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02 / 22
Start: 6:30 pm
Sugar of the Crop: My Journey to Find the Children of Slaves Sana Butler In honor of Black History Month, the Center welcomes Newsweek’s Sana Butler for a conversation about her new book Sugar of the Crop, an account of her ten year odyssey to find and interview the last surviving children of American slaves. Butler will discuss how freed slaves raised their children in the years following the end of the Civil War. She details a race against time to crisscross the country to reveal the hopes and dreams of the first generation of free African Americans. She will discuss the immigrant mentality black parents carried after 1865 as they believed in the Constitution and the potential of a new America.
Annenberg Center for Education and Outreach This is a FREE event; but reservations are required. Please call 215.409.6700, or click here | ||
02 / 23
Start: 7:30 pm
Skinny Couple in a Box Kim Barnouin A former model with a master’s degree in holistic nutrition, Kim Barnouin is co-author, along with Rory Freedman, of the diet book for women Skinny Bitch. With more than two million copies in print, it was a no. 1 New York Times bestseller and has been translated into 20 languages. A frank guide to eating well and losing weight—Dwight Garner called it “a funny foul-mouthed ode to adopting a vegan diet” (The New York Times Book Review)—the book is collected in this new box set along with its male companion, Skinny Bastard.
Central Library This is a FREE event; no tickets or reservations are required. For more information, call 215.567.4341, or click here | ||
02 / 24
Start: 5:30 pm
The Intimate Lives of the Founding Fathers Thomas Fleming A compelling, intimate look at the founders—George Washington, Ben Franklin, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, Alexander Hamilton, and James Madison—and the women who played essential roles in their lives. With his usual storytelling flair and unparalleled research, Fleming nimbly takes us through a great deal of early American history, as his founding fathers strove to reconcile the private and public, often beset by a media every bit as gossip seeking and inflammatory as ours today. He offers a powerful look at the challenges women faced in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. While often brilliant and articulate, the wives of the founding fathers all struggled with the distractions and dangers of frequent childbearing and searing anxiety about infant mortality. All the more remarkable, then, that these women loomed so large in the lives of their husbands—and, in some cases, their country.
Athenaeum of Philadelphia This event is FREE for Athenaeum Members; $10 admission for non-members. Reservations are required; please contact Susan Gallo at 215-925-2688 or sgallo@philaathenaeum.org. For more information, please click here | ||
02 / 25
Start: 7:30 pm
Little Bee Chris Cleave Chris Cleave’s debut novel Incendiary—a fictional narrative of a terrorist bombing in London—appeared in bookstores the same day a series of bombings of London’s public transportation system claimed more than 50 lives. A review in The Washington Post called the book “A mesmerizing tour de force: ragged, breathless, full of raw emotion, the blackest of humor and relentless action.” In Little Bee, Cleave tells the story of a Nigerian orphan named Little Bee and an English couple whose lives become inescapably intertwined. Unflinching and brutal, the book examines the lack of compassion in the world of refugees.
Mornings in Jenin: A Novel Susan Abulhawa Born to Palestinian refugees of the Six-Day War of 1967, Susan Abulhawa faced the disintegration of her family, the loss of their property, and lived in countries all over the world before finally settling in America. An outspoken advocate for Palestinians, she is also the founder of Playgrounds for Palestine, a non-governmental organization that builds playgrounds for children living in occupied areas and refugee camps. Originally published as The Scar of David, Abulhawa’s debut novel, Mornings in Jenin, is a fictionalized account of a Palestinian family forced into the Jenin refugee camp after the formation of Israel in 1948. Profoundly moving, the novel highlights the universal desire of all people for a homeland and brings new light to the lasting conflict in the Middle East.
Central Library This is a FREE event; no tickets or reservations are required. For more information, call 215.567.4341, or click here | ||
02 / 26
Start: 7:30 pm
The Infinities John Banville The Infinities is John Banville’s first literary fiction since his 2005 Man Booker Prize winner The Sea. The Dublin-based writer is the author of 14 previous novels including Kepler and The Book of Evidence. Winner of the James Tait Black Memorial Prize, the Guardian Fiction Award, and a Lannan Literary Award for fiction, Banville writes in a densely wrought, distinctive style that has drawn comparisons to the work of Joyce, Beckett, and Nabokov. In The Infinities, the Godley family gathers as their patriarch lies dying. Around them hovers another family, one of mischievous immortals—among them, Zeus, Pan, and Hermes, the genial and omniscient narrator of the story.
Central Library This is a TICKETED event; $14 General Admission, $7 Students. Tickets on sale Friday, January 15 at 10:00 a.m. at freelibrary.org/authorevents or by phone at 1-800-595-4TIX (4849). For more information, call 215.567.4341, or click here | ||
02 / 27
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02 / 28
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03 / 1
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03 / 2
Start: 7:00 pm
The Happiness Project: Or Why I Spent a Year Trying to Sing in the Morning, Clean My Closets, Fight Right, Read Aristotle, and Generally Have More Fun Gretchen Rubin Gretchen Rubin had an epiphany one rainy afternoon in the unlikeliest of places: a city bus. "The days are long, but the years are short," she realized. "Time is passing, and I'm not focusing enough on the things that really matter." In that moment, she decided to dedicate a year to her happiness project. In this lively and compelling account of that year, Rubin carves out her place alongside the authors of bestselling memoirs such as Julie and Julia, The Year of Living Biblically, and Eat, Pray, Love. With humor and insight, she chronicles her adventures during the twelve months she spent test-driving the wisdom of the ages, current scientific research, and lessons from popular culture about how to be happier.
Hyatt at the Bellevue This is a FREE event; no tickets or reservations are required. For more information, click here Start: 7:30 pm
The Forty Rules of Love: A Novel of Rumi Elif Shafak With more than 150,000 copies sold, Elif Shafak’s The Forty Rules of Love is already a no. 1 bestseller in Turkey. One of the most well-known authors of Turkish descent writing today, Shafak was charged with the crime of “insulting Turkishness” by the Turkish government for her previous novel The Bastard of Istanbul; the critically acclaimed author was ultimately pardoned. In The Forty Rules of Love, Shafak tells the story of a romance between a modern Jewish-American housewife and a male Sufi living in Amsterdam interwoven with a parallel narrative about the intense spiritual bond between the historical figures of Rumi and the Shams of Tabris.
Central Library This is a TICKETED event; $14 General Admission, $7 Students. Tickets on sale Friday, January 15 at 10:00 a.m. at freelibrary.org/authorevents or by phone at 1-800-595-4TIX (4849). For more information, call 215.567.4341, or click here | ||
03 / 3
Start: 6:30 pm
An American Index of the Hidden and Unfamiliar Taryn Simon Artist Taryn Simon assumes the dual role of shrewd informant and collector of curiousities, compiling an inventory of what lies hidden and out-of-view within the borders of the United States. She examines American culture through careful documentation of diverse subjects from the realms of science, government, medicine, entertainment, nature, security, and religion. Transforming the unknown into a seductive and intelligible form, Simon confronts the divide between those with and without the privilege of access. Her sometimes ethereal, sometimes foreboding compositions, shot with a large-format view camera over a four-year period, vary as much as her subject matter, which ranges from radioactive capsules at a nuclear waste storage facility to live HIV and medical waste to a black bear in hibernation. For more information on Taryn Simon, please click here
The College of Physicians of Philadelphia This is a FREE event, but reservations are requested. Please call 215.563.3737, or click here | ||
03 / 4
Start: 7:30 pm
My Dream of Stars: From Daughter of Iran to Space Pioneer Anousheh Ansari On September 18, 2006, Anousheh Ansari became the first astronaut of Iranian descent, the first female private space explorer, and the fourth person ever to purchase a ride into space. Fleeing the Islamic Revolution in Iran, Ansari immigrated to the United States when she was 16 years old. Eventually, as co-founder of Telecom Technologies, she amassed a personal fortune that would fund her way to the International Space Station. The blog she maintained while in space attracted a record 25 million readers; My Dream of the Stars is her account of her groundbreaking journey. More than just an astronaut story, her memoir is a message of hope for people struggling to overcome economic and cultural barriers. Co-author of My Dream of Stars, Homer Hickam wrote the no. 1 New York Times bestseller Rocket Boys, which was adapted into the major theatrical release, October Sky. He is the author of eight other books, including the 1989 military nonfiction bestseller Torpedo Junction and the New York Times bestseller Back to the Moon. A One Book, One Philadelphia program. For more information call 215-567-7710.
Central Library This is a FREE event; no tickets or reservations are required. For more information, call 215.567.4341, or click here | ||
03 / 5
Start: 8:00 pm
My Footprint: Carrying the Weight of the World Jeff Garlin My Footprint documents Jeff Garlin's hysterical journey to lessen both his physical and carbon footprint. Comedian and actor Jeff Garlin is best known for his work on Curb Your Enthusiasm. Garlin also spent three seasons on NBC's Mad About You in the role of Marvin, and has a variety of television and film appearances to his credit including Dr. Katz, Arrested Development, Everybody Loves Raymond, The Late Show with David Letterman, Tom Goes to the Mayor, The Daily Show, Late Night with Conan O'Brien, Daddy Day Care, and WALL-E. He has also had his own HBO half-hour comedy special.
Helium Comedy Club This is a TICKETED event; $25 General admission. For tickets and more information, please call 215.496.9001, or click here | ||
03 / 6
Start: 2:00 pm
The End of Days: Armageddon and Prophecies of the Return Zecharia Sitchin In The End of Days, the conclusion to the Earth Chronicles series, bestselling author Zecharia Sitchin treats ancient Sumerian writings and biblical tales not as mythology, but as records and recollections of mankind’s past.
Central Library This is a FREE event; no tickets or reservations are required. For more information, call 215.567.4341, or click here | ||
03 / 7
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03 / 8
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03 / 9
Start: 7:30 am
ROAR! Get Heard in the Sales and Marketing Jungle Kevin Daum Please join the CEO Think Tank for their Fourth Annual Growth Strategies Breakfast. In today’s business world great is not good enough. If you want to attract and retain customers you have to stand out by "Creating the Awesome Experience". Come hear author, Smart Business Magazine columnist, and Inc. 500 entrepreneur Kevin Daum as he shares with you how to separate your business from the crowd by creating the convergence of need, entertainment and the unexpected. Kevin will show you the three components you must master in your business including compelling messaging, intentional marketing and memorable delivery. His marketing methods have resulted in over a billion dollars in sales and numerous book deals. He’ll reveal the 3500-year-old-secret of success from his forthcoming book ROAR! Get Heard in the Sales and Marketing Jungle, and share adventures from his quest for the Jewish Super Bowl Ring. Please note, ROAR! Get Heard in the Sales and Marketing Jungle, will NOT be available for sale at this event. Pre-order a copy through this website or by calling the bookshop at 215.563.4184. All advance orders will recieve a 20% discount; orders will be filled upon the official book publication in April. Union League of Philadelphia 140 South Broad Street Philadelphia, PA, 19102 This is a TICKETED event, for more information, including pricing and registration, please click here For more info on Kevin Daum, his book and quest, check out his blog and video at www.AwesomeRoar.com Start: 6:00 pm
The Future of the Past: A Conservation Ethic for Architecture, Urbanism, and Historic Preservation Steven W. Semes A comprehensive and eloquent argument for "new traditional" architecture that preserves the style and character of historic buildings. With contemporary design being redefined by architects and urbanists who are recovering the historic language associated with traditional architecture and the city, how might preservation change its focus or update its mission? Steven W. Semes makes a persuasive case that context matters and that new buildings and additions to old buildings should be harmonious with their neighbors.
Athenaeum of Philadelphia This event is FREE for Athenaeum Members, Classical America, Preservation Alliance and AIA Members; $10 admission for non-members. Reservations are required; please contact Susan Gallo at 215-925-2688 or sgallo@philaathenaeum.org. For more information, please click here Start: 7:30 pm
The Ask Sam Lipsyte A master of dark satire and a purveyor of quick, witty language, Sam Lipsyte “shows off the prose equivalent of three chords on a one-string guitar” (Kirkus Reviews). His short story collection Venus Drive was named one of the top 25 books of the year by the Voice Literary Supplement, and his latest novel, Home Land, was awarded the first annual Believer Book Award and was a 2005 New York Times Notable Book. In The Ask, development officer Milo Burke struggles to keep his job by courting a former classmate for a donation.
Union Atlantic Adam Haslett Adam Haslett’s first collection of short stories, You Are Not a Stranger Here, was a finalist for the National Book Award and the Pulitzer Prize and won the 2003 L.L. Winship PEN New England Award. A reviewer in the New York Times Book Review called the collection the “herald of a phenomenal career.” Union Atlantic, Haslett’s debut novel, tells of the legal struggle between a banker and a retired schoolteacher over rights to build on land that the schoolteacher’s grandfather donated to her town. Characterizing Haslett’s stories in a Salon.com review, Laura Miller wrote, “The twist in an Adam Haslett story is often a revelation about who is actually the stronger in a pair of characters.”
Central Library This is a FREE event; no tickets or reservations are required. For more information, call 215.567.4341, or click here | ||
03 / 10
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03 / 11
Start: 7:30 pm
Encyclopedia of Africa Kwame Anthony Appiah Philosopher and scholar Kwame Anthony Appiah is president of the PEN American Center and a professor at Princeton University. He is the author of a collection of essays on African-American identity called In My Father’s House and co-author of the nonfiction book Color Consciousness: The Political Morality of Race. He collaborated with Henry Louis Gates, Jr., to complete Africana, which became the basis for the revised and expanded Encyclopedia of Africa. Providing the most current and extensive coverage of the region, the Encyclopedia of Africa profiles prominent individuals and outlines significant events, places, political movements, art forms, religions, and ethnic groups throughout Africa.
Central Library This is a FREE event; no tickets or reservations are required. For more information, call 215.567.4341, or click here | ||
03 / 12
Start: 4:00 pm
End: 6:00 pm
The Color of Style David Zyla Please join Boyds Philadelphia for a fashionable book signing event with David Zyla, stylist to the stars and head costume designer for All My Children. David will be highlighting essential fashion tips from his new book and sharing his expertise. He'll help you select your own color palette for the new fashion season while you shop for the new spring collections! Women's Store 3rd Floor
Boyds Philadelphia This is a FREE event, but reservations are required. Please email rsvp@boydsphila.com | ||
03 / 13
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03 / 14
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03 / 15
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03 / 16
Start: 7:30 pm
Ngugi wa Thiong'o Dreams in a Time War: A Childhood Memoir A novelist and a theorist of post-colonial literature at the University of California, Irvine, Ngugi wa Thiong’o is one of Kenya’s best-known public intellectuals. In 1977, following the publication of his novel Petals of Blood—which relates the disillusionment of people living in post-independence Kenya—he was arrested and imprisoned without charge. Now, living in exile for more than 20 years, Thiong’o still writes for the oppressed Kenyan working class. His novels include A Grain of Wheat, Matigari, and the highly praised Wizard of the Crow. In his new memoir, Dreams in a Time of War, Thiong’o recalls growing up under British colonialist rule and his survival during the war for independence in Kenya.
Central Library This is a FREE event; no tickets or reservations are required. For more information, call 215.567.4341, or click here | ||
03 / 17
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03 / 18
Start: 6:30 pm
The Breakthrough: Politics and Race in the Age of Obama Gwen Ifill
Sweet Land of Liberty: The Forgotten Struggle for Civil Rights in the North Thomas J. Sugrue On the two-year anniversary of then-Senator Barack Obama's pivotal campaign speech, A More Perfect Union, Gwen Ifill, moderator and managing editor of Washington Week and senior correspondent for The PBS Newshour, Martin Luther King III, Founding President and CEO of Realizing the Dream, Inc., and Thomas J. Sugrue, David Boies Professor of History and Sociology at the University of Pennsylvania, will join the National Constitution Center for an open dialogue on race, moderated by Charles A. Williams III, assistant clinical professor and director of the Center for the Prevention of School-Aged Violence at Drexel University. Before joining the panel, Dr. Michael L. Lomax, President and CEO of UNCF (the United Negro College Fund), will begin the conversation with a presentation proposing that education leads America's racial priorities. Annenberg Center for Outreach and Education F.M. Kirby Auditorium
National Constitution Center This is a FREE event; reservations are required. For more information, call 215.409.6700, or click here Start: 7:30 pm
Dimiter William Peter Blatty An Academy Award-winning screenwriter and producer, William Peter Blatty is the author of the iconic horror novel The Exorcist. Based loosely on a real-life possession story, the book sold more than 13 million copies and remained on the New York Times Best Sellers list for more than 55 weeks. The 1973 film adaptation broke box office records and effectively set the standard by which horror movies are still measured. Blatty wrote two bestselling books following The Exorcist: The Ninth Configuration and Legion, and he wrote and directed the film The Exorcist III: Legion. Set in 1970’s Albania, Dimiter—Blatty’s first full-length novel since Legion—is a chilling psychological drama that opens on a torture table. This is a FREE event; no tickets or reservations are required. For more information, call 215.567.4341, or click here | ||
03 / 19
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03 / 20
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03 / 21
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03 / 22
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03 / 23
Start: 7:30 pm
The Things They Carried Tim O'Brian Now in its 20th year of publication, Tim O’Brien’s modern classic The Things They Carried has more than two million copies in print. A finalist for the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Critics Circle Award, The Things They Carried is a collection of short stories that form a fictionalized account of O’Brien’s military service during the Vietnam War. In her New York Times review of the book, Michiko Kakutani commented, “Mr. O’Brien has written a vital, important book—a book that matters not only to the reader interested in Vietnam, but to anyone interested in the craft of writing as well.” O’Brien won the 1979 National Book Award for Going After Cacciato, and his other books include If I Die in a Combat Zone: Box Me Up and Ship Me Home, Tomcat in Love, and July, July. This is a TICKETED event; $14 General Admission, $7 Students. Tickets on sale Friday, January 15 at 10:00 a.m. at freelibrary.org/authorevents or by phone at 1-800-595-4TIX (4849). For more information, call 215.567.4341, or click here | ||
03 / 24
Start: 6:30 pm
Appetite for America: How Visionary Businessman Fred Harvey Built a Railroad Hospitality Empire That Civilized the Wild West Stephen Fried The legendary life and entrepreneurial vision of Fred Harvey helped shape American culture and history for three generations—from the 1880s all the way through World War II—and still influence our lives today in surprising and fascinating ways. Now award-winning journalist Stephen Fried re-creates the life of this unlikely American hero, the founding father of the nation’s service industry, whose remarkable family business civilized the West and introduced America to Americans. Appetite for America is the incredible real-life story of Fred Harvey—told in depth for the first time ever—as well as the story of this country’s expansion into the Wild West of Bat Masterson and Billy the Kid, of the great days of the railroad, of a time when a deal could still be made with a handshake and the United States was still uniting. As a young immigrant, Fred Harvey worked his way up from dishwasher to household name: He was Ray Kroc before McDonald’s, J. Willard Marriott before Marriott Hotels, Howard Schultz before Starbucks. His eating houses and hotels along the Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe railroad (including historic lodges still in use at the Grand Canyon) were patronized by princes, presidents, and countless ordinary travelers looking for the best cup of coffee in the country. Harvey’s staff of carefully screened single young women—the celebrated Harvey Girls—were the country’s first female workforce and became genuine Americana, even inspiring an MGM musical starring Judy Garland. With the verve and passion of Fred Harvey himself, Stephen Fried tells the story of how this visionary built his business from a single lunch counter into a family empire whose marketing and innovations we still encounter in myriad ways. Inspiring, instructive, and hugely entertaining, Appetite for America is historical biography that is as richly rewarding as a slice of fresh apple pie—and every bit as satisfying.
Power Plant Studios This is a FREE event; no tickets or reservations are required. For more information, please click here.
Start: 7:30 pm
Elizabeth Cady Stanton: An American Life Lori D. Ginzberg Elizabeth Cady Stanton was one of the best-known advocates of women’s suffrage in the 19th century. Outspoken, energetic, and controversial, she organized the first Women's Rights Convention in 1848 and, with Susan B. Anthony, co-founded the National Woman Suffrage Association in 1869. She spent her life writing and speaking about women’s rights, but her views on class, race, and intellect, are characterized by a startling elitism. Lori D. Ginzberg, a professor of history and women’s studies at Pennsylvania State University and author of Untidy Origins: A Story of Woman’s Rights in Antebellum New York, is at once critical and admiring in this new biography that examines Stanton’s ambiguous legacy.
Central Library This is a FREE event; no tickets or reservations are required. For more information, call 215.567.4341, or click here | ||
03 / 25
Start: 6:00 pm
Cezanne's Quarry Barbara Pope "At the beginning of 1885, Cezanne's lonely contemplation of nature was interrupted by a violent love affair with a woman about whom little is known except that he met her in Aix" -- John Rewald, Cezanne A beautiful young woman is found murdered in Aix-en-Provence...and the clues toward her death point to her spurned lover, Paul Cezanne. Could he be a killer? Barbara Pope, Professor Emerita of Women's and Gender Studies at the University of Oregon and the author of Cezanne's Quarry, animates her canvas with many vivid period details. Francophiles, history buffs, and art lovers will find much to savor. This lecture and booksigning includes cocktails, Provencal drinks, and hors d'oeuvre.
Ethical Society of Philadelphia This is a TICKETED event; admission is $15 for Alliance Francaise and American Association of Teachers of French, $25 for non AF/AATF. Seating is limited, please call the Alliance Francaise for reservations at 215-735-5283. Start: 7:30 pm
This Book Is Overdue!: How Librarians and Cybrarians Can Save Us All Marilyn Johnson Journalist Marilyn Johnson has been a staff writer for Life and an editor at Esquire, Redbook, and Outside. An obituary expert, she is the author of The Dead Beat and has written obituaries for Princess Diana, Jackie Onassis, Katharine Hepburn, Johnny Cash, Bob Hope, and Marlon Brando. In her kaleidoscopic new book, Johnson argues that far from being obsolete, libraries and librarians are essential in facilitating the new information revolution. Nora Rawlinson declares in EarlyWord that This Book is Overdue! “does for the library profession what Malcolm Gladwell did for the theory of memetics in The Tipping Point.”
Central Library This is a FREE event; no tickets or reservations are required. For more information, call 215.567.4341, or click here | ||
03 / 26
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03 / 27
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03 / 28
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03 / 29
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03 / 30
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03 / 31
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04 / 1
Start: 7:30 pm
Noir: A Novel Robert Coover Robert Coover is an avant-garde novelist, critic, and playwright whose work combines fact with fiction and twists familiar stories in ways that expose the absurdities of modern society. He is the author of the William Faulkner Award winner The Origin of the Brunists and the acclaimed novels The Public Burning, Spanking the Maid, Gerald's Party, Pinocchio in Venice, John's Wife, Ghost Town, and Briar Rose, among many others. With Noir, Coover—who was described in the New York Times as “a one-man Big Bang of exploding creative force”—creates a classic crime story in which nothing is what it seems to be.
Central Library This is a FREE event; no tickets or reservations are required. For more information, call 215.567.4341, or click here | ||
04 / 2
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04 / 3
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04 / 4
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04 / 5
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04 / 6
Start: 6:15 pm
No Apology: The Case for American Greatness Mitt Romney In No Apology, Mitt Romney asserts that American strength is essential—not just for our own well-being, but for the world’s. Governments such as China and a newly-robust Russia threaten to overtake us on many fronts, and Islam continues its dangerous rise. Drawing on history for lessons on how great powers collapse, Romney shows how and why our national advantages have eroded. From the long-term decline of our manufacturing base, our laggard educational system that has left us without enough engineers, scientists, and other skilled professionals, our corrupted financial practices that led to the current crisis, and the crushing impact of entitlements on our future obligations, America is in debt, overtaxed, and unprepared for the challenges it must face. We need renewal: fresh ideas to cut through complicated problems and restore our strength. Creative and bold, Romney proposes simple solutions to rebuild industry, create good jobs, reduce out of control spending on entitlements and healthcare, dramatically improve education, and restore a military battered by eight years of war. Most important, he calls for a new commitment to citizenship, a common cause we all share, rather than a laundry list of individual demands. Many of his solutions oppose President Obama’s policies, many also run counter to Republican thinking, but all have one strategic aim: to move America back to political and economic strength. Personal and dynamically-argued, No Apology is a call to action by a man who cares deeply about America’s history, its promise, and its future.
Loews Philadelphia Hotel This is a TICKETED event, for more information including pricing and registration, please call 215.561.4700, or click here. | ||
04 / 7
Start: 7:30 pm
How to Walk to School: Blueprint for a Neighborhood School Renaissance Jacqueline Edelberg When two moms ventured inside their neighborhood’s struggling public elementary school, the new principal asked what it would take for them to enroll their children. Sensing opportunity, they returned the next day with an extensive wish list. The principal read their list and said, “Well, let’s get started, girls! It’s going to be a busy year…” In How to Walk to School, Jacqueline Edelberg, the neighborhood mom, and Susan Kurland, the school principal, provide a blueprint for reclaiming public education based on their efforts to transform their own challenged urban school into one of Chicago’s best.
Central Library This is a FREE event; no tickets or reservations are required. For more information, call 215.567.4341, or click here | ||
04 / 8
Start: 7:30 pm
The Big Short: Inside the Doomsday Machine Michael Lewis Acid yet entertaining, Michael Lewis is a skilled chronicler of our times. He was a top bond salesman at Salomon Brothers before he left to become a writer, and Liar’s Poker, his semiautobiographical account of life on Wall Street in the 1980s, is considered one of the defining books of that time. He has gone on to tackle topics from Silicon Valley (The New New Thing and Next) to the electoral process (Trail Fever) to sports (Moneyball). His book about football, The Blind Side, was recently adapted into a movie starring Sandra Bullock. Now, he returns to his financial roots with The Big Short, a look at the 2008 crash of the United States economy.
Central Library This is a TICKETED event; $14 General Admission, $7 Students. Tickets on sale Friday, January 15 at 10:00 a.m. at freelibrary.org/authorevents or by phone at 1-800-595-4TIX (4849). For more information, call 215.567.4341, or click here | ||
04 / 9
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04 / 10
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04 / 11
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04 / 12
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04 / 13
Start: 7:30 pm
Soul of a Citizen: Living with Conviction in a Cynical Time Paul Rogat Loeb A lifelong participant in social and environmental causes, Seattle-based scholar, Paul Rogat Loeb calls for a renewal of personal engagement and a return to the community involvement and activism of the 60s. In this updated edition of his best-selling Soul of a Citizen, Loeb profiles new stories of social commitment, drawing inspiration from the accomplishments of individuals who believe that striving for a better world is worth the effort. Howard Zinn pronounced it, “An essential book for anyone who wants to work for change.”
Central Library This is a FREE event; no tickets or reservations are required. For more information, call 215.567.4341, or click here | ||
04 / 14
Start: 7:30 pm
How to Hire A-Players: Finding the Top People for Your Team - Even If You Don't Have a Recruiting Department Eric Herrenkohl How to find great employees, make great hires, and take your business to the next level It is always easy to find people who want a job, but it's never easy to find and hire A-players. In How to Hire A-Players, consultant Eric Herrenkohl shows owners, executives, and managers of small and medium-size businesses where and how to find A-player employees. It is these individuals who will help keep quality high and growth and profits strong. Herrenkohl explains how to use your existing marketing, sales, and networking efforts to find top candidates. He provides current examples of companies that consistently hire A-players without big recruiting departments as well as step-by-step explanations for making these strategies work in your own company.
A-player employees are the life blood of any growing business. This handy hiring guide shows you where to look, what to ask, and who to hire to boost your business today
Annenberg Center for Outreach and Education F.M. Kirby Auditorium
National Constitution Center This is a FREE event; no tickets or reservations are required. For more information, call 215.409.6700, or click here
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04 / 15
Start: 5:30 pm
ROAR! Get Heard in the Sales and Marketing Jungle Kevin Daum Please join us at the Sofitel Philadelphia for the Philadelphia book launch of marketing consultant Kevin Daum's ROAR! Get Heard in the Sales and Marketing Jungle. Kevin is an author, marketer, and Inc. 500 entrepreneur who combines 25 years of experience in theatre, finance and marketing. Kevin has used his expertise and writing to help individuals build their dream homes, manage the financial aspects of going green and communicate effectively to reach their goals in business and life. ROAR! is a captivating business parable that reveals exactly how to create the right marketing message, deliver it consistently, connect with different buyers, run a business efficiently, and still have plenty of time for family. It may be a jungle out there, but it's a little less scary once you know how to ROAR! The Joseph Fox Bookshop would like to extend our thanks to Sofitel Philadelphia for graciously hosting this special event. Please visit Sofitel Philadelphia for more information about this refined 4-star hotel, offering the height of contemporary comfort and convenience in downtown Philadelphia. Sofitel Philadelphia 120 South 17th Street Philadelphia, PA, 19103 This is a FREE event, but reservations are required. RSVP for this special book launch at http://registration.sbnonline.com/KevinDaum or email ccalfee@sbonlie.com For more information about Kevin Daum, please visit his website. | ||
04 / 16
Start: 10:00 am
Start: Fri, 04/16/2010 - 10:00am
End: Sat, 04/17/2010 - 6:00pm
GreenSense for the Home: Rating the Real Payoff from 50 Green Home Projects Kevin Daum and Eric Corey Freed Please join Kevin Daum at the Philadelphia Go Green Expo, one of the nation's largest eco-friendly business and consumer lifestyle showcases. Go Green Expo invites business leaders, eco-minded consumers and their families to explore every aspect of green living and sustainable business practices including energy, home and building, transportation, electronics, food, and health & beauty. Kevin will join various eco-experts for the lectures "Greening Your Business" (Friday, April 16th at 11:00AM), covering all aspects of managing a business in a sustainable, eco-conscious way, and "Living Eco-logically/Green Homes" (Saturday, April 17th at 3:00PM), evaluating costs and relative values of environmentally friendly home improvements, including converting to solar energy, composting and recycling, upgrading appliances, and building with reclaimed materials. Greater Philadelphia Expo Center This is a TICKETED event; for complete Go Green Expo information, please click here | ||
04 / 17
End: 6:00 pm
Start: Fri, 04/16/2010 - 10:00am
End: Sat, 04/17/2010 - 6:00pm
GreenSense for the Home: Rating the Real Payoff from 50 Green Home Projects Kevin Daum and Eric Corey Freed Please join Kevin Daum at the Philadelphia Go Green Expo, one of the nation's largest eco-friendly business and consumer lifestyle showcases. Go Green Expo invites business leaders, eco-minded consumers and their families to explore every aspect of green living and sustainable business practices including energy, home and building, transportation, electronics, food, and health & beauty. Kevin will join various eco-experts for the lectures "Greening Your Business" (Friday, April 16th at 11:00AM), covering all aspects of managing a business in a sustainable, eco-conscious way, and "Living Eco-logically/Green Homes" (Saturday, April 17th at 3:00PM), evaluating costs and relative values of environmentally friendly home improvements, including converting to solar energy, composting and recycling, upgrading appliances, and building with reclaimed materials. Greater Philadelphia Expo Center This is a TICKETED event; for complete Go Green Expo information, please click here Start: 11:00 am
Start: Sat, 04/17/2010 - 11:00am
End: Sun, 04/18/2010 - 6:00pm
Free Library Festival Join us for the 4th annual Free Library Festival at the Parkway Central Library on Saturday and Sunday, April 17 & 18, 2010, from 11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. The Festival weekend will be packed with free events for the whole family, including celebrity author appearances, live musical performances, and children’s authors and entertainment—plus a bustling Street Fair and Literary Marketplace showcasing what’s new in the publishing world. The Joseph Fox Bookshop will be the official bookseller for all adult author events. Check back regularly for individual event listings. For more information about the Free Library Festival, please click here Start: 12:00 pm
If I Loved You, I Would Tell You This Robin Black Robin Black’s stories and personal essays have appeared in numerous publications including Alaska Quarterly Review, Colorado Review, Bellevue Literary Review, The Southern Review, and the anthology The Best Creative Nonfiction. She has received multiple special mentions by the Pushcart Prizes, as well as fellowships from the Leeway Foundation and the MacDowell Colony. Of her debut collection, author Jim Shepard writes, “Few first collections … are as intelligent and as moving about both the durability of love and the implacability of loss.” Writers Salon: Room 108
Free Library Festival Festival events are free and open to the public. Seating begins 15 minutes prior to event start times. Seating is first come, first seated. Space is limited in some venues. Authors will be on-hand to sign copies of their books after their events, unless noted. Books are sold on-site. For more information about this event, please click here For more information about the Free Library Festival, please click here Start: 12:00 pm
Be U: Be Honest, Be Beautiful, Be Intentional, Be Strong, Be You! Tina Campbell of the urban gospel duo Mary Mary The urban gospel duo Mary Mary, comprised of sisters Erica and Tina Campbell, first came to national attention with a song for the Prince of Egypt soundtrack. Since then, they have released five platinum- or gold-certified albums, and have won three Grammy Awards, two American Music Awards, an NAACP Image Award, and a BET Award, among others. Their music is widely praised for crossing genre boundaries, with gospel songs including “Shackles (Praise You),” “Get Up,” and “God In Me,” all of which became top hits on both R&B and pop music charts. Their first book, Be U encourages young women to discover themselves by focusing on their natural beauty, and utilizing their unique inner strengths and talents.
Main Stage
Free Library Festival Festival events are free and open to the public. Seating begins 15 minutes prior to event start times. Seating is first come, first seated. Space is limited in some venues. Authors will be on-hand to sign copies of their books after their events, unless noted. Books are sold on-site. For more information about this event, please click here For more information about the Free Library Festival, please click here Start: 12:00 pm
The Stranger Manual Catie Rosemurgy The recipient of a Rona Jaffe Award for Emerging Female Writers and a National Endowment for the Arts Fellowship, Catie Rosemurgy contributes poetry to a number of periodicals, including Best American Poetry, Ploughshares, River Styx, Verse, and Poetry Northwest. In a review of her first book of poetry, My Favorite Apocalypse, former U.S. Poet Laureate Billy Collins praised her “clear, authentic, compelling voice.” The Stranger Manual is her second collection of poems, all following the story of the eccentric original character Miss Peach. Skyline Room
Free Library Festival Festival events are free and open to the public. Seating begins 15 minutes prior to event start times. Seating is first come, first seated. Space is limited in some venues. Authors will be on-hand to sign copies of their books after their events, unless noted. Books are sold on-site. For more information about this event, please click here For more information about the Free Library Festival, please click here Start: 1:00 pm
Caught Harlan Coben Mystery writer Harlan Coben has won the Edgar Award, the Shamus Award, and the Anthony Award; he is the first author ever to win all three. His books have debuted at #1 on the New York Times Best Sellers list, and his novel Tell No One was adapted into a critically acclaimed French film. The author of more than 37 books, his work includes bestselling novels Long Lost and Hold Tight, as well as the Myron Bolitar mysteries, stories of an ex-basketball star turned sports agent who works part-time as a private investigator. Caught is his latest thriller. Main Stage
Free Library Festival Festival events are free and open to the public. Seating begins 15 minutes prior to event start times. Seating is first come, first seated. Space is limited in some venues. Authors will be on-hand to sign copies of their books after their events, unless noted. Books are sold on-site. For more information about this event, please click here For more information about the Free Library Festival, please click here Start: 1:00 pm
The Girl Who Fell From the Sky Heidi W. Durrow A timely and moving bicultural coming-of-age tale about the daughter of a Danish immigrant and an African-American G.I., Heidi W. Durrow’s debut novel, The Girl Who Fell From the Sky, is the winner of the 2008 Bellwether Prize for best fiction manuscript addressing issues of social justice. In the tradition of Jamaica Kincaid's Annie John and Toni Morrison's The Bluest Eye, The Girl Who Fell From the Sky is a portrait of a young girl—and society’s ideas of race, class, and beauty. Durrow is the co-host of the award-winning weekly podcast Mixed Chicks Chat, and the co-founder and co-producer of the Mixed Roots Film & Literary Festival, an annual free public event, that celebrates stories of the Mixed experience. Writers Salon: Room 108
Free Library Festival Festival events are free and open to the public. Seating begins 15 minutes prior to event start times. Seating is first come, first seated. Space is limited in some venues. Authors will be on-hand to sign copies of their books after their events, unless noted. Books are sold on-site. For more information about this event, please click here For more information about the Free Library Festival, please click here Start: 1:00 pm
Morning Haiku Sonia Sanchez An acclaimed poet, activist, and scholar, Sonia Sanchez is the former Laura Carnell Professor of English and Women's Studies at Temple University. Called a “lion in literature’s forest” by Maya Angelou, Sanchez has written more than a dozen books of poetry, including the American Book Award-winner Homegirls and Handgrenades. Her new book of poems is a collection of haiku that celebrates the lives and mourns the deaths of revered African-American leaders. Skyline Room
Free Library Festival Festival events are free and open to the public. Seating begins 15 minutes prior to event start times. Seating is first come, first seated. Space is limited in some venues. Authors will be on-hand to sign copies of their books after their events, unless noted. Books are sold on-site. For more information about this event, please click here For more information about the Free Library Festival, please click here Start: 2:00 pm
The Eerie Silence: Renewing the Search for Alien Intelligence Paul Davies The acclaimed British-born theoretical physicist, cosmologist, and astrobiologist Paul Davies is the director of the Beyond Center for Fundamental Concepts in Science and co-director of the Cosmology Initiative, both at Arizona State University. He also chairs the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence’s (SETI) Post-Detection Taskgroup. Among his numerous scientific distinctions, Davies is a recipient of the prestigious Templeton Prize for his work on science and religion. His writings include the bestsellers The Mind of God, About Time, How to Build a Time Machine, The Fifth Miracle, and The Goldilocks Enigma. In his provocative new book, Davies challenges existing ideas of what form an alien intelligence might take, how it might try to communicate with us, and how we should respond if we ever do make contact.
Main Stage
Free Library Festival Festival events are free and open to the public. Seating begins 15 minutes prior to event start times. Seating is first come, first seated. Space is limited in some venues. Authors will be on-hand to sign copies of their books after their events, unless noted. Books are sold on-site. For more information about this event, please click here For more information about the Free Library Festival, please click here Start: 3:00 pm
Kitty Kelley Oprah: A Biography Kitty Kelley is the most widely read biographer of our times. Her previous subjects have included the Bush dynasty (The Family), the British royal family (The Royals), Nancy Reagan (Nancy Reagan: The Unauthorized Biography), and Frank Sinatra (His Way)—each of these books debuted at #1 on the New York Times Best Sellers list. With Oprah: A Biography, she brings new insight into the life of talk show icon Oprah Winfrey. Based on years of research and reporting, as well as 850 interviews with sources, many of whom have never before spoken for publication, Oprah is the first comprehensive biography of one of the most influential, powerful, and admired public figures of our time.
Main Stage
Free Library Festival Festival events are free and open to the public. Seating begins 15 minutes prior to event start times. Seating is first come, first seated. Space is limited in some venues. Authors will be on-hand to sign copies of their books after their events, unless noted. Books are sold on-site. For more information about this event, please click here For more information about the Free Library Festival, please click here Start: 2:00 pm
The Surrendered Chang-rae Lee Native Speaker, Chang-rae Lee’s widely acclaimed debut novel, explored the alienation that modern-day immigrants face—from both American culture and the cultures they leave behind. The book went on to win several awards, including the Hemingway Foundation/PEN Award for first fiction. His subsequent novels, the New York Times bestseller Aloft and the New York Times Notable Book A Gesture Life, reflect on similar themes. The Surrendered, his new novel, “looks to be Lee’s epic masterpiece,” commented novelist Junot Díaz. Following three characters throughout the Korean War and well into its aftermath, the novel “bursts with drama and human anguish as it documents the ravages and indelible effects of war…not to be missed,” (Publishers Weekly, starred review). Room 108
Free Library Festival Festival events are free and open to the public. Seating begins 15 minutes prior to event start times. Seating is first come, first seated. Space is limited in some venues. Authors will be on-hand to sign copies of their books after their events, unless noted. Books are sold on-site. For more information about this event, please click here For more information about the Free Library Festival, please click here Start: 2:00 pm
The Living Fire: New and Selected Poems Edward Hirsch The president of the Guggenheim Memorial Foundation and a former MacArthur fellow, Edward Hirsch received the Lavan Younger Poets Award from the Academy of American Poets for his first book of poetry, For the Sleepwalkers, and the National Book Critics Circle Award for his second collection, Wild Gratitude. He has since written five more books of poetry and the bestselling nonfiction guide, How to Read a Poem. His work is regularly published in national poetry journals and magazines, including the Paris Review and American Poetry Review. Skyline Room
Free Library Festival Festival events are free and open to the public. Seating begins 15 minutes prior to event start times. Seating is first come, first seated. Space is limited in some venues. Authors will be on-hand to sign copies of their books after their events, unless noted. Books are sold on-site. For more information about this event, please click here For more information about the Free Library Festival, please click here Start: 3:00 pm
A User's Guide to the Universe: Surviving the Perils of Black Holes, Time Paradoxes, and Quantum Uncertainty Dave Goldberg and Jeff Blomquist In A User’s Guide to the Universe, Drexel University professor Dave Goldberg and Boeing Aerospace engineer Jeff Blomquist share the answers to pressing science questions about science like: Will the Large Hadron Collider destroy the world? Can we really build time machines? What is the probability of finding intelligent life on other planets? Their funny, clear, and illustrated explanations lead the reader through new and exciting discoveries in physics and cosmology. Pulitzer Prize-winning author Jonathan Weiner commends, “I wish I’d had Goldberg and Blomquist as my physics teachers.” Writers Salon: Room 108
Free Library Festival Festival events are free and open to the public. Seating begins 15 minutes prior to event start times. Seating is first come, first seated. Space is limited in some venues. Authors will be on-hand to sign copies of their books after their events, unless noted. Books are sold on-site. For more information about this event, please click here For more information about the Free Library Festival, please click here Start: 4:00 pm
Beatrice and Virgil Yann Martel Yann Martel is the author of The Life of Pi, winner of the 2002 Man Booker Prize. The story of a young boy—shipwrecked and stranded at sea—with a Bengal tiger and other wild animals, The Life of Pi explores issues of spirituality and practicality through the child’s relationships with the animals aboard his lifeboat. The novel, which earned comparisons to the works of Hemingway, Marquez, and Beckett, became an international bestseller, with more than three million copies sold worldwide. In his long-awaited new novel, Beatrice and Virgil, Martel also uses animals to discuss the human condition, in this case, the limitations of language in understanding and describing the horrors of the Holocaust. Main Stage
Free Library Festival Festival events are free and open to the public. Seating begins 15 minutes prior to event start times. Seating is first come, first seated. Space is limited in some venues. Authors will be on-hand to sign copies of their books after their events, unless noted. Books are sold on-site. For more information about this event, please click here For more information about the Free Library Festival, please click here Start: 3:00 pm
A Heartbeat and a Guitar: Johnny Cash and the Making of Bitter Tears Antonino D'Ambrosio In A Heartbeat and a Guitar, writer/filmmaker Antonino D’Ambrosio tells the story behind Johnny Cash’s little-known 1964 protest album, Bitter Tears: Ballads of the American Indian. Inspired by the Native People’s rights movement, Cash’s controversial lyrics were deemed “unpatriotic,” the Ku Klux Klan threatened stores that carried the album, and radio stations across the country pulled the album from rotation. D’Ambrosio is the writer behind the book and documentary Let Fury Have the Hour: The Punk Politics of Joe Strummer, inspired by The Clash’s cultural activism; he also wrote, directed, and produced the film No Free Lunch starring comedian Lewis Black. Performance Stage: Shakespeare Park
Free Library Festival Festival events are free and open to the public. Seating begins 15 minutes prior to event start times. Seating is first come, first seated. Space is limited in some venues. Authors will be on-hand to sign copies of their books after their events, unless noted. Books are sold on-site. For more information about this event, please click here For more information about the Free Library Festival, please click here Start: 4:00 pm
Chelsea Chelsea Bang Bang Chelsea Handler Proclaimed one of the “Queens of Comedy” by Vanity Fair, Chelsea Handler recently earned the A-List Funny Award from Bravo, beating out Tina Fey, Conan O'Brien, Ricky Gervais, and Amy Poehler. Her late-night talk show Chelsea Lately is consistently the highest-rated program on E!, and her live stand-up comedy routines play to sold-out audiences nationwide. Called a “terrific comedian and a hilarious writer” by Jay Leno, Handler is also the author of the internationally bestselling book My Horizontal Life and the follow-up Are You There, Vodka? It’s Me, Chelsea, which debuted at no. 1 on the New York Times Best Sellers list. Her latest book Chelsea Chelsea Bang Bang follows in their irreverent tradition, a collection of hilarious essays that reflect on both her personal life and her outrageous family life. SIGNING ONLY LOCATION TBA
Free Library Festival Festival events are free and open to the public. Seating begins 15 minutes prior to event start times. Seating is first come, first seated. Space is limited in some venues. Authors will be on-hand to sign copies of their books after their events, unless noted. Books are sold on-site. For more information about this event, please click here For more information about the Free Library Festival, please click here Start: 3:00 pm
Houses are Fields Taije Silverman Taije Silverman’s poems have appeared in journals such as Poetry, Shenandoah, Ploughshares, Five Points, Massachusetts Review, and Prairie Schooner. She has won several first-place awards from the Academy of American Poets, held residencies from the MacDowell Colony and the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts, and was the 2005-2007 Emory University Creative Writing Fellow. Houses are Fields, a moving collection of elegies for her mother, is her first book of poetry. Skyline Room
Free Library Festival Festival events are free and open to the public. Seating begins 15 minutes prior to event start times. Seating is first come, first seated. Space is limited in some venues. Authors will be on-hand to sign copies of their books after their events, unless noted. Books are sold on-site. For more information about this event, please click here For more information about the Free Library Festival, please click here
Start: 4:00 pm
Although Of Course You End Up Becoming Yourself: A Road Trip with David Foster Wallace David Lipsky One of the most talented authors of his generation, David Foster Wallace achieved international literary success with Infinite Jest, a darkly comic and sprawling novel that Time magazine included on its 100 Best English-Language Novels list. In his new book, David Lipsky recalls a five-day period he spent with Wallace during the last leg of the Infinite Jest tour. He offers new insight into the troubled literary genius—relaying intimate conversations he had with Wallace about Wallace’s writing and interior life. Lipsky is a contributing editor to Rolling Stone magazine, with articles and short fiction appearing in the New Yorker, New York Times, New York Times Book Review, and Harper's. His nonfiction book Absolutely American: Four Years at West Point won the Time magazine Best Book of the Year Award. Room 108
Free Library Festival Festival events are free and open to the public. Seating begins 15 minutes prior to event start times. Seating is first come, first seated. Space is limited in some venues. Authors will be on-hand to sign copies of their books after their events, unless noted. Books are sold on-site. For more information about this event, please click here For more information about the Free Library Festival, please click here Start: 4:00 pm
Last Looks, Last Book: Stevens, Plath, Lowell, Bishop, Merrill Helen Vendler The eminent critic Helen Vendler is the A. Kingsley Porter University Professor at Harvard University. She writes poetry reviews and articles for the New York Times Book Review and, from 1978-1990, served as poetry critic for the New Yorker. Her work includes studies of poets W.B. Yeats, George Herbert, Wallace Stevens, John Keats, William Shakespeare, and Seamus Heaney, as well as an award-winning collection of criticism, Part of Nature, Part of Us: Modern American Poets. In Last Looks, Last Book, Vendler examines the ways in which five great modern American poets—writing at the end of their lives—evolved new styles that attempt to do justice to life and death alike. Skyline Room
Free Library Festival Festival events are free and open to the public. Seating begins 15 minutes prior to event start times. Seating is first come, first seated. Space is limited in some venues. Authors will be on-hand to sign copies of their books after their events, unless noted. Books are sold on-site. For more information about this event, please click here For more information about the Free Library Festival, please click here Start: 5:00 pm
The 188th Crybaby Brigade: A Skinny Jewish Kid from Chicago Fights Hezbollah Joel Chasnoff Unsatisfied with his life upon graduating from the University of Pennsylvania, stand-up comedian Joel Chasnoff decided to follow his dream of giving back to Israel by joining the Israeli Defense Force. What follows is both a hilarious and disturbing coming-of-age story, as he wages war against Hezbollah and bonds with the 18-year-old soldiers of the 188th Armored Brigade, mama’s boys who would do anything to avoid service. An inside look at one of the world’s most embattled armies, Anthony Swofford, author of Jarhead, says, “Chasnoff does for the IDF what Mailer did for the Pacific campaign and O'Brien for the war in Vietnam.” As a comedian, Chasnoff has opened for Jon Stewart and Lewis Black, done voice work for cartoons, and recently returned from a U.S.O. Comedy Tour of Japan and Korea, where he entertained American Marines. Writers Salon: Room 108
Free Library Festival Festival events are free and open to the public. Seating begins 15 minutes prior to event start times. Seating is first come, first seated. Space is limited in some venues. Authors will be on-hand to sign copies of their books after their events, unless noted. Books are sold on-site. For more information about this event, please click here For more information about the Free Library Festival, please click here | ||
04 / 18
End: 6:00 pm
Start: Sat, 04/17/2010 - 11:00am
End: Sun, 04/18/2010 - 6:00pm
Free Library Festival Join us for the 4th annual Free Library Festival at the Parkway Central Library on Saturday and Sunday, April 17 & 18, 2010, from 11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. The Festival weekend will be packed with free events for the whole family, including celebrity author appearances, live musical performances, and children’s authors and entertainment—plus a bustling Street Fair and Literary Marketplace showcasing what’s new in the publishing world. The Joseph Fox Bookshop will be the official bookseller for all adult author events. Check back regularly for individual event listings. For more information about the Free Library Festival, please click here Start: 12:00 pm
IFLIFE Bob Perelman Bob Perelman is the associate chair of the Department of English at the University of Pennsylvania and a leading figure in the language poetry movement. His work includes two books of criticism that focus on modern poetry, The Trouble with Genius and The Marginalization of Poetry, and more than 15 poetry collections, among them Braille, Face Value, Ten to One, and Virtual Reality. He is described by a reviewer in Publishers Weekly as a “sort of poker-faced, technocratically versed Ginsberg.” Skyline Room
Free Library Festival Festival events are free and open to the public. Seating begins 15 minutes prior to event start times. Seating is first come, first seated. Space is limited in some venues. Authors will be on-hand to sign copies of their books after their events, unless noted. Books are sold on-site. For more information about this event, please click here For more information about the Free Library Festival, please click here Start: 1:00 pm
Birdology: Adventures with a Pack of Hens, a Peck of Pigeons, Cantankerous Crows, Fierce Falcons, Hip Hop Parrots, Baby Hummingbirds, and One Murderously Big Living Dinosaur Sy Montgomery Sy Montgomery is “part Indiana Jones and part Emily Dickinson” writes one Boston Globe reviewer. An author, scriptwriter, and radio commentator, Montgomery works to bring the plight of endangered animals to the attention of children and adults alike, traveling the globe to seek out new stories. Her award-winning books include The Good Good Pig, Journey of the Pink Dolphins, Spell of the Tiger, and Search for the Golden Moon Bear. In Birdology, Montgomery explores the natural history of birds, highlighting their unique abilities and little-known emotional capacities. Writers Salon: Room 108
Free Library Festival Festival events are free and open to the public. Seating begins 15 minutes prior to event start times. Seating is first come, first seated. Space is limited in some venues. Authors will be on-hand to sign copies of their books after their events, unless noted. Books are sold on-site. For more information about this event, please click here For more information about the Free Library Festival, please click here Start: 12:00 pm
1000 Recordings to Hear Before You Die: A Listener's Life List Tom Moon Tired of listening to the same old music? Check out Tom Moon’s 1,000 Recordings to Hear Before You Die. A music critic for the Philadelphia Inquirer for nearly 20 years, Moon is a two-time recipient of the ASCAP-Deems Taylor Music Journalism Award and has contributed reviews to GQ, Rolling Stone, and National Public Radio's All Things Considered, among others. In this book, Moon uses his expert knowledge to direct listeners to exceptional recordings in genres ranging from classical to jazz, rock, pop, blues, country, folk, musicals, hip-hop, and more. Writers Salon: Room 108
Free Library Festival Festival events are free and open to the public. Seating begins 15 minutes prior to event start times. Seating is first come, first seated. Space is limited in some venues. Authors will be on-hand to sign copies of their books after their events, unless noted. Books are sold on-site. For more information about this event, please click here For more information about the Free Library Festival, please click here Start: 12:00 pm
The End of the West Michael Dickman Michael and Matthew Dickman, twin brothers and poets from Portland, Oregon, have enjoyed a recent swift rise in the poetry world. Recently profiled in Poets & Writers and The New Yorker, both brothers have newly-published debut poetry collections. In her New Yorker profile, Rebecca Mead characterizes each: “Reading Michael is like stepping out of an overheated apartment building to be met, unexpectedly, by an exhilaratingly chill gust of wind; reading Matthew is like taking a deep, warm bath with a glass of wine balanced on the soap dish.” Michael Dickman is the recipient of the 2010 Hodder Fellowship from Princeton University, and his debut collection, The End of the West, explores drug abuse and domestic violence in simple, spare language. Poetry Salon: Skyline Room
Free Library Festival Festival events are free and open to the public. Seating begins 15 minutes prior to event start times. Seating is first come, first seated. Space is limited in some venues. Authors will be on-hand to sign copies of their books after their events, unless noted. Books are sold on-site. For more information about this event, please click here For more information about the Free Library Festival, please click here Start: 12:00 pm
Push Sapphire Sapphire is the author of two collections of poetry, American Dreams and Black Wings & Blind Angels, as well as the brutal, poignant novel, Push. In Push—the basis for the 2009 prize-winning film Precious—Precious Jones can find no way to make a better life for herself. Physically and emotionally abused by her mother, sexually abused by her father, overweight and illiterate, Precious is saved by an incredibly determined teacher who teaches her to read and shows her the power of telling her own story. The film adaptation won the 2009 Sundance Film Festival Grand Jury Prize as well as the Audience Award and was nominated for three 2010 Golden Globe Awards. Main Stage
Free Library Festival Festival events are free and open to the public. Seating begins 15 minutes prior to event start times. Seating is first come, first seated. Space is limited in some venues. Authors will be on-hand to sign copies of their books after their events, unless noted. Books are sold on-site. For more information about this event, please click here For more information about the Free Library Festival, please click here Start: 1:00 pm
The Wisdom of Sam: Observations on Life from an Uncommon Child Daniel Gottlieb Psychologist Daniel Gottlieb hosts WHYY’s mental health radio call-in show Voices in the Family and wrote a highly regarded column for the Philadelphia Inquirer for 15 years. He is the author of two award-winning works: the self-improvement book Learning from the Heart and a collection of letters addressed to his autistic grandson, Letters to Sam. The Wisdom of Sam is a touching follow-up that shares the invaluable lessons his grandson has taught him about acceptance, compassion, and joy. Main Stage: Montgomery Auditorium
Free Library Festival Festival events are free and open to the public. Seating begins 15 minutes prior to event start times. Seating is first come, first seated. Space is limited in some venues. Authors will be on-hand to sign copies of their books after their events, unless noted. Books are sold on-site. For more information about this event, please click here For more information about the Free Library Festival, please click here Start: 1:00 pm
Why Translation Matters Edith Grossman Born in Philadelphia and a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania, Edith Grossman is now one of the most important American translators of current Spanish-language literature. In an award-winning career that has spanned nearly 40 years and more than 30 books, Grossman has translated the work of authors such as Gabriel García Márquez, Mario Vargas Llosa, Mayra Montero, and Carlos Fuentes. Her nationally bestselling 2003 adaptation of Don Quixote was widely praised, with Carlos Fuentes himself calling it “truly masterly.” In her new book, Grossman argues the importance of translation as a way to intimately experience cultures and viewpoints other than your own. Critic Harold Bloom praises, “Edith Grossman, the Glenn Gould of translators, has written a superb book on the art of the literary translation…this should become a classic text.” Skyline Room
Free Library Festival Festival events are free and open to the public. Seating begins 15 minutes prior to event start times. Seating is first come, first seated. Space is limited in some venues. Authors will be on-hand to sign copies of their books after their events, unless noted. Books are sold on-site. For more information about this event, please click here For more information about the Free Library Festival, please click here Start: 2:00 pm
Me, the Mob, and the Music: One Helluva with Tommy James & the Shondells Tommy James Legendary rock and roll artist Tommy James is the creator of dozens of memorable hit songs, including “I Think We’re Alone Now,” “Mony Mony,” “Crimson and Clover,” “Sweet Cherry Wine,” “Crystal Blue Persuasion,” and “Draggin’ the Line.” As the leader of Tommy James and the Shondells he has sold over 100 million records, has been awarded 23 gold singles, and nine gold and platinum albums. His songs regularly appear on television and film soundtracks, and they have been covered by many famous artists, including Joan Jett, Billy Idol, Tiffany, and Prince. His new book follows his lengthy career, from his start at age 12 in a small town in Michigan, to his work with Morris Levy—the infamous “godfather” of the music business—at Roulette Records. Val Kilmer praises “This book not only takes me into Tommy’s charmed and tragic personal life, but into the dark side of a music industry few have seen.”
Main Stage
Free Library Festival Festival events are free and open to the public. Seating begins 15 minutes prior to event start times. Seating is first come, first seated. Space is limited in some venues. Authors will be on-hand to sign copies of their books after their events, unless noted. Books are sold on-site. For more information about this event, please click here For more information about the Free Library Festival, please click here Start: 3:00 pm
Alphabet Juice: The Energies, Gists, and Spirits of Letters, Words, and Combinations Thereof; Their Roots, Bones, Innards, Piths Roy Blount, Jr. Admired for his off-center perceptions and sense of humor, multitalented Roy Blount, Jr. is a prolific author, performer, and broadcaster. A panelist on NPR’s Wait, Wait...Don't Tell Me, Blount has also performed stories and verses on A Prairie Home Companion, and appears on the CBS Morning Show, Tonight Show, David Letterman Show, Good Morning America, Today Show, and Larry King. He has contributed to more than 166 publications, including Sports Illustrated, New Yorker, Atlantic, New York Times, Esquire, Playboy, Rolling Stone, and GQ. Blount is the author of more than 21 books on a wide range of subjects, from the first woman president of the United States to what barnyard animals are thinking—among his most notable titles are About Three Bricks Shy: And the Load Filled Up, Crackers, One Fell Soup, First Hubby, Feet on the Street, and Alphabet Juice. Blount also appeared in the Off-Broadway one-man show, Roy Blount's Happy Hour and a Half, and performs with the Rock Bottom Remainders.
Main Stage
Free Library Festival Festival events are free and open to the public. Seating begins 15 minutes prior to event start times. Seating is first come, first seated. Space is limited in some venues. Authors will be on-hand to sign copies of their books after their events, unless noted. Books are sold on-site. For more information about this event, please click here For more information about the Free Library Festival, please click here Start: 2:00 pm
Jesus , Jobs, and Justice: African Amaerican Women and Religion Bettye Collier Thomas The recipient of numerous fellowships and awards, Bettye Collier-Thomas is the director of the Temple University Center for African-American History and Culture and an important figure in the study of African American women’s history. She formerly served as the founding Executive Director of the Bethune Memorial Museum, the nation’s first museum and archives for Black women's history. Her previous nonfiction books include Daughters of Thunder: Black Women Preachers and Their Sermons and Sisters in the Struggle: African-American Women in the Civil Rights–Black Power Movement. In her new book, which a New York Times reviewer calls “a revelation,” Collier-Thomas shows the important roles Black women played in developing African-American religion, politics, and culture. Writers Salon: Room 108
Free Library Festival Festival events are free and open to the public. Seating begins 15 minutes prior to event start times. Seating is first come, first seated. Space is limited in some venues. Authors will be on-hand to sign copies of their books after their events, unless noted. Books are sold on-site. For more information about this event, please click here For more information about the Free Library Festival, please click here Start: 3:00 pm
All the Whiskey in Heaven Charles Bernstein A professor at the University of Pennsylvania and the author of 40 books, poet Charles Bernstein has held fellowships from the New York Foundation for the Arts, the Guggenheim Foundation, and the National Endowment for the Arts. He is co-founder of both the influential poetry journal L=A=N=G=U=A=G=E, considered the leading outlet for the post-modern “language” school of poetry, and the Electronic Poetry Center at SUNY-Buffalo. All the Whiskey in Heaven brings together some of his best poetry from over the past 30 years. Skyline Room
Free Library Festival Festival events are free and open to the public. Seating begins 15 minutes prior to event start times. Seating is first come, first seated. Space is limited in some venues. Authors will be on-hand to sign copies of their books after their events, unless noted. Books are sold on-site. For more information about this event, please click here For more information about the Free Library Festival, please click here Start: 4:00 pm
Human Dark with Sugar Brenda Shaughnessy Born in Okinawa, Japan, and raised in Southern California, Brenda Shaughnessy is the poetry editor of Tin House magazine and Tin House Books. Her acclaimed debut collection, Interior with Sudden Joy—“a heady, infectious celebration of the range and peculiarity of erotic life” (The New Yorker)—was a finalist for the Lambda Award. Her new collection, Human Dark with Sugar, won the James Laughlin Award from the Academy of American Poets and was a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award. “Human Dark with Sugar is both wonderfully inventive… and emotionally precise,” writes Matthea Harvey, a judge for the Laughlin Award. “Her ‘I’ is madly multidexterous—urgent, comic, mischievous—and the result is a new topography of the debates between heart and head.” Skyline Room
Free Library Festival Festival events are free and open to the public. Seating begins 15 minutes prior to event start times. Seating is first come, first seated. Space is limited in some venues. Authors will be on-hand to sign copies of their books after their events, unless noted. Books are sold on-site. For more information about this event, please click here For more information about the Free Library Festival, please click here Start: 4:00 pm
Scent of The Missing: Love and Partnership with a Search-and-Rescue-Dog Susannah Charleson Susannah Charleson’s Scent of the Missing explores the complex relationship she shares with her search-and-rescue (SAR) dog, a feisty golden retriever named Puzzle. It begins as they as they train to certify together as a canine SAR team, and follows them as they join the Metro Area Rescue K9 unit in Dallas, Texas, and track missing children, strayed Alzheimer’s patients, drowning victims, and pieces of the downed Columbia shuttle. Kirkus Reviews calls the book, “An inspiring collection of rescue tales ideal for dog lovers and armchair detectives.”
Inside of a Dog: What Dogs See, Smell, and Know Alexandra Horowitz Alexandra Horowitz holds a Ph.D. in Cognitive Science from the University of California and has spent years studying the cognition of humans, rhinoceroses, bonobos—and dogs. In her New York Times bestselling book, Inside of a Dog, she offers insight into the unique worldview of man’s best friend, by considering the world from a dog’s-eye view.
One Nation Under Dog: Adventures in the New World of Prozac-Popping Puppies, Dog-Park Politics, and Organic Pet Food Did you know Americans spend more than $40 billion a year on their pets? A sympathetic insider—with a depressed St. Bernard to prove it—author Michael Schaffer reflects on modern dog life in One Nation Under Dog, covering everything from Chihuahua social networking, hypoallergenic-kitty breeders, leash-law political activists, chew-toy industrialists, pet-bereavement counselors, and more from every corner of our pet-crazed country. Jonathan Yardley in the Washington Post calls the book, “informative, entertaining, and sobering…As the man says in this terrific book, it’s not about the dogs, it’s about the people.” Main Stage
Free Library Festival Festival events are free and open to the public. Seating begins 15 minutes prior to event start times. Seating is first come, first seated. Space is limited in some venues. Authors will be on-hand to sign copies of their books after their events, unless noted. Books are sold on-site. For more information about this event, please click here For more information about the Free Library Festival, please click here Start: 5:00 pm
A Friend of the Family Lauren Grodstein Washington Post book reviewer Ron Charles, finds Lauren Grodstein’s new novel, A Friend of the Family, to be “such an incisive diagnosis of aspirational America that someone should hand out copies at Little League games and ballet recitals… Horrifyingly plausible and deeply poignant, [it] will leave you shaken and chastened – and grateful for the warning.” The book has received wide critical acclaim and was selected as a New York Times Editor’s Pick and a Washington Post Book of the Year. Grodstein is author of the highly praised novel Reproduction is the Flaw of Love, the short story collection The Best of Animals, and Girls Dinner Club, a young adult novel published pseudonymously. Writers Salon: Room 108
Free Library Festival Festival events are free and open to the public. Seating begins 15 minutes prior to event start times. Seating is first come, first seated. Space is limited in some venues. Authors will be on-hand to sign copies of their books after their events, unless noted. Books are sold on-site. For more information about this event, please click here For more information about the Free Library Festival, please click here | ||
04 / 19
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04 / 20
Start: 7:30 pm
Pearl of China: A Novel Anchee Min Praised for her lyrical writing and historical knowledge, Anchee Min is the author of the bestselling memoir Red Azalea. Growing up during the Cultural Revolution in China, Min spent time in a labor camp and was chosen for a lead role in a propagandist movie before the Mao communist regime collapsed. The New York Times Book Review said that Red Azalea, her account of that time, exists as "a powerful political as well as literary statement.” Min has since written five other works of historical fiction, among them Becoming Madame Mao and Empress Orchid. Her new novel is an intimate portrayal of Nobel Laureate Pearl S. Buck, exploring the fateful friendship between the writer and a young Chinese woman.
Central Library This is a TICKETED event; $14 General Admission, $7 Students. Tickets on sale Friday, January 15 at 10:00 a.m. at freelibrary.org/authorevents or by phone at 1-800-595-4TIX (4849). For more information, call 215.567.4341, or click here | ||
04 / 21
Start: 6:30 pm
Unhibited, Robust, and Wide-Open: A Free Press for a New Century Lee Bollinger Lee Bollinger, President of Columbia University, is one of the nation’s foremost experts on the First Amendment. In his new book, Uninhibited, Robust, and Wide-Open: A Free Press for a New Century, Bollinger explores the troubled history of a free press in America and looks toward the challenges ahead. The First Amendment guarantees freedom of the press in seemingly clear terms. However, over the course of American history, Bollinger notes, the idea of freedom of the press has evolved, in response to social, political, technological, and legal changes. It was not until the twentieth century that freedom of the press came to be understood as guaranteeing an “uninhibited, robust, and wide-open” public discourse. But even during the twentieth century, the government has tried to erect barriers: the sedition laws of WWI, the use of libel law, the Pentagon Papers case, and efforts to limit press access to information. Bollinger sheds light on this history and explores the meaning of freedom of the press in our globalized, internet-dominated era. Bill Marimow, editor of The Philadelphia Inquirer, moderates. Annenberg Center for Outreach and Education F.M. Kirby Auditorium
National Constitution Center This is a TICKETED event; $9 for members, $15 for non-memebers, $7 for students & teachers, FREE for 1787 Society members. Reservations required. Please call 215.409.6700 or click here. Start: 7:30 pm
Everything but the Coffee: Learning About America from Starbucks Bryant Simon Bryant Simon’s new book, Everything but the Coffee, looks at Starbucks’ psychological, emotional, political, and sociological power to discover how the chain’s explosive success and rapid deflation reflect American culture today. Most importantly, it shows that Starbucks speaks to a deeply felt American need for predictability and class standing, community and authenticity, and reveals that Starbucks’ appeal lies not in the product it sells, but in the easily consumed identity it offers.
Appetite for America: How Visionary Businessman Fred Harvey Built a Railroad Hospitality Empire That Civilized the Wild West Stephen Fried A two-time winner of the National Magazine Award and a professor at Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism, Stephen Fried is the author of Thing of Beauty, Bitter Pills, The New Rabbi, and Husbandry. In Appetite for America, he tells the story of entrepreneur Fred Harvey, founder of the renowned “Harvey House” hotels, restaurants, and bookstore chains that served patrons along the Santa Fe railroad well into the 1960’s and became a family empire whose marketing and business innovations are still used in chain stores and restaurants today.
Central Library This is a FREE event; no tickets or reservations are required. For more information, call 215.567.4341, or click here | ||
04 / 22
Start: 5:00 pm
Lunch in Paris: A Love Story, with Recipes Elizabeth Bard In Paris for a weekend visit, Elizabeth Bard sat down to lunch with a handsome Frenchman--and never went home again. Was it love at first sight? Or was it the way her knife slid effortlessly through her pave au poivre, the steak's pink juices puddling into the buttery pepper sauce? Lunch in Paris is a memoir about a young American woman caught up in two passionate love affairs--one with her new beau, Gwendal, the other with French cuisine. Packing her bags for a new life in the world's most romantic city, Elizabeth is plunged into a world of bustling open-air markets, hipster bistros, and size 2 femmes fatales. She learns to gut her first fish (with a little help from Jane Austen), soothe pangs of homesickness (with the rise of a chocolate souffle) and develops a crush on her local butcher (who bears a striking resemblance to Matt Dillon). Elizabeth finds that the deeper she immerses herself in the world of French cuisine, the more Paris itself begins to translate. French culture, she discovers, is not unlike a well-ripened cheese-there may be a crusty exterior, until you cut through to the melting, piquant heart. Peppered with mouth-watering recipes for summer ratatouille, swordfish tartare and molten chocolate cakes, Lunch in Paris is a story of falling in love, redefining success and discovering what it truly means to be at home. Grange Marketplace Design Center, #106 2400 Market Street Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 19103 This is a FREE event, but reservations are required. Please RSVP by April 19th by calling 215.217.1367, or emailing marketing@grangeny.com Start: 5:30 pm
Why the Dreyfus Affair Matters Louis Begley In December 1894, Captain Alfred Dreyfus, a brilliant French artillery officer and a Jew of Alsatian descent, was court-martialed for selling secrets to the German military attaché in Paris based on perjured testimony and trumped-up evidence. The sentence was military degradation and life imprisonment on Devil’s Island, a hellhole off the coast of French Guiana. Five years later, the case was overturned, and eventually Dreyfus was completely exonerated. Meanwhile, the Dreyfus Affair tore France apart, pitting Dreyfusards—committed to restoring freedom and honor to an innocent man convicted of a crime committed by another—against nationalists, anti-Semites, and militarists who preferred having an innocent man rot to exposing the crimes committed by ministers of war and the army’s top brass in order to secure Dreyfus’s conviction. Was the Dreyfus Affair merely another instance of the rise in France of a virulent form of anti-Semitism? In Why the Dreyfus Affair Matters, the acclaimed novelist draws upon his legal expertise to create a riveting account of the famously complex case, and to remind us of the interest each one of us has in the faithful execution of laws as the safeguard of our liberties and honor.
Rosenwald Gallery, Van Pelt-Dietrich Library, 6th Floor University of Pennsylvania 3420 Walnut Street Philadelphia, PA, 19104 This is a FREE event, but reservations are requested. For reservations, click here. Please RSVP by April 14th. For more information, call 215-665-2300 or click here Start: 6:30 pm
Ballistics Billy Collins Billy Collins served two terms as the Poet Laureate of the United States, from 2001 to 2003, and was selected as the New York State Poet from 2004 to 2006. One of America’s bestselling poets, Collins writes with a feel for the mystery of the everyday and is lauded as “a poet of plentitude, irony, and Augustan grace” (The New Yorker). His acclaimed books include Questions About Angels; The Art of Drowning; Picnic, Lightning; and Sailing Alone Around the Room. In Ballistics, Collins employs his trademark wit and comic insight as he considers the difficult topics of death and loneliness.
Central Library This is a TICKETED event; $14 General Admission, $7 Students. Tickets on sale Friday, January 15 at 10:00 a.m. at freelibrary.org/authorevents or by phone at 1-800-595-4TIX (4849). For more information, call 215.567.4341, or click here Start: 8:00 pm
The Rock Bottom Remainders The Rock Bottom Remainders, a band of bestselling and award-winning authors, are playing a special benefit concert on Thursday, April 22nd at the Electric Factory. Featuring a musical line-up including Amy Tan, Scott Turow, Mitch Albom, Dave Barry, Ridley Pearson, Roy Blount, Jr., Greg Iles, James McBride, and Kathi Goldmark--plus some surprise guests!--the Rock Bottom Remainders will take to the stage during their first-ever stop in Philadelphia! Since the band's inception in 1992, the Rock Bottom Remainders have generously donated proceeds to literary organizations, and this year, the Free Library will receive 100 percent of the ticket profits in Philadelphia. Merchandise sales and proceeds from an exciting auction, as well as profits from a special VIP reception with members of the band, will benefit the Free Library and its valuble programs, services, and resources. General Admission Ticket Information General admission tickets cost $35 and are available for purchase at ticketmaster.com. Doors open at 7:30PM, and the concert runs from 8:00PM to 9:30PM. VIP Ticket Information This rockin' evening includes an exclusive VIP reception at 6:30PM (doors at 6:15PM), where guests can mix and mingle with the band while enjoying appetizers by Stephen Starr Events and drinks from an open bar. All of the authors' latest works will be for sale during the reception, and guests may have their books signed by the band. These guests will also have access to the VIP area throughout the reception and the concert that follows. VIP Tickets are $150.00 and can be optained by calling Sabrina at 215.567.7710. Electric Factory For more information about this special benefit concert, please click here | ||
04 / 23
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