Odds, Tom Seeman, who went on to graduate summa cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa from Yale, nail a perfect score on his LSATs, and attend Harvard Law, looks back on his hardscrabble childhood in Toledo, Ohio, during the turbulent ‘60s and ‘70s.

Tom Seeman shares the most important lesson he’s learned: “Every act of kindness, no matter how small makes a difference.” And every day, he tries to do something kind for a stranger. “Some days it’s something small, like letting someone into my lane in traffic,” he acknowledges, “and some days it’s something sizable, like creating a scholarship for underserved kids… Most days, my promise falls somewhere in between.” He hopes Animals I Want To See will inspire readers to both believe in their own ability to defy odds and be kinder to others.

Woven with threads of humor, nostalgia, and lyricism, Animals I Want to See explores the magical territory of childhood and is packed with keen observations about life, love, and the power we have to liberate ourselves from inherited boundaries. 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: TOM SEEMAN grew up in a family of fourteen on welfare and food stamps in the projects of Toledo, Ohio, and went on to own and lead several businesses. He earned his B.A. in Economics from Yale, where he rowed on the crew team and graduated summa cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa, before going on to earn his Juris Doctor at Harvard Law. He currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Boys and Girls Clubs of Boston and on the Board of Trustees of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. He funded a scholarship that actively seeks disadvantaged students to attend St. Francis de Sales High School in Toledo—the same school that generously gave him a scholarship and that he credits for helping him fulfill his dream of attending a top college. He has worked across the globe, lived in five countries, and traveled to over one hundred. He makes his home in Massachusetts with his wife, four children, three dogs, and a cat.