Boston Book Fest schedule and locations

The Boston Book Festival is set for Oct. 24 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., at the Boston Public Library, Old South Church, Trinity Church and outdoors in Copley Square. We've already named our favorites among the dozens of author events, workshops and whatnot on the bill. Andre Dubus III, Tom Perrotta and Denis Lehane, Anita Shreve and Anita Diamant, richard Russo and John Hodgman ... Unless otherwise noted, events last about an hour and are free to the public. The complete, detailed schedule is out and follows after the jump...

THE BOSTON BOOK FESTIVAL, PRESENTED BY STATE STREET CORPORATION

ANNOUNCES ALL-STAR AUTHOR LINEUP, TIMES AND LOCATIONS

FOR INAUGURAL FESTIVAL OCT. 24, 2009

 

Nobel Prize winner Orhan Pamuk, Richard Russo, Anita Diamant, John Hodgman, Dennis Lehane, "Heroes" creator Tim Kring, Cornel West, Mary Gordon, actress Alicia Silverstone, Michael Patrick MacDonald, Jill Lepore, children's illustrator Chris Van Allsburg and many more scheduled to appear

 

(BOSTON – Oct. 8. 2009) The Boston Book Festival, presented by State Street Corporation, announces a complete schedule for the widely anticipated one day inaugural event. The Boston Book Festival will take place Oct. 24, 2009 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., at the Boston Public Library, Old South Church, Trinity Church and outdoors in Copley Square. Festival events will include presentations and panels featuring 90 internationally-known writers, scholars, critics and commentators; a focus on technology as it relates to reading; programming for children, teens and families; writing workshops and competitions; and spoken word and music performances. Outdoors on the plaza in Copley Square, there will be dozens of exhibitor booths, children’s activities and music. Berklee College of Music bands will perform throughout the day. Exhibitors include the Children’s Museum, E-Ink and 826 Boston. Legal Sea Foods will provide free samples from its Chowder Truck and Green Mountain Coffee will give out free coffee samples.

 

Unless otherwise noted, all events will be held between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. on Oct. 24 in a Copley Square location, and are FREE and open to the public with no reservations required.

 

In addition to the events listed here, Boston Out Loud, a special kick-off event with music and readings, will take place in the evening on Friday, Oct. 23. See the complete press release about the opening event at http://www.ashmontmedia.com/releases/BBF_bol.pdf.

 

Unless otherwise noted, events will run approximately one hour. The schedule is subject to change without notice, and updates will be posted at www.bostonbookfest.org, as well as at www.twitter.com/bostonbookfest.

Complete author biographies are available there now. An alphabetical list of authors appearing is available here: http://www.bostonbookfest.org/index.php/presenters/

 

For more information visit www.bostonbookfest.org or call 617-252-3240.

 

Main Locations:

Boston Public Library, 700 Boylston St.

Old South Church, 645 Boylston St.

Trinity Church, 206 Clarendon St.

 

Jumpstart Your Writing

Trinity Church, Ferris Library, 10 a.m. and 2:30 p.m.

Pre-registration required. 2:30 session is full.

Join one of Grub Street Writers’ award-winning instructors for an hour of innovative and inspiring prompts that will have aspiring writers brainstorming ideas for new stories and writing new scenes. The focus will be on creating memorable characters and settings, inventing plots and improving dialogue. This session is designed for people interested in writing fiction and non-fiction, but poets will also benefit. The morning session is led by Grace Talusan, who teaches writing at Tufts University and contributes regularly to The Rumpus, an online culture magazine. The afternoon session is led by Stace Budzko, writer-in-residence at the Institute of Contemporary Art, Boston. Pre-registration at www.bostonbookfest.org is required to participate. Sponsored by Grub Street.

 

StoryPlace

Boston Public Library Mezzanine Conference Room, 10 a.m.—4 p.m.

FEATURING: Grace Lin, Alicia Potter, Scott Magoon and more

There will be story time and fun for children all day long during the Boston Book Festival in “StoryPlace.” Hear the latest from children’s authors including Alicia Potter (Fritz Danced the Fandango), Katherine Roy (A Kid’s Guide to Boston’s Freedom Trail), Scott Magoon (Mystery Ride) and Grace Lin (Where The Mountain Meets The Moon). Meet Curious George, The Man in the Yellow Hat, Madeline, dancers from The Boston Ballet's The Nutcracker and others. Sponsored by State Street Corporation.

 

Worth 1,000 Words: A Tribute to Chris Van Allsburg

Boston Public Library Rabb Lecture Hall, 10:30 a.m.
FEATURING: Chris Van Allsburg. HOST: Brian Lies

This session celebrates the achievements of beloved author/illustrator Chris Van Allsburg. He is a two-time Caldecott Medal winner for The Polar Express and Jumanji, received a Caldecott Honor for his first book, The Garden of Abdul Gasazi and the Regina Medal for lifetime achievement in children’s literature. During this event, Festival Ballet Providence will bring Chris Van Allsburg's fairy tale to life with an excerpt from their ballet adaptation of the Van Allsburg story, The Widow's Broom. Hosted by New York Times bestselling children’s author and illustrator Brian Lies, whose latest picture book is Bats at the Library. Sponsored by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.

 

Ties that Bind

Old South Church Sanctuary, 11 a.m.
FEATURING: Richard Russo, Michael Thomas, Elinor Lipman. HOST: Bret Anthony Johnston

Two generations of academics are drawn to Cape Cod in Pulitzer Prize-winner Richard Russo’s new novel, That Old Cape Magic. In Man Gone Down, Michael Thomas plumbs the brilliant mind of a black man who came of age during Boston’s busing era, marries a white woman, and has an existential crisis in Brooklyn. Modernizing the classic Manhattan screwball comedy, Elinor Lipman surrounds The Family Man–here a sensible gay dad–with a paparazzi-stalked daughter and a needy, newly widowed ex-wife. Hosted by Bret Anthony Johnston, Director of Creative Writing at Harvard and author of Corpus Christi: Stories.

 

Teen Spoken Word Showcase

Old South Church Mary Norton Hall, 11 a.m.
HOST: Iyeoka Ivie Okoawo
In this spoken word showcase, beautiful, powerful language is transformed into music to convey deep emotions and provocative ideas. Hosted by poet Iyeoka Ivie Okoawo, young Bostonians perform original works as well as those of well-known published poets. These young, dynamic poet/performers are excited to participate in the long tradition of accomplished poetic expression in Massachusetts.
 

Documenting History   

Boston Public Library Rabb Lecture Hall, 11:30 a.m.
FEATURING: Ken Burns, Scout Tufankjian
HOST: Jared Bowen

Documentarians work to answer the question, “Who are we?” Ken Burns, lauded as “the country's most famous documentarian” by the Los Angeles Times, shows clips and talks about his latest film and book, The National Parks: America’s Best Idea. Journalist Scout Tufankjian tells how she reluctantly drove to New Hampshire in 2006 to cover a long-shot candidate named Obama. She stayed and became the only independent photojournalist to cover the entire campaign, chronicled in her book Yes We Can. Hosted by Jared Bowen, Emmy award-winning reporter from WGBH’s Greater Boston.

 

Sexiest Vegetarian Alive: Alicia Silverstone

11:30am

Boston Public Library Popular Reading Room, 11:30 a.m.
FEATURING: Alicia Silverstone. HOST: Billy Costa

Alicia Silverstone, perhaps best known for her generation-defining role in Clueless, is a dedicated advocate for the planet and its animals, and was voted "Sexiest Vegetarian Alive" in 2004. In her new book, The Kind Diet, she shares insights and recipes that encouraged her to swear off meat and dairy forever, and outlines the benefits of adopting a plant-based diet. Hosted by Billy Costa of NECN’s TV Diner and Kiss 108’s Matty in the Morning.

 

Book Worms and Net Crawlers  

Trinity Church Forum, 11:30 a.m.

FEATURING: Ben Mezrich, Ethan Gilsdorf, David Pogue . HOST: Jeffrey Howe

An examination of the ubiquitous internet and the explosion of social media. Ben Mezrich, author of Bringing Down the House, talks about his new book The Accidental Billionaire, a look at the origins of Facebook. Ethan Gilsdorf tells about Fantasy Freaks and Gaming Geeks, a chronicle of his own travels through the worlds of online gaming and live-action role-playing. New York Times technology columnist David Pogue taps into the wit and wisdom of the Twittersphere in his book, The World According to Twitter. Hosted by Wired Magazine contributing editor Jeffrey Howe, author of Crowdsourcing: Why the Power of the Crowd is Driving the Future of Business.

 

Boston Roots

Boston Public Library Abbey Room, 11:30 a.m.
FEATURING: Jane Kamensky, Jill Lepore, John Pipkin, Kathleen Kent. HOST: Megan Marshall

Discover the stories behind three riveting historical novels set in and around Boston. Kathleen Kent’s debut novel, The Heretic’s Daughter, is based on the life of her ancestor who was hanged as a witch in Salem in 1692. Blindspot, by historians Jane Kamensky and Jill Lepore, is a bawdy historical romance set in pre-revolutionary Boston featuring a well-born lady who disguises herself as a painter’s boy apprentice. John Pipkin’s Woodsburner tells of a little-known incendiary event in the life of Henry David Thoreau. Hosted by Megan Marshall, author of The Peabody Sisters: Three Women Who Ignited American Romanticism. Sponsored by Hachette Book Group.

 

John Hodgman Interviewed by Tom Perrotta

Old South Church Sanctuary, 12:30 p.m.
FEATURING: John Hodgman, Tom Perrotta.

Novelist Tom Perrotta made his reputation through attention to craft, with novels including Election, Little Children, and The Abstinence Teacher. His one-time student John Hodgman took a more improbable route to notoriety: by depicting a PC in the “Get a Mac” ads, providing commentary as a “resident expert” on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, and writing the books The Areas of My Expertise and More Information Than You Require. Tom will grill (or perhaps roast, as on a slow-burning fire) the man whose irresistible humor begat Hodgmania on topics ranging from the sublime to the downright silly.

 

Matters of Faith

Boston Public Library Popular Reading Room, 1 p.m.
FEATURING: Cornel West, Harvey Cox, Mary Gordon. HOST: Christopher Lydon

Cornel West is one of America’s most gifted, provocative, and important public intellectuals and author of the bestsellers Race Matters and Democracy Matters. In his poignant new memoir, Brother West, he examines his transformation from a schoolyard Robin Hood to a progressive cultural icon. Harvey Cox is the Hollis Professor of Divinity at Harvard, and the author of The Secular City, which has sold more than one million copies, and most recently, The Future of Faith. Acclaimed novelist Mary Gordon leads the reader on a very personal journey through the Gospels in her new book, Reading Jesus. Christopher Lydon hosts.

 

The Future of Reading: Books Without Pages?

Boston Public Library Rabb Lecture Hall, 1:30—3:00 p.m.
FEATURING: Steve Haber of Sony, Neil Jones of Interead, Mary Lou Jepsen of Pixel Qi, Brewster Kahle of the Internet Archive. HOST: David Pogue

Join New York Times personal technology columnist David Pogue for a look at how reading and books will be experienced in the future. New technology will be showcased by Steve Haber of Sony, Neil Jones of Interead, and Mary Lou Jepsen, founder of Pixel Qi. Digital librarian Brewster Kahle of the Internet Archive will add a big picture perspective on how digitization may change everything. This session will also feature a musical interlude by host David Pogue.

 

We Are The Champions

Trinity Church Forum, 1:30 p.m.
FEATURING: Jackie MacMullan, Glenn Stout, Larry Tye. HOST: Bill Littlefield

Veteran sports commentator and host of WBUR’s “Only A Game,” Bill Littlefield chats with fellow sportswriters about their love of the game. Jackie MacMullan is a frequent ESPN correspondent, a regular (and the only woman) on ESPN’s Around the Horn, and co-author with Larry Bird and Magic Johnson of When The Game Was Ours. The series editor of The Best American Sports Writing since its inception, Glenn Stout is the author of numerous bestselling books including Red Sox Century and his latest, The Young Woman and the Sea. Larry Tye, formerly of The Boston Globe, is the author of Satchel, a new biography of baseball icon Leroy “Satchel” Paige.

 

Guided Open Mic 

Boston Public Library Abbey Room, 1:30 p.m.
HOST: Hank Phillippi Ryan

Writers read their work to an eager audience and any guest authors, editors or literary agents who drop in. This open mic session will be hosted by Channel 7’s Hank Phillippi Ryan, author of Prime Time, Face Time and Air Time, and winner of 24 Emmy awards. Hank will talk about what makes a good reading–from how to pick the right excerpt to how to perform like a professional. She will also read from her own work. To participate, bring a THREE-MINUTE excerpt of original fiction, poetry or non-fiction (no more than 400 words), and sign up for a reading slot on arrival. Sponsored by Grub Street.

 

Spinning a Tale   

Old South Church Mary Norton Hall, 2 p.m.
FEATURING: Irene Smalls, Jay O'Callahan. HOST: Brian O’Donovan

Jay O’Callahan, author of the new picture book Raspberries, grew up telling stories to his younger siblings in Brookline and since then has performed for audiences in Africa, Lincoln Center, NASA, and on public radio. He will be joined by historian and storyteller Irene Smalls, author of Jonathan and His Mommy and the force behind the Literacise exhibition now open at the Boston Public Library. Hosted by Brian O’Donovan, of WGBH’s A Celtic Sojourn. Sponsored by State Street Corporation.

 

Struggles in a Strange Land: The Power of Place

Old South Church Sanctuary, 2 p.m.
FEATURING: Anita Diamant, Elizabeth Nunez, Carolina de Robertis, Anita Shreve. HOST: Kim McLarin

Political and personal upheaval in settings as diverse as a post-WWII British internment camp in Palestine, the hills of Kenya, the mountains of Uruguay and the blue waters of the Caribbean reveal the redemptive bonds of friendship and family. Anita Diamant (Day After Night), Anita Shreve (A Change in Altitude), Elizabeth Nunez (Anna In-Between) and Carolina De Robertis (The Invisible Mountain) discuss their work and the role of place in each. A literary tour, hosted by Kim McLarin, author of Jump at the Sun and host of Basic Black on WGBH. Sponsored by the New Center for Arts and Culture.

 

The Times They Are A' Changin'?

Boston Public Library Popular Reading Room, 2 p.m.

FEATURING: Kurt Andersen, Callie Crossley. HOST: Walter Isaacson

Keen observers of the historical moment discuss the tenor of our times and how this may or may not be a pivotal moment in American culture. Walter Isaacson, author of Einstein: His Life and Universe and head of the Aspen Institute, leads the discussion. Joining him are Callie Crossley, Oscar-nominated documentary filmmaker and a regular panelist on WGBH's "Beat The Press," and Kurt Anderson, host of the radio show “Studio 360” and author of Reset: How This Crisis Can Restore Our Values and Renew America.

 

And Now For Something Completely Different 

Trinity Church Forum, 2:30 p.m.
FEATURING: Paul Tremblay, R. Sikoryak, Jessica Anthony. HOST: Jennifer Haigh

Jessica Anthony is the winner of McSweeney’s Amanda Davis Highwire Fiction Award and the author of the new novel, The Convalescent. Artist R. Sikoryak delivers comic book adaptations of literary classics in Masterpiece Comics. Paul Tremblay’s debut novel, The Little Sleep, is a neo-noir mystery. Hosted by Jennifer Haigh, winner of the 2004 PEN/Hemingway Award for Fiction and author of the new novel, The Condition.

 

The Examined Life: Memoir 

Boston Public Library Abbey Room, 3 p.m.
FEATURING: Leslie Gilbert-Lurie, Michael Greenberg, Michael Patrick MacDonald, Nancy Rappaport. HOST: Alicia Anstead

Leslie Gilbert-Lurie writes about her mother’s experience as a child Holocaust survivor in Bending Toward The Sun. Michael Greenberg tells of his teenage daughter's descent into bipolar mania in Hurry Down Sunshine and life as a writer in Beg, Borrow and Steal. Ten years after publication, Michael Patrick MacDonald's searing memoir, All Souls: A Family Story from Southie, is required reading in many schools. In Her Wake is child psychiatrist Nancy Rappaport’s story of her mother’s suicide. Hosted by journalist Alicia Anstead, editor-in-chief of Inside Arts.

 

Tea with Catie Copley

Fairmont Copley Plaza, 138 St. James Avenue, 3 p.m.

Pre-registration required

FEATURING: Deborah Kovacs, Jared Williams
Catie Copley has a very special job as canine ambassador at the Fairmont Copley Plaza. She lives with Jim, who also works at the hotel, and spends her days in the lobby, sleeping, greeting people, chasing balls, and sleeping some more. Join Catie for juice and cookies at the Fairmont Copley Plaza and meet Deborah Kovacs, the author, and Jared Williams, the illustrator, of Catie’s newest picture book adventure, Catie Copley’s Great Escape. Space is limited. Free pre-registration at www.bostonbookfest.org is required to participate in this event.

 

Digital Inclusion

Boston Public Library Rabb Lecture Hall, 3 p.m.
FEATURING: Nicholas Negroponte, Iqbal Quadir. HOST: TBD

Be inspired by Nicholas Negroponte’s One Laptop Per Child, an initiative to bring a laptop to the world’s poorest children and by Iqbar Quadir, who connected millions of the rural poor in Bangladesh through Grameenphone cell phones and now supports MIT students whose start-ups will have a positive impact on developing countries. Sponsored by Verizon.

 

Beyond the Margins and Between the Lines 

Old South Church Sanctuary, 3:30 p.m.
FEATURING: Reif Larsen, Tim Kring. HOST: Scott Kirsner

Two innovators talk about employing a variety of narrative strategies to tell a story. Tim Kring, developer and executive producer of the blockbuster NBC show Heroes, will give a visual presentation about his use of transmedia storytelling. Reif Larson, whose The Collected Works of T. S. Spivet follows a long tradition of child narrators (think Holden Caulfield) and an even longer tradition of the bildungsroman (think Huck Finn), talks about how his quirky marginalia and drawings add to his stories. Hosted by Boston Globe technology columnist Scott Kirsner, whose new book is Fans, Friends, and Followers. Sponsored by Liberty Mutual.

 

Writer Idol

Old South Church Mary Norton Hall, 3:30 p.m.

Writers bring the first page of unpublished fiction or non-fiction manuscript to this freewheeling session to have a professional actor perform it live before a panel of three experienced agents and editors. The judges will indicate when they’d stop reading and then offer suggestions to the anonymous author. While the judges will be respectful of the work, expect laughter and even scorn from the audience, so this is not for the thin-skinned! Submissions must be 250 words maximum, double-spaced, titled, with the genre marked at the top; not all submissions will be read aloud owing to time constraints. Pages should be submitted at the event between 3:15 and 3:30. Sponsored by Grub Street.

 

The Obama Year

Boston Public Library Rabb Lecture Hall, 4 p.m.
FEATURING: Michael E. Porter, David Gergen, Jack Beatty, Lani Guinier. HOST: Tom Ashbrook

Barack Obama was elected President almost a year ago. Harvard economist and business guru Michael E. Porter, pundit and advisor to presidents past David Gergen, Harvard Law professor Lani Guinier, and Atlantic Monthly senior editor Jack Beatty mix it up with a frank assessment of the President’s progress on his new agenda. NPR and WBUR’s Tom Ashbrook of On Point moderates.

 

Thrillers and Killers

Boston Public Library Popular Reading Room, 4 p.m.
FEATURING: Stephen Carter, Andre Dubus III, Joseph Finder. HOST: Jessica Stern

Jericho’s Fall, the fourth of Yale Law Professor Stephen Carter’s highly regarded novels, unravels the secrets of a former CIA chief. Joe Finder’s latest thriller, Vanished, delves into the murky world of corporate espionage, while Andre Dubus III probes the mind of a terrorist in The Garden of Last Days. Session host Jessica Stern is a top terrorism expert, Academic Director of the Program on Terrorism and the Law at Harvard Law School and a former member of the National Security Council.

 

Poetry as Music

Trinity Church Forum, 4 p.m.

FEATURING: Robert Pinsky with Rakalam Bob Moses and Andrew Urbina   

Experience the intersection of poetry and music with jazz aficionado and former National Poet Laureate Robert Pinsky. The founder of the Favorite Poem Project and professor of creative writing at Boston University, Robert is known for his ability to bring poetry to life as spoken language, as showcased in his collection Essential Pleasures: A New Anthology of Poems to Read Aloud. Robert will give a music-inflected reading, with back-up from jazz musicians Rakalam Bob Moses and Andrew Urbina.

 

Eat Your Words

Boston Public Library Abbey Room, 4 p.m.
FEATURING: Barbara Lynch, Sheryl Julian. HOST: Corby Kummer

James Beard Award-winning superstar chef-owner Barbara Lynch runs seven Boston restaurants including No. 9 Park and B&G Oysters. She is the author of the new cookbook Stir: Mixing It Up in the Italian Tradition. Boston Globe Food editor Sheryl Julian trained at the Cordon Bleu and is the editor of The New Boston Globe Cookbook. Hosted by Corby Kummer, acclaimed food writer and blogger for the Atlantic Monthly and author most recently of The Pleasures of Slow Food: Celebrating Authentic Traditions, Flavors and Recipes.

 

KEYNOTE – Orhan Pamuk: The Museum of Innocence 

Old South Church Sanctuary, 5 p.m.
FEATURING: Orhan Pamuk. HOST: Christopher Lydon

Recipient of the 2006 Nobel Prize for Literature, Orhan Pamuk has written, “I regret that I have not been able to shake off the enlightenment utilitarian idea that books exist to prepare us for life.” Pamuk’s new novel, The Museum of Innocence, his first since winning the Nobel Prize, is described as “a stirring exploration of the nature of romantic attachment and the mysterious allure of collecting.” Pamuk talks about literature, love and life. Hosted by commentator Christopher Lydon. Co-sponsored by PEN New England and the New York Review of Books.

 

Boston Noir Launch 

Boston Public Library Rabb Lecture Hall, 6 - 9 p.m.
FEATURING: Russ Aborn, Brendan DuBois, Dana Cameron, Jim Fusilli, Lynne Heitman. HOST: Dennis Lehane

TICKETS: $15 available now at www.bostonbookfest.org. 21+

Celebrate the launch of the new short story collection Boston Noir with contributing author and master of the art of noir, editor Dennis Lehane. Boston Noir features 11 Boston neighborhoods and nearby communities in stories by contributors including Brendan DuBois, Dana Cameron, Jim Fusilli, Lynne Heitman and Russ Aborn, who will attend the launch event. Expect a dynamic, drama-filled presentation. Afterward, enjoy a literatini, music, and magic. Noirish dress optional; prizes for the best femme fatale and hard-boiled private eye. Limited space. Sponsored by The Boston Phoenix.