Second Annual Boston Book Festival
Copley Square October 16
By: Joyce Linehan - Jul 01, 2010
The highly anticipated second annual Boston Book Festival will take place on Oct. 16, 2010, in various locations around Copley Square. Festival Founder and Director Deborah Z Porter today announced a partial list of authors confirmed to appear at this year’s event. The featured authors announced now hint at the wide array of programming to come, and include Pulitzer Prize winners, Nobel Laureates, children’s writers, and writers of fiction, non-fiction and poetry.
Bill Bryson (A Walk in the Woods, A Short History of Nearly Everything, At Home)
A.M Homes (This Book Will Save Your Life, Music For Torching, The End of Alice, In a Country of Mothers)
Gish Jen (Typical American, Mona in the Promised Land, World and Town)
Jeff Kinney (Diary of a Wimpy Kid)
Dennis Lehane (Mystic River, Shutter Island)
Joyce Carol Oates (them, Blonde, We Were the Mulvaneys, Sourland)
Amartya Sen (Development as Freedom, The Idea of Justice)
Stacy Schiff (Vera, A Great Improvisation, Cleopatra: A Life)
Joseph Stiglitz (Freefall, Making Globalization Work)
Isabel Wilkerson (The Warmth of Other Suns: The Epic Story of America's Great Migration)
Edward O. Wilson (The Ants, The Naturalist, Anthill)
Kevin Young (Jelly Roll: A Blues, For the Confederate Dead, The Art of Losing)
The inaugural festival, held in October of 2009, was an unequivocal success. Organizers estimate that 12,000 people attended the presentations, panel discussions, workshops, music performances and street fair, most of which were free. The event featured 90 authors and presenters, including some of the biggest names in the literary world, 40 outdoor exhibitors, 30 indoor events, children’s activities, and live music. Internationally-known fiction and non-fiction writers, scholars, critics and commentators spoke to packed houses at historic Boston locations.
Non-Fiction
Writing on the Walls: Architectural Storytelling
Join us as two world-renowned architects explain how the design of a building can tell a story. Moshe Safdie first made news with Habitat at Expo ’67 and his recent work, from Yad Vashem to Crystal Bridges, continues to inspire. Eric Kuhne’s goal is to “bring back the pageantry of civic life to cities and towns” which he has done in projects like Riverwalk in Virginia and Bluewater Park in the UK. Hosted by Neri Oxman of the MIT Media Lab.
The Ancients: History and Myth
Can we ever truly understand the ancients? Have history and legend blended irrevocably? And has Hollywood warped our view? Pulitzer Prize winner Stacy Schiff talks about Cleopatra, Sir Peter Stothard explores a famous slave rebellion in The Spartacus Road, while Caroline Alexander provides a fascinating look at the timeless classic, The Iliad, in The War That Killed Achilles. Hosted by Boston Phoenix Executive Editor Peter Kadzis. Sponsored by Hachette Book Group
Good Idea!
Four extremely creative people brimming with good ideas will each give a thought-provoking presentation: Steven Johnson, author of Where Good Ideas Come From; Atul Gawande, surgeon and author of The Checklist Manifesto; David Edwards, inventor and author of The Lab; and Neri Oxman, one of Fast Company’s 100 Most Creative People. Emceed by Callie Crossley, host of WGBH Radio’s Callie Crossley Show. Sponsored by Google
The Legacy of Trauma
Traumatic experiences have an insidious way of doing damage. Jessica Stern, an authority on terrorism, discusses Denial, her account of being sexually assaulted as a teenager and the equally traumatic aftermath. Dr. John Rich, author of Wrong Place, Wrong Time gives his perspective on young African American men traumatized by violence. Myla Goldberg, author of the bestseller The Bee Season, discusses her use of a traumatic event in her new novel, The False Friend. Moderated by journalist Stefanie Friedhoff.
Home and Away
Two unusually perceptive authors will transport you in this entertaining and enlightening session. Travel writer Bill Bryson (At Home) goes deep into the place we think we know best: home. Tony Hiss (In Motion) explores the hidden dimension of what he calls “deep travel.” Hosted by Robin Young of WBUR’s Here and Now. Sponsored by Google
Pop Culture
David Rakoff, recipient of two Lambda Book Awards for Humor, insists that optimism is an irresponsible fad in his new book Half Empty. Meanwhile, author of The Official Preppy Handbook, Lisa Birnbach and legendary book jacket designer and novelist Chip Kidd team up with hilarious results to bring you True Prep. A session of social satire that is sure to go snap, crackle, pop. Hosted by WGBH’s Jared Bowen.
Writing a Life: Memoir
Three memoirists discuss going public with deeply personal stories. Screenwriter and actor Marianne Leone (Knowing Jesse) writes movingly about her son’s life and death. Nick Flynn (Another Bullshit Night in Suck City, The Ticking is the Bomb) explores the past with an eye toward impending fatherhood. Jerald Walker (Street Shadows: A Memoir of Race, Rebellion and Redemption) describes his escape from drugs and violence in a crime-ridden Chicago housing project. Moderated by Christina Thompson, author of the memoir Come on Shore and We Will Kill and Eat You All.
The Economy: What Happened and How to Fix It
Three economists debate what has gone so horribly wrong and what possible prospects exist for an economic recovery. Join Nobel Laureate Joseph Stiglitz (Freefall), Harvard Business School strategy guru Michael Porter (Redefining Health Care), and sustainability advocate Juliet Schor (Plenitude), for a spirited discussion about our future economic well-being. Tom Ashbrook of NPR and WBUR’s On Point moderates. Sponsored by Liberty Mutual
Talking About Justice
Three noted scholars talk about justice. Nobel prize-winner Amartya Sen, in The Idea of Justice, writes about how to achieve social justice in a world where cultures have widely differing beliefs. Michael Sandel, one of Harvard’s most popular professors, teaches that right and wrong are not black and white in Justice. Dambisa Moyo, who rocked the development world with her book Dead Aid, asks what is just for Africa. Hosted by Current TV’s Joel Hyatt. Sponsored by Liberty Mutual
History, Mystery and Art Across Three Continents and Two Centuries
Three mesmerizing New England true stories derived from works of art. Haunting landscapes by Marsden Hartley (and a murder) drew Elyssa East to explore the territory the artist painted in her book Dogtown. Erica Hirshler delves into John Singer Sargent's enigmatic portrait in Sargent's Daughters. And Da Zheng unearths the story of Chiang Yee: The Silent Traveller from the East in this first biography of the ex-pat Chinese watercolorist and writer. Hosted by Megan Marshall, author of the award-winning biography The Peabody Sisters. Sponsored by PEN/New England
The Secret Lives of Ants
Did you know that the “suicide bomber” ant releases a toxic poison that kills both its enemy and itself? Or that ants invest more in public safety and health than humans? Join Mark Moffett, author of Adventures Among Ants, for some amazing stories and breathtaking photos that will leave you with a newfound appreciation for ants. Hosted by TV and radio personality, commentator and interviewer Faith Salie. Sponsored by the Plymouth Rock Foundation|
True Story: The Art of Non-fiction
Writing a work of non-fiction that’s a page-turner has its challenges. The authors of three diverse works tell all: Noah Feldman’s latest, The Scorpions, digs into the amazing stories of four of FDR’s most influential Supreme Court justices. Richard Cohen’s Chasing the Sun is a compendium of entertaining and scholarly lore about our solar system’s brightest star. Kathryn Schulz succeeds in being both witty and erudite while answering the question “why do we love being right?” in Being Wrong.
Global Hot Spot: The Middle East
Hear a variety of perspectives on one of the world’s perennial trouble spots. Thanassis Cambanis investigates the threat posed by Hezbollah in A Privilege to Die. Haleh Esfandiari, author of My Prison, My Home, reveals details of her imprisonment in Iran and its lingering effects. In Aftermath, journalist Nir Rosen explores the U.S.’s invasion of Iraq and the realities of counterinsurgency. Moderated by Noah Feldman (The Fall and Rise of the Islamic State)
.
Tyler Florence: Cooking For The Family
When it comes to a great meal, there’s no place like home. And no one understands that better than celebrity chef and dad Tyler Florence, the star of the popular Food Network series Tyler’s Ultimate and author of the new cookbook Tyler Florence Family Meal. Joined by Boston magazine food editor Donna Garlough, Tyler discusses why local foods, cooked in season and prepared simply, bring home cooking to another level entirely. Sponsored by Boston magazine
Hey Batter! Writing About America’s Favorite Pastime
As Bill Littlefield so often reminds us, it IS only a game. But sometimes baseball feels like so much more, especially when we consider the legends who have claimed our hearts as well as a place in the record books. Bill chats with Howard Bryant, author of The Last Hero: A Life of Henry Aaron, James Hirsch, author of Willie Mays: The Life, The Legend, and Andy Wasif, author of Red Sox University, on writing about America’s favorite pastime. Sponsored by Hotel Commonwealth|
Bugs in the System
Dan Ariely studies the bugs in our moral code and Mark Moffett studies the bugs under our feet. Ariely, in Predictably Irrational and The Upside of Irrationality, gives example after hilarious example of people behaving irrationally despite their most closely held beliefs. Moffett, the “Indiana Jones of entomology” reveals the incredible and utterly rational behavior of ants in Adventures Among Ants: A Global Safari with a Cast of Trillions. A predictably fascinating session with two veterans of the Colbert Report. Hosted by TV and radio personality Faith Salie. Sponsored by the Plymouth Rock Foundation
The Novel: A Prognosis
David Shields in Reality Hunger: A Manifesto, declares that the novel as we know it is dead, or at least is no longer central to our culture. He discusses his controversial assertion with Daphne Kalotay whose Russian Winter is described as “an auspicious first novel… without a false note,” and Nick Montfort, poet, author of electronic fiction as well as the new book, Riddle & Bind, and an MIT professor of digital media. Guiding the conversation is author Jay Parini, whose many works include Promised Land: Thirteen Books that Changed America and The Last Station.
Fiction
Israel/Palestine: Novel Approaches
Two authors explore the Israeli-Palestinian conflict as seen through the prism of fiction. Alan Dershowitz, author of The Trials of Zion, discusses the use of fiction to tell a complex and contentious story with Palestinian author Susan Abulhawa, whose debut novel, Mornings in Jenin, is an international sensation. Director of the Harvard Negotiation project, James Sebenius, moderates what is sure to be a lively discussion. Sponsored by the Jewish Community Centers of Greater Boston
Fiction: The Web of Relationship
Three authors discuss their very different takes on essential human connections. Ann Hood’s novel, The Red Thread, is an engaging look at five couples and their quest to adopt babies from China. Brunonia Barry’s The Map of True Places, her second novel after her triumphant Lace Reader, explores personal tragedy and identity. Joanna Smith Rakoff looks at the post-collegiate struggles of a group of friends in her debut novel A Fortunate Age. Hosted by founding editor of The Drum, Henriette Lazaridis Power.
Fiction: Time and Place
Identity, the march of world events, and the effort to construct a life are explored in this session. Gish Jen’s World and Town is set in a small New England town, but raises questions about the wider world and the changes it brings. In Simon Mawer’s Booker-nominated novel The Glass Room, lives are ripped apart by war. Michelle Hoover’s The Quickening is a portrait of the lives of two Depression-era farm women. Hosted by founding editor of The Drum, Henriette Lazaridis Power. Sponsored by Other Press
Fiction: Reality Bites
Three authors explore aspects of the dark side of human experience. Marlon James, in his novels John Crow’s Devil and The Book of Night Women, deals with issues of good and evil, religious mania, and sexual obsession. Allegra Goodman in The Cookbook Collector delves humorously into the underbelly of success: disloyalty, greed and power. Brando Skyhorse, in The Madonnas of Echo Park, his much- anticipated debut, addresses the sometimes-mean streets of a working class Mexican-American neighborhood. Hosted by Boston Globe book editor Nicole Lamy.
First Time’s A Charm: Life After a Successful Debut Novel
How does life change when your first published work of fiction receives a prestigious award? Three winners of the Hemingway Foundation/PEN Award describe their experiences. Justin Cronin won in 2002 for Mary and O’Neil, Jennifer Haigh in 2004 for Mrs. Kimble and Joshua Ferris in 2008 for Then We Came to the End. Find out what happened next. Moderated by Beacon Press director and Award administrator Helene Atwan. Sponsored by PEN/New England
From Page to Screen
What’s it like to see your words, characters and ideas translated to the screen? Do you get a say in who plays the lead? Is being on-scene fascinating or infuriating or somewhere in between? Find out from Dennis Lehane (Mystic River, Gone Baby Gone, Shutter Island), A. M. Homes (Jack, The Safety of Objects) and Tom Perrotta (Election, Little Children), seasoned veterans of the transition from page to screen. Hosted by Boston Globe movie critic Ty Burr. Sponsored by The Boston Globe
My Mother She Killed Me, My Father He Ate Me
Before Disney, fairy tales were pretty gruesome. Join some of the most creative writers around to hear their takes on literature’s oldest genre. Kathryn Davis and Kelly Link spin some magnificent tales in the new collection My Mother She Killed Me, My Father He Ate Me, while Harvard’s authority on folklore and fairy tale, Maria Tatar, provides an historical perspective. Hosted by the book’s editor Kate Bernheimer.
Crimes & Misdemeanors
Mystery and mayhem always makes for good storytelling, and WBUR host David Boeri presents three masters of the craft. Andrew Gross, co-author with James Patterson of six New York Times bestsellers and the author of Reckless, is joined by local crime writers Raffi Yessayan, the former chief of the Gang Unit at the Suffolk County D.A.’s Office and author of 2 in the Hat and 8 in the Box, and Hallie Ephron, the award-winning mystery book reviewer for the Boston Globe and author of Never Tell A Lie.?
Keynote: Joyce Carol Oates
Joyce Carol Oates’s utterly fearless, disquieting and imaginative writing spans multiple genres and has established her as one of America’s preeminent authors. She is a recipient of the National Book Award for her novel them and the PEN/Malamud Award for Excellence in Short Fiction and has been nominated for the Pulitzer Prize as well as the Nobel Prize. The New York Times, in its review of Sourland, Oates’s latest “dazzling collection” of stories, calls her “a dangerous writer in the best sense of the word, one who takes risks almost obsessively, with energy and relish.” Hosted by TV and radio personality Faith Salie.
Technology
Internet or Not?
We love the easy access to information afforded by the internet, but have a sneaky suspicion that there is a downside. Nicholas Carr, in The Shallows, argues that the internet reduces our collective attention span. Eric Haseltine, in Long Fuse, Big Bang, explains how the brain is wired to crave instant gratification and what we can do about it. William Powers, in Hamlet’s Blackberry, worries that our addiction to the internet interferes with our ability to truly connect with those around us. Moderated by unabashed internet enthusiast Andrew McAfee.
The Tendencies of Technology
The recent changes that technology has made to books, reading and the way we relate to each other are unprecedented and transformational. Come hear tech guru Kevin Kelly, author of What Technology Wants, digital visionary Nicholas Negroponte, David Kirkpatrick, founder of Techonomy and author of The Facebook Effect, and the NYT’s Nick Bilton, author of I Live in the Future and Here’s How It Works discuss technology and its impact on how we live. Moderated by NPR’s John Hockenberry.
Poetry of Love, Loss and Healing
In times of great happiness, and in times of great loss, many people turn to poetry, a form capable of distilling human experience and emotion down to truths as potent as they are beautiful. Three brilliant poets, Kevin Young, editor of the new anthology The Art of Losing, Jill McDonough, author of Habeus Corpus, and Meg Kearney, author of the PEN/L.L. Winship Award-winning Home By Now, read and discuss poems of love, loss and healing. Sponsored by the Mass Poetry Festival.
Poetry of Our Times
Three acclaimed poets read poems of detail and delight, of our struggles with mortality, with love, with the profound and the mundane. Edward Hirsch, author of How to Read a Poem and Fall in Love with Poetry, reads from The Living Fire. He is joined by Elizabeth Alexander, author of Crave Radiance and “Praise Song for the Day,” which she composed for President Obama’s inauguration, and Ellen Doré Watson, Director of the Poetry Center at Smith College and author Dogged Hearts. This is contemporary American poetry at its best.
Kids & Young Adults
Kids Keynote: Jeff Kinney & Diary of a Wimpy Kid
There are few things more frightening than middle school, just ask Greg Heffley, whose diary we have all come to know and love, thanks to celebrated author/illustrator Jeff Kinney. Join him as he celebrates the impending publication of the much-anticipated Diary of a Wimpy Kid 5: The Ugly Truth, which will be released on Nov. 9. Ever had an awkward middle school moment? Then this event is for you! Sponsored by Google
Border Crossing: Understanding Social Justice Through Fiction
Be transported to Burma, Cuba, Haiti and 1970s Boston and experience the challenges children just like you face every day. Mitali Perkins, author of Bamboo People, Christina Gonzalez, author of The Red Umbrella, Richard Michelson, author of Busing Brewster and Lionel Vital (inspiration for Youme Landowne’s Selavi) tell the stories and struggles of children around the world. Hosted by Bridgespan’s Katie Smith Milway, author of One Hen and The Good Garden.
StoryPlace
StoryPlace is back and better than ever with singing, crafts and of course authors, illustrators and costume characters like Curious George, Wild Thing and even The Cat In The Hat all day long. Authors include Rose Lewis, author of I Love You Like Crazy Cakes and Orange Peel’s Pocket, Brian Lies, author of Bats at the Ballgame, British author/illustrator Rob Scotton with Scaredy-Cat, Splat!, Scott Magoon with Mostly Monsterly, and Timothy Basil Ering with Snook Alone. Be sure to drop in and say hello! Sponsored by Bank of America
Cartooning: You Can Do It Too!
Test your cartooning and doodling skills with this team of four successful and talented cartoonists/illustrators. Jarrett Krosoczka talks about his bestselling Lunch Lady graphic novel series about a super-heroine lunch lady serving up a side of justice while Alexis Frederick-Frost provides us with some Adventures in Cartooning. Aaron Renier, author of the action-packed The Unsinkable Walker Bean and Jef Czekaj the creator of Hip & Hop, Don’t Stop, join the party. Hosted by graphic novel judge and Brookline Public Library’s Robin Brenner.
Fun with Fancy Nancy
Get fancy! Start off your day at Boston Book Festival 2010 with bow-ties and tiaras as author Jane O’Connor and illustrator Robin Preiss Glasser, the dynamic duo who brought us the bestselling Fancy Nancy children’s book series, dazzle us with fancy fun and introduce us to Nancy’s newest adventures, Fancy Nancy and the Fabulous Fashion Boutique. Hosted by Boston Public Library children’s librarian, Maija Meadows.
It Books: Four YA Writers Discuss What’s Hot and What’s Not
An all-star group of bestselling writers get together to discuss what’s hot and what’s not when it comes to YA fiction. Francisco Stork, author of The Last Summer of the Death Warriors shares the stage with Kathryn Lasky, celebrated author of the Guardians of Ga’Hoole series, now a major motion picture, Harvard sophomore and writing phenom Noni Carter, author of Good Fortune, and Kristin Cashore, bestselling author of American Library Association’s Best Books for Young Adults Graceling and Fire. Hosted by Sarah Sogigian, Advisor for Youth Services at the Massachusetts Library System.
Participatory
Hidden Treasures: How Much Is It Worth?
Find out what your printed treasures are worth. In an increasingly digital world, printed books are becoming ever more collectible. Bring in your rare and antique books, maps and ephemera for appraisal by some of Boston's most respected industry experts. Sponsored by the Boston Antiquarian Book Fair???
Building Books
Books are filled with endless possibilities, especially when you make them yourself! Join artist, curator and educator Deborah Davidson for an afternoon of bookmaking. With her help, create and decorate your own Folded Star Book and fill its pages with a poem, picture or short story!
Writer Idol
In this freewheeling session, a professional actor will perform the first page of YOUR unpublished manuscript for the audience and a panel of four judges, including Esmond Harmsworth, Sorche Fairbank, Ann Collette and Caroline Zimmerman, all agents and/or editors with years of experience reading unsolicited submissions. Excerpts will be evaluated anonymously, and one winner will be crowned at the end of the session. To participate, you must bring THE FIRST 250 WORDS of your manuscript (fiction or non-fiction only, please) double-spaced, to the session, TITLED, with its genre marked clearly at the top. You will leave it in a box at the front of the room, and manuscripts will be chosen randomly by the actor. Unfortunately, given the volume of submissions, we cannot guarantee that yours will be read aloud. This session is not for the thin-skinned! Presented by Grub Street.
Guided Open Mic
Here’s your chance to show off your writing skills by reading your work to an eager audience and any guest authors, editors or literary agents who drop by. What makes this particular open mic extra special (and unforgettable!) is that it will be hosted by author Steve Almond, who is known for giving excellent readings. Steve will be on hand to talk about what makes a good reading – from how to pick the right excerpt to how to perform that excerpt like a professional. To participate, please bring a FIVE-MINUTE excerpt of your fiction, poetry or non-fiction to the session and sign up for a reading slot when you arrive. Please note that a five-minute reading usually consists of no more than 600 words. We will hold readers to a very strict five-minute limit. Presented by Grub Street.
One City One Story
The Boston Book Festival recently announced One City One Story, a new initiative made possible with support from the Goldhirsh Foundation. The Boston Book Festival will publish the short story, The Smile on Happy Chang’s Face by Tom Perrotta, and will distribute it as a bound booklet to 30,000 Bostonians, free of charge. It will also be available for download in English, Spanish, Portuguese, Chinese and more at www.bostonbookfest.org
.