Food is the way to the heart. Deborah Norkin’s session Food Will Keep Us Together is sure to bring out the foodie in us all. This interview is full of wise words, will make you want to delight in something delectable, and smile. Interviewing Deborah Norkin was the greatest treat of all, read on to find out more about this wonderful session and why you should attend it.
Tell me a bit about how your session came to be? Was there something that inspired you to form your group?
Deborah: I started producing and hosting literary events to bring my author friends and reader friends together. Bringing people together to celebrate books is one of my great joys. Being able to talk about books and food makes it even better. At the last Lit Crawl, I produced A Taste of Boston Food Writing. I chose Food Will Keep Us Together as this session’s theme because food really is one of the few things every human being has in common. If we understand each other through what we eat, all the noise of the world disappears and we can see each other as people with the same wants, needs, and desires.Crystal’s depth of knowledge of food history is brilliant. When I read Dariel’s work, I feel like he’s in the room with me. Grace’s memoir has many stories of how food and culture are often interchangeable.
What is one thing you hope those attending Lit Crawl Boston will gain from your session?
Deborah: To see beyond the surface and know that every person deserves dignity, respect, and consideration. We all hunger. We all love. We all want to live in peace.
In honor of Lit Crawl including drinks or food, what would your session be if it could be any type of drink and or type of food item?
Deborah: A great big pot of something that everyone can share. Paella, or Pot au Feu.
Boston is such a historic and literary city! If you could have any historical figure attend your session who would it be and why?
Deborah:No question. Julia Child. I actually served her a salad when I was working on the line at the Harvest in Harvard Square a few decades ago. I didn’t see her eat it, but when the plate came back empty, I was thrilled. She possessed such a generous spirit. I have rewatched her shows many times and even though beyond that one salad, we never met, she is like a friend to me.
Thank you Deborah for this lovely interview, now let’s get ready to “litcrawl!”
Entertaining, delightful, and creative are three words that best describe a Little Box of Yes and the two wonderful people who created it, Ethan Gilsdorf and Brian Mooney. Life and stories are more fun when you just say YES! Getting to know this session and its presenters was enlightening and I hope you enjoy reading about them too.
Tell me a bit about how your session came to be? Was there something that inspired you to form your group?
Brian Mooney: Everyone knows that writing can be a solitary thing, but it’s also a spectacularly improvisational thing—it’s just that hardly anyone ever sees that part of it. Usually, nobody is around when you sit and ask your characters, What if you did this or that? What’s your first memory? What do you sound like? What do you want? When you ask your places, What if you rained? What if you snowed? What if you had purple trees? When you ask your story, What if I wrote you in first person? What if you’re in present tense? Writers constantly ask themselves questions like this. It’s important to be able to say Yes to asking and answering those questions and exploring where they take you. That spirit of exploration is what inspires A Little Box of Yes, and it’s a lot of fun to do that exploration with other people and see what comes out of it.
Ethan Gilsdorf: On a personal level, Brian and I have known each other since the early 1990s, back when I lived in Vermont. Brian still lives there. I live in Providence. So it’s great to reconnect in this way some years later on our literary trajectories, and see what kind of trouble we can cook up collaboratively as part of Lit Crawl Boston.
What is one thing you hope those attending Lit Crawl Boston will gain from your session?
Brian: That it’s totally entertaining (and legit) to hang out with your friends and make up characters and settings and scenes and stories.
Ethan: And that storytelling is something that anyone can do.
In honor of Lit Crawl including drinks or food, what would your session be if it could be any type of drink and or type of food item?
Brian: A spiked watermelon on a picnic table with a red-checkered table cloth.
Ethan:Or, that funky, improvisational soup/stew/stir fry you make from all the random found items in your refrigerator. That you wash down with a ‘Gansett TallBoy.
Boston is such a historic and literary city! If you could have any historic figure attend your session who would it be and why?
Brian: Gertrude Stein, the Queen of Yes. Or William Gass, because that guy knew how to say yes. And if we’re going just Boston-area, then Kerouac. He also knew a thing or two about yes.
Ethan: And Poe was born not far from here, near the Boston Common behind GrubStreet‘s offices on Boylston Street. So it’s fun to think of his spirit watching over us.
Brian: Stein, Gass, Kerouac, and Poe… Now THAT’S a party!
Thank you to Brian and Ethan for letting us interview you! Now let’s get ready to Litcrawl!
Boston Book Festival is once again reaching out to the Greater Boston community to help us implement our annual Shelf Help partnership, which this year is expanding to reach two schools–one serving grades K–8 and one serving grades 9–12. We know that many area schools lack the resources to fully stock their school libraries with contemporary, high-quality books. We want to help expand the library book collections at two local schools, and then we will work with the Wondermore organization to coordinate a children’s or YA author or illustrator visit to share the wonders of book creation with young readers!
Last year, as part of the Shelf Help partnership, the Boston Book Festival, Boys Town Press, Capstone Publishing, and Random House Children’s Books donated books to the King K-8 School in Boston’s Dorchester neighborhood. The BBF and Wondermore also coordinated a school visit by award-winning author Meg Medina.
In 2019, Shelf Help will partner with not one but two school libraries! We will choose one K–8 school library and one 9–12 school library, providing a donation of new books near the beginning of the 2019-2020 school year. We will be collecting donations at the eleventh annual Boston Book Festival on October 19-20.
If you know a library professional at a school that needs some Shelf Help, please forward them this RFP, which has links to a short online or downloadable application. All proposals are due by May 31, 2019.
You can also lend direct “Shelf Help” to the Boston community! If you would like to donate a book, please come to the Boston Book Festival on October 19 (in Copley) or October 20 (in Roxbury) and look out for our information booth, or you can donate through our online book wish list. Email us at info@bostonbookfest.org to receive a link to the “Shelf Help” donation site. If you would prefer to make a cash donation, please visit our donate page. Upon checking out, select “Make this a gift” and designate “Shelf Help” as the gift recipient in the appropriate box.
With “Shelf Help,” we aim to support students’ discovery and expression of their voices through access to an increased selection of books within their school environment. Words have power to motivate and provoke all readers to discover themselves and their place in the world, and we hope that Shelf Help will encourage students to view themselves as literary explorers!
Our trucks have rolled into Copley Square, we found Paddington Bear at Back Bay Station, and the tenth annual BBF will kick off all over Boston this Saturday, October 13. We hope you’re as excited as we are: read on for some essential tips to help you make the most of your day at the BBF!
No ticket? No problem! It’s true that our two ticketed events–the 10/12 kickoff keynote with Michael Pollan and the 10/13 “On Leadership” session–are completely sold out. We are not maintaining a waiting list for either event, but the good news is that if you didn’t purchase tickets in time, we have more than 100 other events that are absolutely free and don’t require tickets or registration. Admission and seating at all these events is first-come, first-served, so we recommend you arrive early for sessions that are especially important to you! Need help navigating our online schedule? Visit this brief tutorial.
We’re not just in Copley anymore! After a successful pilot in East Boston last year, we’re expanding our neighborhood festivals program to include both East Boston and Roxbury. Offering unique presentations, performances, and workshops in each location and featuring an exciting mix of nationally known and locally grown literary talent, these all-day events mean that no matter where you live or work in Boston, on 10/13 there’s a BBF near you!
Plan ahead if you plan to drive. This year, we’re partnering with ParkWhiz to help BBF attendees find and book the best deals on parking near the festival. You do need to book parking in advance in order to take advantage of the ParkWhiz deals, however, so take a few minutes and have one less thing to worry about as you head into the city (especially since the Red Sox will also be kicking off the ALCS at Fenway on Saturday evening!).
Arrive early and dance with us. BBF 2018 presenter and Daybreaker founder Radha Agrawal will help us kick off the BBF with a morning dance party outside in Copley Square. Chameleon Cold-Brew will be there to get all those early birds energized and ready for Boston’s biggest book party!
And stay late and raise a glass with us. This year our perennially popular capstone event Poems & Pints, produced with Mass Poetry, is at a new and bigger venue–furniture store Room & Board! In addition to readings by five amazing poets, there will be live music by novelist and songwriter Robin MacArthur, plus seasonal beers and pretzels! You better believe that this is where you’ll find us at the end of the BBF day–save us a seat where we can put our feet up!
Bring a tote bag (or buy one from us!). Thanks to our partner booksellers, book sales and signings follow all of our sessions, so bring a bag (or buy a tenth-anniversary one at our merch booth!) to stock up on new finds (not to mention goodies from our 75+ exhibitors on Copley Square!). Our merch booth will also offer beautiful keepsake books commemorating our tenth anniversary and featuring essays by authors like Tom Perrotta, Stephanie Burt, and Nic Stone, brand-new BBF journals, and tenth-anniversary posters–plus BBF umbrellas, just in case! We are a rain-or-shine event, after all!
Love the BBF? Help keep it free to all. If you love the BBF, help support it! The BBF is run by an independent nonprofit, and we rely on donations from individuals to help keep the festival thriving and free to all. Donations in any amount are appreciated, but membership benefits start at $50; more substantial donations of $500+ can get you priority seating, party invitations, and more! You can contribute to the BBF online anytime or at the membership table at the big BBF tent on the day of the festival. Thank you for your support as we head into our second decade!
Most importantly? Have fun! We hope you enjoy this free celebration of books and literary culture. We’ve certainly had fun putting it together for you. Tag us on Twitter and Instagram and use the hashtag #BBF2018—we can’t wait to see how you spend your day!
We’re excited to be returning to the East Boston Branch of Boston Public Library for the second edition of BBF in East Boston!
We piloted our first Neighborhood Festival in East Boston last year, and had over 100 attendees in just our first year. This year, we’re stepping it up. We’ve expanded programming, added live mariachi music, and developed all-day activities, such as a community-developed poem.
Margaret Kelly, branch librarian in East Boston, tellls us a little more about what made last year’s East Boston Neighborhood Festival successful, why the Neighborhood Festivals are important, and what to expect for this bigger and better line-up this year!
1) Last year’s East Boston Neighborhood Festival–BBF’s first beyond Copley Square–was a huge hit. What are some of your favorite highlights?
My favorite was definitely the writing workshop for children that Matt de la Peña presented. Both the children and parents really enjoyed it, and so did I. Matt was very funny and really got the children excited about writing.
I also really liked the art and illustration workshop for children conducted by James DeMarco, a local author and illustrator. It was kind of amazing that all the children from the youngest to the oldest made these great dinosaur drawings. They all looked like dinosaurs, and all the children put their own spin on it. I don’t think I would have been nearly as successful.
James will be back this year but this time he will be speaking on a panel discussion about writing and publishing, which I’m looking forward to.
2) What was the most unexpected part of the day last year?
I don’t know that anything was really unexpected, but, if anything, it was how excited the adults were about all the programs. We had a short story discussion group that the participants really enjoyed. Most of our other programs were geared toward children. But the parents and other adults loved these programs, too. I think they particularly enjoyed seeing the children get so excited about books and maybe there was a nostalgia factor, as well, with our Curious George visit and storytime.
This year we have increased our programs and have something for all ages.
3) Why is the festival important to what you do and the neighborhood?
It’s a great opportunity to connect people with books and authors. It makes both reading and writing more accessible. Through meeting and hearing from both famous and local authors, participants get the message that everyone has a story, and I think that is very powerful. Most of all, the festival is about having fun and celebrating reading. I love that it is a neighborhood event and a celebration of both reading and community.
4) We’d love to know more about East Boston. What books are flying off the shelves?
The President is Missing by James Patterson has been very popular, as well as The Flight Attendant by Chris Bohjalian and Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng. The Hate You Give by Angie Thomas has been in high demand from both adults and teens. In the Children’s Room, it is nearly impossible to keep any books by Mo Willems and Jeff Kinney on the shelves.
5) Any sneak peeks into what we can expect at the 2018 BBF East Boston Neighborhood Festival?
There is going to be an array of fun and interesting programs for adults and children. Pete the Cat will be visiting and we will have a panel discussion from local authors about writing and publishing. Actress Sheetal Sheth will be reading from her first children’s book, and Daniel José Older will be presenting a writing workshop for preteens.
All ages will be invited to help craft a community poem on East Boston and also to create their own blackout poetry. To give visitors a flavor of East Boston, local artist Veronica Robles will perform with her all female mariachi band.
We are thrilled to be debuting the Boston Book Festival in the vibrant Roxbury neighborhood of Dudley Square with a not-to-be missed lineup of workshops, performances, music, kids’ activities and lots of discussion on fascinating new books.
One of the best parts of organizing this new initiative has been working with our Roxbury programming partners: the Roxbury Cultural District, the Boston Public Library’s Dudley Branch, and, of course, the beloved neighborhood institution, the Frugal Bookstore. We talked with Frugal owners Clarrissa and Leonard Egerton, who grew up in Roxbury and are proud local business owners, about how they started the bookstore, what are some popular Roxbury reads, and what they’re most excited about with the October 13 launch of the Boston Book Festival in Roxbury.
1) How did you come up with the idea of starting Frugal Bookstore?
We were part of a business in Roxbury, Frugal Furniture, owned by Robert Romanow, and within the furniture store, he had a section with books—all primarily by authors of colors. I was looking for a job, and Mr. Romanow asked me if I would help him build a book business. I had never seen so many books by people of color in one place, and it just looked beautiful.
It made me very proud, because I am an avid reader and I know how important it is for all people to see themselves in the literature they read.
It became my mission to assist Mr. Romanow, and when he saw how dedicated I was, he offered to sell me the bookstore portion of his business. I asked Clarrissa if she wanted to join me in building a business that could serve the very community we both grew up in, and she came on board.
A space opened up across from the furniture store, we applied for it, and we moved the books into it. We kept the name Frugal Bookstore simply because it was becoming known, and why fix something that is not broken. And that’s how Clarrissa and I became owners of the Frugal Bookstore.
2) You recently moved locations to be right in the heart of Dudley Square. What impact has that had on your business?
The impact of moving to Dudley Square has been quite measurable. The fact that a person can walk by and see a bookstore and stop in has garnered us more support, patronage, and business. We have been able to partner with different organizations in Dudley Square. Being in the center of Roxbury, where so many people pass through each day, has given people the chance to see us who may have never seen us in our other store. Visibility and diverse people coming into the bookstore have had the biggest impact on our business.
3) What’s the best part of running a bookstore in Roxbury?
The best part is that we are the only bookstore in Roxbury. We are one of a kind.
Our families and the people we’ve grown up with can watch and see us thrive and know that it is very possible to own a business in the very community you grow up in. And not just any business—one that offers value, a business where you can come in and you light up because you feel proud that it is in Roxbury. Books help people in so many ways, and for us to be able to help the very people we grew up with and give to our community a resource that keeps on giving is definitely the best part of running a bookstore in Roxbury.
4) What’s been popular reading in the neighborhood this year?
That’s a hard question to answer, because the interests within the community are so diverse. There’s no particularly popular reading, but there has been a great deal of focus on starting book clubs within the community, and a great deal of support has been given to us by different organizations.
5) What are you most excited about with the BBF Roxbury program?
The mere fact that it is being held in Roxbury and that we were selected to help is a big deal. BBF coming to Roxbury means we can showcase talent that may not otherwise have been seen by the people who live in Roxbury. It gives the people of Roxbury a chance to be a part of the literary world that seems out of reach sometimes.
Interested in learning more about the Boston Book Festival’s Roxbury edition? Check out the schedule and make plans to join us on October 13!
The Boston Book Festival is celebrating its tenth anniversary in 2018, and we’re doing something big. For the first time ever, we’re bringing all the lively readings, discussions and festivities to two cultural centers of the city, East Boston and Roxbury!
The Neighborhood Festivals will be on the same day as the Copley Festival, Saturday, October 13, and some of the most nationally celebrated writers will be heading directly to you, including Oprah Book Club favorite Tayari Jones and New York Times bestseller Daniel Jose Older!
We’ll also feature local icons, such as ESPN sports writer Howard Bryant, Black Arts Movement leader Askia Toure, popular poet Simone John – and even music by Boston’s first-ever all female mariachi band!
We talked with BBF’s founder and executive director, Deborah Porter, and deputy director Norah Piehl to learn more about this new initiative and to a sneak peek from them on what’s to come.
Check out the full schedule of events for kids, teens and adults in Roxbury and East Boston!
How did you come up with the idea to start the Neighborhood Festivals?
DP: I have been frustrated for years at the relative lack of diversity among attendees at the BBF, despite a fair number of diverse voices presenting year after year. I finally realized that for the BBF to reach a broader audience, we should forge partnerships in other neighborhoods with the goal of bringing great programming to more people.
Why did you choose East Boston and Roxbury?
NP: In part, at least for last year’s pilot in East Boston, the decision was a practical one—we were looking for a Boston Public Library branch that was open on Saturday, that had enough space to host programming, that had a library staff who were excited about working with us, and that had the technological capacity to do things like project live-streamed programming.
But more broadly than that, we were looking to reach neighborhoods that have historically had relatively low attendance at the BBF in Copley, which is definitely true of both of these neighborhoods. We thought that in both cases, residents of these neighborhoods might benefit from having a fun, book-centered event take place right around the corner, rather than having to travel to Copley on a busy Saturday, especially for families where one or both parents might work on weekends.
What do you hope to achieve with this new initiative?
NP: We hope that the curated programming in each neighborhood allows attendees to see themselves and their neighbors reflected not only as part of a community of readers, but also to see authors, illustrators, and other brilliant, creative people—many of them creators of color—featured and celebrated in this way. And we hope that these two neighborhood festivals are just the beginning of what might become a true citywide celebration of books and reading!
Have you been surprised by the reception?
NP: I’ve been really gratified by the response to the programs, both in East Boston and in Roxbury. In Roxbury, in particular, because the Dudley Square BPL branch is currently closed for renovations, we’ve needed to establish other types of partnerships, and I think we’ve all been really excited by how many groups and individuals have wanted to get involved in shaping the program, spreading the word about the festival to their networks, and, in general, just helping the festival succeed as a real neighborhood-based event.
Where do you see this going in the future?
DP: I see the neighborhood festivals as being an eagerly anticipated event in the community, just as the main BBF is at Copley.
Any not-to-be missed sessions?
NP: In East Boston, besides all the great book-related programs, I’m really excited about the performance by Veronica Robles and her all-women mariachi band. One of our goals of festival day is to create a truly festive atmosphere, to make this day that’s centered on books and reading also feel like a celebration or a party. Having a wonderful musical performance by Veronica’s group will certainly achieve that goal! In Roxbury, I’m personally excited about the conversation between playwright and performer Liza Jessie Peterson and Black Arts movement pioneer Askia Touré, about the intersections between artistic production and social activism. It’s going to be a really vibrant discussion led by David Dower of ArtsEmerson, a long-time partner of ours who have really positioned themselves as leaders when it comes to producing theatrical work that also serves a social purpose.
DP: All the sessions are not-to-be missed! Some of our most amazing authors from the main stage in Copley are appearing at the neighborhood festivals, as well as outstanding local talent. It should be a fun day all around!
Check out the full schedule of events for kids, teens and adults in Roxbury and East Boston!
The BBF schedule released earlier this week, and if you’re having a hard time narrowing down your choices from the 100+ separate events taking place in Copley Square on October 13, we’re here to help! We asked the BBF team which sessions they’re most excited about this year, and here’s what they said!
Deborah Z Porter:
Well, this is a little like being forced to say which is your favorite child, but I am very excited about the kickoff keynote with Michael Pollan, because he’s just great. On Leadership brings together three such amazing people who know each other well, and I am eager to hear the insights they’ve gleaned from being in power and studying leaders. And, I am looking forward to Not Just a Game. While I am not a big sports fan, I am very interested in how athletes are showing leadership around social justice issues. Can I cheat and add one more? Authoritarianism–what a great lineup and important topic.
Norah Piehl: In reality, most of us spend festival day dashing from one place to another, but every year I like to choose one venue where I imagine spending the whole day if I could! This year it’s a new venue for us–Cascieri Hall at the Boston Architectural College–which is featuring three sessions on topics of special interest to me. Graphic novelist Jason Lutes is starting the day with a presentation of his landmark historical graphic novel Berlin, decades in the making (and let’s just say, even if it’s historical, it’s pretty darn relevant now). He’ll be followed by Ryan North, writer of many smart and hilarious things (including my personal favorite, The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl), who will be here to talk about his new book How to Invent Everything. And after that is what promises to be a fascinating session on Urbanism, including the issue of walkability, which is a passion of mine. Someone save me a seat in this venue, because if I have a chance, I’ll be swinging through!
Owen Elphick: I am particularly excited by Rage Against the Screen: Gathering IRL and BBF Unbound: Twitter Ate My Brain, because I am absolutely fascinated with the way human interaction and our ability to connect with one another has been affected by social media and the Internet, and the effect this technology has on our behavior, how it affects us at a neurological level. I am specifically curious about what this means for the future of books, and the role they serve as (for the most part) one of the only major forms of media we do not consume from our phone or other screens. Bullets into Bells: Poetry and Music also has me very interested, as I have been asking myself a good deal lately how I, in my own art, can and should respond to tragedy, particularly the violent tragedy that is all too common in this country. The Martín Espada poem for which the session is named was a balm for me in the wake of the Sandy Hook shooting, which happened in my home state of Connecticut and deeply affected me; and I would love to see how this poem, and the art and writing of others, is being brought to the Boston Book Festival to speak to today’s situation, and to show the way forward.
Katie Montgomery: I can’t wait for the Youth Activism event at the BBF. Thankfully, I won’t have to wait much longer as the festival is only 2 weeks away! America’s youth are no longer waiting until they are allowed to vote to make a difference. The younger generations have made their voices be heard just as these panelists will on October 13. This powerhouse panel includes Jenn Abelson, Eric David Dawson, Melissa Falkowski, Amanda Matos, Alexandra Styron, and DiDi Delgado all discussing important social issues, like sexual assault, gun violence, and inequality. Each panelist is actively engaged in making social change in America and creating a better, safer, more inclusive, and peaceful future. These influential panelists will be discussing how to take steps to turn anger into action, transform the norms, and speak against injustices. Though titled “Youth Activism,” this panel is for everyone ready to make changes in our society. Be there. Listen. Be heard.
It’s back to school season, and this year, we’re pleased to help make school time (even) more fun and rewarding for the students at the Martin Luther King, Jr. K-8 School in Boston’s Dorchester neighborhood. Following a competitive application process, the Boston Book Festival, along with participating publishers, is donating brand-new books to the King K-8 library as part of this year’s Shelf Help partnership. We’re also teaming up with Wondermore to bring award-winning author Meg Medina to the King for a school visit the day before her public BBF appearance on October 13.
We’re off to a great start, but there are still a lot of shelves to fill, and that’s where you come in! We’re asking friends and fans of the BBF to join us in donating books and funds to stock the shelves at the King’s library. Focusing primarily on a diverse collection of award-winning books, the King’s online wish list will make hundreds of young readers very happy.
Here are some ways you can get involved:
Peruse the King’s wish list online and donate a book directly to the school library (click the blue “Donate Now” button and then choose “Donate books.”
Contribute funds directly to the Shelf Help project by visiting the donations page and selecting a dollar amount. Or stop by the merchandise booth at BBF 2018 on October 13 and donate on-site!
Spread the word about the King School’s library and Shelf Help by sharing this post on social media, using the hashtag #ShelfHelp and tagging @bostonbookfest and @MLKK8School!
Thanks so much for your help–together we’re bringing the love of reading to a new generation of Boston kids!
Even though we’re busy planning BBF 2018 (mark your calendars: October 13!), Team BBF is still finding time for a little summer R&R, from visiting mountains and islands to exploring beaches, pools, and parks closer to home. And you know we’ve always got a book in our backpack or beach bag! Our staff has compiled some of our favorite summer reading recommendations to accompany you on your own summer adventures—happy summer, and happy reading!
Debbie Porter, Founding Executive Director
If you like family sagas and immigration stories, Pachinko, by Min Jin Lee, is a good choice for a summer read. It’s the story of a young Korean woman who marries and moves to Japan with her missionary husband, circa 1939. It reminds me of the James Michener novels I loved as a kid.
For more of a layered novel of ideas, I recommend Asymmetry, by Lisa Halliday. It has been declared the book of the summer and has been written about extensively so I won’t say more—but it’s good!
This year, anytime I talk with someone for more than about three minutes, I’m likely to start enthusing about Richard Powers‘s magnificent new novel The Overstory. It’s not an exaggeration to say that this novel–which plants trees at the center of a rich and multilayered narrative–will alter not only the way you view the woods but also how you think about the nature of time and our human story. Perfect for a hiking or backpacking trip–though in that case you might want to opt for the e-book, since at 500+ pages, it’s monumental in more ways than one!
If you’re still around after I’ve waxed rhapsodic about The Overstory, I’ll probably next recommend Aminatta Forna‘s Happiness. A love story that opens with a chance meeting between a wildlife biologist studying urban foxes and a recently widowed trauma specialist, Happiness is also a beautifully rendered portrait of contemporary, multicultural London, and a glimpse at the vitality and interconnectedness of its immigrant communities. Pick this one up if your summer plans send you across the pond–or if you just wish they did!
I’ve finally gotten around to reading (or listening to) Boston favorite Mitali Perkins‘s YA novel You Bring the Distant Near, a big-hearted novel about three generations of women in a Bengali American family, each navigating her own journey across borders and boundaries both real and symbolic. I definitely recommend the audiobook version of the novel–the voices of five different narrators further enliven the characters Perkins has so lovingly created. Add this one to your list if your summer plans include a family reunion!
I intended to read Chad Sell‘s juvenile graphic novel Cardboard Kingdom to myself, but my four-year-old immediately demanded that I read it aloud, and it’s since become a full family favorite. Sell and his coauthors navigate issues like bullying, gender identity, divorce, and neurodiversity in completely age-appropriate ways, all while telling a series of interconnected stories about a group of kids who creatively transform their neighborhood into a summertime fairyland. I vote this one best choice for summer camp care packages.
Finally, in recent weeks, my thoughts have increasingly turned to a book I read last year. Valeria Luiselli‘s brief but powerful Tell Me How It Ends: An Essay in Forty Questions recounts her experience as a volunteer interpreter for unaccompanied minors during the surge of arrivals in 2015. Luiselli’s book is essential reading for those wanting to gain historical perspective and to understand the differences between Obama and Trump-era border policies. It’s also both intimate and urgent, illustrating the human cost of the ongoing refugee crisis. Summer reading is often about escapism, but this year, we can’t afford to tune out.
Because Mermaids in Paradise: A Novelby Lydia Millet is about a honeymooning couple (who, you guessed it, find mermaids), I purchased it to take on my own honeymoon…nearly two years ago. I recently tossed it into my beach bag and am so glad I did. What a romp! Not only was it fun and sarcastic in the way Millet’s novels tend to be, it also questions corporate greed and humans’ impact on the environment.
Support Independent Bookstores
An oldie but goodie, The Blue Sword by Robin McKinley was published in 1982 and is a Newbery Honor book. I found it on the “staff pick shelf” at Innisfree Bookshop, an adorable store in the Lakes region of New Hampshire overlooking Lake Winnipesaukee. The desert setting, strong female lead, beautiful horses, and magic–“Kelar”–make for an excellent escape.
Support Independent Bookstores
In preparation for the movie (coming out August 2018), I’m re-reading Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan. It’s a delicious combination of society drama, international glamour, and family politics. Imagine if Gossip Girl, The OC, and Sex in the City came together to create the ultimate telenovela set in Singapore. Cheers!
Support Independent Bookstores
Bella Cartularo, BBF 2018 Intern
They Can’t Kill Us Until They Kill Us by Hanif Abdurraqib
This brilliant collection of essays explores Abdurraqib’s experiences when confronted with feelings of intrigue, confusion, love, and loathing. When I started this book I didn’t put it down until I reached the last page. I highly suggest this book not only for those interested in new age voices but also for those who are explore the limitations of genre, specifically the limitations (or limitless potential) of the essay form.
Sing, Unburied, Sing by Jesmyn Ward
Ward is a force whose writing is reminiscent of James Baldwin, Toni Morrison, and William Faulkner. Her work is endlessly compelling and honest and this book really lets that shine through. Set in a fictional town in Mississippi, this novel explores the fault lines between families and identity.
The Female Persuasion by Meg Wolitzer
You’re not supposed to judge a book by its cover, but Meg Wolitzer’s newest novel’s bright and bold cover art alone might just make you stop and pick it up. The storyline, however, I’m sure will seal the deal. The Female Persuasion follows Greer Kadetsky, a woman figuring out her path in life through college, careers, and children. Wolitzer’s novel shows, through Greer, what it’s like to be a feminist in today’s world when there is no clear definition or strong support system. This is a story that you’ll read, tell EVERYONE to read, and won’t accept no for an answer.
Robin by Dave Itzkoff
In a time where mental health is mostly misunderstood or altogether ignored, Dave Itzkoff’s Robin brings light to the topic and to the Robin Williams that was under all of the masks, accents, and hilarious characters. When reading, you’ll feel like Williams is sitting right next to you to help tell his story. Itzfkoff paints the complete portrait, highlighting the light, the dark, the publically perceived, and the privately unknown sides.
“All Lit Up!”: Lit Crawl Boston’s Food Will Keep Us Together
Food is the way to the heart. Deborah Norkin’s session Food Will Keep Us Together is sure to bring out the foodie in us all. This interview is full of wise words, will make you want to delight in something delectable, and smile. Interviewing Deborah Norkin was the greatest treat of all, read on to find out more about this wonderful session and why you should attend it.
Deborah: I started producing and hosting literary events to bring my author friends and reader friends together. Bringing people together to celebrate books is one of my great joys. Being able to talk about books and food makes it even better. At the last Lit Crawl, I produced A Taste of Boston Food Writing. I chose Food Will Keep Us Together as this session’s theme because food really is one of the few things every human being has in common. If we understand each other through what we eat, all the noise of the world disappears and we can see each other as people with the same wants, needs, and desires.Crystal’s depth of knowledge of food history is brilliant. When I read Dariel’s work, I feel like he’s in the room with me. Grace’s memoir has many stories of how food and culture are often interchangeable.
Deborah: To see beyond the surface and know that every person deserves dignity, respect, and consideration. We all hunger. We all love. We all want to live in peace.
Deborah: A great big pot of something that everyone can share. Paella, or Pot au Feu.
Deborah:No question. Julia Child. I actually served her a salad when I was working on the line at the Harvest in Harvard Square a few decades ago. I didn’t see her eat it, but when the plate came back empty, I was thrilled. She possessed such a generous spirit. I have rewatched her shows many times and even though beyond that one salad, we never met, she is like a friend to me.
Thank you Deborah for this lovely interview, now let’s get ready to “litcrawl!”
“All Lit Up!”: Lit Crawl Boston’s A Little Box of Yes
Entertaining, delightful, and creative are three words that best describe a Little Box of Yes and the two wonderful people who created it, Ethan Gilsdorf and Brian Mooney. Life and stories are more fun when you just say YES! Getting to know this session and its presenters was enlightening and I hope you enjoy reading about them too.
Brian Mooney: Everyone knows that writing can be a solitary thing, but it’s also a spectacularly improvisational thing—it’s just that hardly anyone ever sees that part of it. Usually, nobody is around when you sit and ask your characters, What if you did this or that? What’s your first memory? What do you sound like? What do you want? When you ask your places, What if you rained? What if you snowed? What if you had purple trees? When you ask your story, What if I wrote you in first person? What if you’re in present tense? Writers constantly ask themselves questions like this. It’s important to be able to say Yes to asking and answering those questions and exploring where they take you. That spirit of exploration is what inspires A Little Box of Yes, and it’s a lot of fun to do that exploration with other people and see what comes out of it.
Ethan Gilsdorf: On a personal level, Brian and I have known each other since the early 1990s, back when I lived in Vermont. Brian still lives there. I live in Providence. So it’s great to reconnect in this way some years later on our literary trajectories, and see what kind of trouble we can cook up collaboratively as part of Lit Crawl Boston.
Brian: That it’s totally entertaining (and legit) to hang out with your friends and make up characters and settings and scenes and stories.
Ethan: And that storytelling is something that anyone can do.
Brian: A spiked watermelon on a picnic table with a red-checkered table cloth.
Ethan: Or, that funky, improvisational soup/stew/stir fry you make from all the random found items in your refrigerator. That you wash down with a ‘Gansett TallBoy.
Brian: Gertrude Stein, the Queen of Yes. Or William Gass, because that guy knew how to say yes. And if we’re going just Boston-area, then Kerouac. He also knew a thing or two about yes.
Ethan: And Poe was born not far from here, near the Boston Common behind GrubStreet‘s offices on Boylston Street. So it’s fun to think of his spirit watching over us.
Brian: Stein, Gass, Kerouac, and Poe… Now THAT’S a party!
Thank you to Brian and Ethan for letting us interview you! Now let’s get ready to Litcrawl!
Request for Proposals: Shelf Help 2019
Boston Book Festival is once again reaching out to the Greater Boston community to help us implement our annual Shelf Help partnership, which this year is expanding to reach two schools–one serving grades K–8 and one serving grades 9–12. We know that many area schools lack the resources to fully stock their school libraries with contemporary, high-quality books. We want to help expand the library book collections at two local schools, and then we will work with the Wondermore organization to coordinate a children’s or YA author or illustrator visit to share the wonders of book creation with young readers!
Last year, as part of the Shelf Help partnership, the Boston Book Festival, Boys Town Press, Capstone Publishing, and Random House Children’s Books donated books to the King K-8 School in Boston’s Dorchester neighborhood. The BBF and Wondermore also coordinated a school visit by award-winning author Meg Medina.
In 2019, Shelf Help will partner with not one but two school libraries! We will choose one K–8 school library and one 9–12 school library, providing a donation of new books near the beginning of the 2019-2020 school year. We will be collecting donations at the eleventh annual Boston Book Festival on October 19-20.
If you know a library professional at a school that needs some Shelf Help, please forward them this RFP, which has links to a short online or downloadable application. All proposals are due by May 31, 2019.
You can also lend direct “Shelf Help” to the Boston community! If you would like to donate a book, please come to the Boston Book Festival on October 19 (in Copley) or October 20 (in Roxbury) and look out for our information booth, or you can donate through our online book wish list. Email us at info@bostonbookfest.org to receive a link to the “Shelf Help” donation site. If you would prefer to make a cash donation, please visit our donate page. Upon checking out, select “Make this a gift” and designate “Shelf Help” as the gift recipient in the appropriate box.
With “Shelf Help,” we aim to support students’ discovery and expression of their voices through access to an increased selection of books within their school environment. Words have power to motivate and provoke all readers to discover themselves and their place in the world, and we hope that Shelf Help will encourage students to view themselves as literary explorers!
BBF 2018: What to Know Before You Go
Our trucks have rolled into Copley Square, we found Paddington Bear at Back Bay Station, and the tenth annual BBF will kick off all over Boston this Saturday, October 13. We hope you’re as excited as we are: read on for some essential tips to help you make the most of your day at the BBF!
No ticket? No problem! It’s true that our two ticketed events–the 10/12 kickoff keynote with Michael Pollan and the 10/13 “On Leadership” session–are completely sold out. We are not maintaining a waiting list for either event, but the good news is that if you didn’t purchase tickets in time, we have more than 100 other events that are absolutely free and don’t require tickets or registration. Admission and seating at all these events is first-come, first-served, so we recommend you arrive early for sessions that are especially important to you! Need help navigating our online schedule? Visit this brief tutorial.
We’re not just in Copley anymore! After a successful pilot in East Boston last year, we’re expanding our neighborhood festivals program to include both East Boston and Roxbury. Offering unique presentations, performances, and workshops in each location and featuring an exciting mix of nationally known and locally grown literary talent, these all-day events mean that no matter where you live or work in Boston, on 10/13 there’s a BBF near you!
Plan ahead if you plan to drive. This year, we’re partnering with ParkWhiz to help BBF attendees find and book the best deals on parking near the festival. You do need to book parking in advance in order to take advantage of the ParkWhiz deals, however, so take a few minutes and have one less thing to worry about as you head into the city (especially since the Red Sox will also be kicking off the ALCS at Fenway on Saturday evening!).
Arrive early and dance with us. BBF 2018 presenter and Daybreaker founder Radha Agrawal will help us kick off the BBF with a morning dance party outside in Copley Square. Chameleon Cold-Brew will be there to get all those early birds energized and ready for Boston’s biggest book party!
And stay late and raise a glass with us. This year our perennially popular capstone event Poems & Pints, produced with Mass Poetry, is at a new and bigger venue–furniture store Room & Board! In addition to readings by five amazing poets, there will be live music by novelist and songwriter Robin MacArthur, plus seasonal beers and pretzels! You better believe that this is where you’ll find us at the end of the BBF day–save us a seat where we can put our feet up!
Bring a tote bag (or buy one from us!). Thanks to our partner booksellers, book sales and signings follow all of our sessions, so bring a bag (or buy a tenth-anniversary one at our merch booth!) to stock up on new finds (not to mention goodies from our 75+ exhibitors on Copley Square!). Our merch booth will also offer beautiful keepsake books commemorating our tenth anniversary and featuring essays by authors like Tom Perrotta, Stephanie Burt, and Nic Stone, brand-new BBF journals, and tenth-anniversary posters–plus BBF umbrellas, just in case! We are a rain-or-shine event, after all!
Love the BBF? Help keep it free to all. If you love the BBF, help support it! The BBF is run by an independent nonprofit, and we rely on donations from individuals to help keep the festival thriving and free to all. Donations in any amount are appreciated, but membership benefits start at $50; more substantial donations of $500+ can get you priority seating, party invitations, and more! You can contribute to the BBF online anytime or at the membership table at the big BBF tent on the day of the festival. Thank you for your support as we head into our second decade!
Most importantly? Have fun! We hope you enjoy this free celebration of books and literary culture. We’ve certainly had fun putting it together for you. Tag us on Twitter and Instagram and use the hashtag #BBF2018—we can’t wait to see how you spend your day!
Q&A: East Boston Librarian Margaret Kelly Highlights What’s On for the Neighborhood Festival
We’re excited to be returning to the East Boston Branch of Boston Public Library for the second edition of BBF in East Boston!
We piloted our first Neighborhood Festival in East Boston last year, and had over 100 attendees in just our first year. This year, we’re stepping it up. We’ve expanded programming, added live mariachi music, and developed all-day activities, such as a community-developed poem.
Margaret Kelly, branch librarian in East Boston, tellls us a little more about what made last year’s East Boston Neighborhood Festival successful, why the Neighborhood Festivals are important, and what to expect for this bigger and better line-up this year!
Check out the full schedule.
1) Last year’s East Boston Neighborhood Festival–BBF’s first beyond Copley Square–was a huge hit. What are some of your favorite highlights?
My favorite was definitely the writing workshop for children that Matt de la Peña presented. Both the children and parents really enjoyed it, and so did I. Matt was very funny and really got the children excited about writing.
I also really liked the art and illustration workshop for children conducted by James DeMarco, a local author and illustrator. It was kind of amazing that all the children from the youngest to the oldest made these great dinosaur drawings. They all looked like dinosaurs, and all the children put their own spin on it. I don’t think I would have been nearly as successful.
James will be back this year but this time he will be speaking on a panel discussion about writing and publishing, which I’m looking forward to.
2) What was the most unexpected part of the day last year?
I don’t know that anything was really unexpected, but, if anything, it was how excited the adults were about all the programs. We had a short story discussion group that the participants really enjoyed. Most of our other programs were geared toward children. But the parents and other adults loved these programs, too. I think they particularly enjoyed seeing the children get so excited about books and maybe there was a nostalgia factor, as well, with our Curious George visit and storytime.
This year we have increased our programs and have something for all ages.
3) Why is the festival important to what you do and the neighborhood?
It’s a great opportunity to connect people with books and authors. It makes both reading and writing more accessible. Through meeting and hearing from both famous and local authors, participants get the message that everyone has a story, and I think that is very powerful. Most of all, the festival is about having fun and celebrating reading. I love that it is a neighborhood event and a celebration of both reading and community.
4) We’d love to know more about East Boston. What books are flying off the shelves?
The President is Missing by James Patterson has been very popular, as well as The Flight Attendant by Chris Bohjalian and Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng. The Hate You Give by Angie Thomas has been in high demand from both adults and teens. In the Children’s Room, it is nearly impossible to keep any books by Mo Willems and Jeff Kinney on the shelves.
5) Any sneak peeks into what we can expect at the 2018 BBF East Boston Neighborhood Festival?
There is going to be an array of fun and interesting programs for adults and children. Pete the Cat will be visiting and we will have a panel discussion from local authors about writing and publishing. Actress Sheetal Sheth will be reading from her first children’s book, and Daniel José Older will be presenting a writing workshop for preteens.
All ages will be invited to help craft a community poem on East Boston and also to create their own blackout poetry. To give visitors a flavor of East Boston, local artist Veronica Robles will perform with her all female mariachi band.
6) Will there be programming for all ages?
Yes, we truly will have something for everyone.
Check out the full schedule.
BBF Partners with Heart-of-Roxbury Bookstore: A Q&A with Frugal Bookstore Owners, Clarrissa and Leonard Egerton
We are thrilled to be debuting the Boston Book Festival in the vibrant Roxbury neighborhood of Dudley Square with a not-to-be missed lineup of workshops, performances, music, kids’ activities and lots of discussion on fascinating new books.
One of the best parts of organizing this new initiative has been working with our Roxbury programming partners: the Roxbury Cultural District, the Boston Public Library’s Dudley Branch, and, of course, the beloved neighborhood institution, the Frugal Bookstore. We talked with Frugal owners Clarrissa and Leonard Egerton, who grew up in Roxbury and are proud local business owners, about how they started the bookstore, what are some popular Roxbury reads, and what they’re most excited about with the October 13 launch of the Boston Book Festival in Roxbury.
1) How did you come up with the idea of starting Frugal Bookstore?
We were part of a business in Roxbury, Frugal Furniture, owned by Robert Romanow, and within the furniture store, he had a section with books—all primarily by authors of colors. I was looking for a job, and Mr. Romanow asked me if I would help him build a book business. I had never seen so many books by people of color in one place, and it just looked beautiful.
It made me very proud, because I am an avid reader and I know how important it is for all people to see themselves in the literature they read.
It became my mission to assist Mr. Romanow, and when he saw how dedicated I was, he offered to sell me the bookstore portion of his business. I asked Clarrissa if she wanted to join me in building a business that could serve the very community we both grew up in, and she came on board.
A space opened up across from the furniture store, we applied for it, and we moved the books into it. We kept the name Frugal Bookstore simply because it was becoming known, and why fix something that is not broken. And that’s how Clarrissa and I became owners of the Frugal Bookstore.
2) You recently moved locations to be right in the heart of Dudley Square. What impact has that had on your business?
The impact of moving to Dudley Square has been quite measurable. The fact that a person can walk by and see a bookstore and stop in has garnered us more support, patronage, and business. We have been able to partner with different organizations in Dudley Square. Being in the center of Roxbury, where so many people pass through each day, has given people the chance to see us who may have never seen us in our other store. Visibility and diverse people coming into the bookstore have had the biggest impact on our business.
3) What’s the best part of running a bookstore in Roxbury?
The best part is that we are the only bookstore in Roxbury. We are one of a kind.
Our families and the people we’ve grown up with can watch and see us thrive and know that it is very possible to own a business in the very community you grow up in. And not just any business—one that offers value, a business where you can come in and you light up because you feel proud that it is in Roxbury. Books help people in so many ways, and for us to be able to help the very people we grew up with and give to our community a resource that keeps on giving is definitely the best part of running a bookstore in Roxbury.
4) What’s been popular reading in the neighborhood this year?
That’s a hard question to answer, because the interests within the community are so diverse. There’s no particularly popular reading, but there has been a great deal of focus on starting book clubs within the community, and a great deal of support has been given to us by different organizations.
5) What are you most excited about with the BBF Roxbury program?
The mere fact that it is being held in Roxbury and that we were selected to help is a big deal. BBF coming to Roxbury means we can showcase talent that may not otherwise have been seen by the people who live in Roxbury. It gives the people of Roxbury a chance to be a part of the literary world that seems out of reach sometimes.
Interested in learning more about the Boston Book Festival’s Roxbury edition? Check out the schedule and make plans to join us on October 13!
BBF Celebrates 10 Years with Launch of East Boston and Roxbury Festivals!
The Boston Book Festival is celebrating its tenth anniversary in 2018, and we’re doing something big. For the first time ever, we’re bringing all the lively readings, discussions and festivities to two cultural centers of the city, East Boston and Roxbury!
The Neighborhood Festivals will be on the same day as the Copley Festival, Saturday, October 13, and some of the most nationally celebrated writers will be heading directly to you, including Oprah Book Club favorite Tayari Jones and New York Times bestseller Daniel Jose Older!
We’ll also feature local icons, such as ESPN sports writer Howard Bryant, Black Arts Movement leader Askia Toure, popular poet Simone John – and even music by Boston’s first-ever all female mariachi band!
We talked with BBF’s founder and executive director, Deborah Porter, and deputy director Norah Piehl to learn more about this new initiative and to a sneak peek from them on what’s to come.
Check out the full schedule of events for kids, teens and adults in Roxbury and East Boston!
How did you come up with the idea to start the Neighborhood Festivals?
DP: I have been frustrated for years at the relative lack of diversity among attendees at the BBF, despite a fair number of diverse voices presenting year after year. I finally realized that for the BBF to reach a broader audience, we should forge partnerships in other neighborhoods with the goal of bringing great programming to more people.
Why did you choose East Boston and Roxbury?
NP: In part, at least for last year’s pilot in East Boston, the decision was a practical one—we were looking for a Boston Public Library branch that was open on Saturday, that had enough space to host programming, that had a library staff who were excited about working with us, and that had the technological capacity to do things like project live-streamed programming.
But more broadly than that, we were looking to reach neighborhoods that have historically had relatively low attendance at the BBF in Copley, which is definitely true of both of these neighborhoods. We thought that in both cases, residents of these neighborhoods might benefit from having a fun, book-centered event take place right around the corner, rather than having to travel to Copley on a busy Saturday, especially for families where one or both parents might work on weekends.
What do you hope to achieve with this new initiative?
NP: We hope that the curated programming in each neighborhood allows attendees to see themselves and their neighbors reflected not only as part of a community of readers, but also to see authors, illustrators, and other brilliant, creative people—many of them creators of color—featured and celebrated in this way. And we hope that these two neighborhood festivals are just the beginning of what might become a true citywide celebration of books and reading!
Have you been surprised by the reception?
NP: I’ve been really gratified by the response to the programs, both in East Boston and in Roxbury. In Roxbury, in particular, because the Dudley Square BPL branch is currently closed for renovations, we’ve needed to establish other types of partnerships, and I think we’ve all been really excited by how many groups and individuals have wanted to get involved in shaping the program, spreading the word about the festival to their networks, and, in general, just helping the festival succeed as a real neighborhood-based event.
Where do you see this going in the future?
DP: I see the neighborhood festivals as being an eagerly anticipated event in the community, just as the main BBF is at Copley.
Any not-to-be missed sessions?
NP: In East Boston, besides all the great book-related programs, I’m really excited about the performance by Veronica Robles and her all-women mariachi band. One of our goals of festival day is to create a truly festive atmosphere, to make this day that’s centered on books and reading also feel like a celebration or a party. Having a wonderful musical performance by Veronica’s group will certainly achieve that goal! In Roxbury, I’m personally excited about the conversation between playwright and performer Liza Jessie Peterson and Black Arts movement pioneer Askia Touré, about the intersections between artistic production and social activism. It’s going to be a really vibrant discussion led by David Dower of ArtsEmerson, a long-time partner of ours who have really positioned themselves as leaders when it comes to producing theatrical work that also serves a social purpose.
DP: All the sessions are not-to-be missed! Some of our most amazing authors from the main stage in Copley are appearing at the neighborhood festivals, as well as outstanding local talent. It should be a fun day all around!
Check out the full schedule of events for kids, teens and adults in Roxbury and East Boston!
BBF 2018: Team BBF’s Most Anticipated Sessions
The BBF schedule released earlier this week, and if you’re having a hard time narrowing down your choices from the 100+ separate events taking place in Copley Square on October 13, we’re here to help! We asked the BBF team which sessions they’re most excited about this year, and here’s what they said!
Deborah Z Porter:
Well, this is a little like being forced to say which is your favorite child, but I am very excited about the kickoff keynote with Michael Pollan, because he’s just great. On Leadership brings together three such amazing people who know each other well, and I am eager to hear the insights they’ve gleaned from being in power and studying leaders. And, I am looking forward to Not Just a Game. While I am not a big sports fan, I am very interested in how athletes are showing leadership around social justice issues. Can I cheat and add one more? Authoritarianism–what a great lineup and important topic.
Norah Piehl:
In reality, most of us spend festival day dashing from one place to another, but every year I like to choose one venue where I imagine spending the whole day if I could! This year it’s a new venue for us–Cascieri Hall at the Boston Architectural College–which is featuring three sessions on topics of special interest to me. Graphic novelist Jason Lutes is starting the day with a presentation of his landmark historical graphic novel Berlin, decades in the making (and let’s just say, even if it’s historical, it’s pretty darn relevant now). He’ll be followed by Ryan North, writer of many smart and hilarious things (including my personal favorite, The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl), who will be here to talk about his new book How to Invent Everything. And after that is what promises to be a fascinating session on Urbanism, including the issue of walkability, which is a passion of mine. Someone save me a seat in this venue, because if I have a chance, I’ll be swinging through!
Owen Elphick:
I am particularly excited by Rage Against the Screen: Gathering IRL and BBF Unbound: Twitter Ate My Brain, because I am absolutely fascinated with the way human interaction and our ability to connect with one another has been affected by social media and the Internet, and the effect this technology has on our behavior, how it affects us at a neurological level. I am specifically curious about what this means for the future of books, and the role they serve as (for the most part) one of the only major forms of media we do not consume from our phone or other screens. Bullets into Bells: Poetry and Music also has me very interested, as I have been asking myself a good deal lately how I, in my own art, can and should respond to tragedy, particularly the violent tragedy that is all too common in this country. The Martín Espada poem for which the session is named was a balm for me in the wake of the Sandy Hook shooting, which happened in my home state of Connecticut and deeply affected me; and I would love to see how this poem, and the art and writing of others, is being brought to the Boston Book Festival to speak to today’s situation, and to show the way forward.
Katie Montgomery:
I can’t wait for the Youth Activism event at the BBF. Thankfully, I won’t have to wait much longer as the festival is only 2 weeks away! America’s youth are no longer waiting until they are allowed to vote to make a difference. The younger generations have made their voices be heard just as these panelists will on October 13. This powerhouse panel includes Jenn Abelson, Eric David Dawson, Melissa Falkowski, Amanda Matos, Alexandra Styron, and DiDi Delgado all discussing important social issues, like sexual assault, gun violence, and inequality. Each panelist is actively engaged in making social change in America and creating a better, safer, more inclusive, and peaceful future. These influential panelists will be discussing how to take steps to turn anger into action, transform the norms, and speak against injustices. Though titled “Youth Activism,” this panel is for everyone ready to make changes in our society. Be there. Listen. Be heard.
Join Us to Give the King K-8 School Some Shelf Help!
It’s back to school season, and this year, we’re pleased to help make school time (even) more fun and rewarding for the students at the Martin Luther King, Jr. K-8 School in Boston’s Dorchester neighborhood. Following a competitive application process, the Boston Book Festival, along with participating publishers, is donating brand-new books to the King K-8 library as part of this year’s Shelf Help partnership. We’re also teaming up with Wondermore to bring award-winning author Meg Medina to the King for a school visit the day before her public BBF appearance on October 13.
We’re off to a great start, but there are still a lot of shelves to fill, and that’s where you come in! We’re asking friends and fans of the BBF to join us in donating books and funds to stock the shelves at the King’s library. Focusing primarily on a diverse collection of award-winning books, the King’s online wish list will make hundreds of young readers very happy.
Here are some ways you can get involved:
Thanks so much for your help–together we’re bringing the love of reading to a new generation of Boston kids!
Summer Reading 2018
Even though we’re busy planning BBF 2018 (mark your calendars: October 13!), Team BBF is still finding time for a little summer R&R, from visiting mountains and islands to exploring beaches, pools, and parks closer to home. And you know we’ve always got a book in our backpack or beach bag! Our staff has compiled some of our favorite summer reading recommendations to accompany you on your own summer adventures—happy summer, and happy reading!
Debbie Porter, Founding Executive Director
If you like family sagas and immigration stories, Pachinko, by Min Jin Lee, is a good choice for a summer read. It’s the story of a young Korean woman who marries and moves to Japan with her missionary husband, circa 1939. It reminds me of the James Michener novels I loved as a kid.
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For more of a layered novel of ideas, I recommend Asymmetry, by Lisa Halliday. It has been declared the book of the summer and has been written about extensively so I won’t say more—but it’s good!
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I have just started reading The Sympathizer, by Viet Thanh Nguyen, and it feels important and original.
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Next on my list, I look forward to reading Kudos, the third in Rachel Cusk’s trilogy. It takes place at a literary festival!
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Norah Piehl, Deputy Director
This year, anytime I talk with someone for more than about three minutes, I’m likely to start enthusing about Richard Powers‘s magnificent new novel The Overstory. It’s not an exaggeration to say that this novel–which plants trees at the center of a rich and multilayered narrative–will alter not only the way you view the woods but also how you think about the nature of time and our human story. Perfect for a hiking or backpacking trip–though in that case you might want to opt for the e-book, since at 500+ pages, it’s monumental in more ways than one!
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If you’re still around after I’ve waxed rhapsodic about The Overstory, I’ll probably next recommend Aminatta Forna‘s Happiness. A love story that opens with a chance meeting between a wildlife biologist studying urban foxes and a recently widowed trauma specialist, Happiness is also a beautifully rendered portrait of contemporary, multicultural London, and a glimpse at the vitality and interconnectedness of its immigrant communities. Pick this one up if your summer plans send you across the pond–or if you just wish they did!
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I’ve finally gotten around to reading (or listening to) Boston favorite Mitali Perkins‘s YA novel You Bring the Distant Near, a big-hearted novel about three generations of women in a Bengali American family, each navigating her own journey across borders and boundaries both real and symbolic. I definitely recommend the audiobook version of the novel–the voices of five different narrators further enliven the characters Perkins has so lovingly created. Add this one to your list if your summer plans include a family reunion!
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I intended to read Chad Sell‘s juvenile graphic novel Cardboard Kingdom to myself, but my four-year-old immediately demanded that I read it aloud, and it’s since become a full family favorite. Sell and his coauthors navigate issues like bullying, gender identity, divorce, and neurodiversity in completely age-appropriate ways, all while telling a series of interconnected stories about a group of kids who creatively transform their neighborhood into a summertime fairyland. I vote this one best choice for summer camp care packages.
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Finally, in recent weeks, my thoughts have increasingly turned to a book I read last year. Valeria Luiselli‘s brief but powerful Tell Me How It Ends: An Essay in Forty Questions recounts her experience as a volunteer interpreter for unaccompanied minors during the surge of arrivals in 2015. Luiselli’s book is essential reading for those wanting to gain historical perspective and to understand the differences between Obama and Trump-era border policies. It’s also both intimate and urgent, illustrating the human cost of the ongoing refugee crisis. Summer reading is often about escapism, but this year, we can’t afford to tune out.
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Raquel Hitt, Director of Operations
Because Mermaids in Paradise: A Novel by Lydia Millet is about a honeymooning couple (who, you guessed it, find mermaids), I purchased it to take on my own honeymoon…nearly two years ago. I recently tossed it into my beach bag and am so glad I did. What a romp! Not only was it fun and sarcastic in the way Millet’s novels tend to be, it also questions corporate greed and humans’ impact on the environment.
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An oldie but goodie, The Blue Sword by Robin McKinley was published in 1982 and is a Newbery Honor book. I found it on the “staff pick shelf” at Innisfree Bookshop, an adorable store in the Lakes region of New Hampshire overlooking Lake Winnipesaukee. The desert setting, strong female lead, beautiful horses, and magic–“Kelar”–make for an excellent escape.
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In preparation for the movie (coming out August 2018), I’m re-reading Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan. It’s a delicious combination of society drama, international glamour, and family politics. Imagine if Gossip Girl, The OC, and Sex in the City came together to create the ultimate telenovela set in Singapore. Cheers!
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Bella Cartularo, BBF 2018 Intern
They Can’t Kill Us Until They Kill Us by Hanif Abdurraqib
This brilliant collection of essays explores Abdurraqib’s experiences when confronted with feelings of intrigue, confusion, love, and loathing. When I started this book I didn’t put it down until I reached the last page. I highly suggest this book not only for those interested in new age voices but also for those who are explore the limitations of genre, specifically the limitations (or limitless potential) of the essay form.
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Sing, Unburied, Sing by Jesmyn Ward
Ward is a force whose writing is reminiscent of James Baldwin, Toni Morrison, and William Faulkner. Her work is endlessly compelling and honest and this book really lets that shine through. Set in a fictional town in Mississippi, this novel explores the fault lines between families and identity.
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Katie Montgomery, BBF 2018 Intern
The Female Persuasion by Meg Wolitzer
You’re not supposed to judge a book by its cover, but Meg Wolitzer’s newest novel’s bright and bold cover art alone might just make you stop and pick it up. The storyline, however, I’m sure will seal the deal. The Female Persuasion follows Greer Kadetsky, a woman figuring out her path in life through college, careers, and children. Wolitzer’s novel shows, through Greer, what it’s like to be a feminist in today’s world when there is no clear definition or strong support system. This is a story that you’ll read, tell EVERYONE to read, and won’t accept no for an answer.
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Robin by Dave Itzkoff
In a time where mental health is mostly misunderstood or altogether ignored, Dave Itzkoff’s Robin brings light to the topic and to the Robin Williams that was under all of the masks, accents, and hilarious characters. When reading, you’ll feel like Williams is sitting right next to you to help tell his story. Itzfkoff paints the complete portrait, highlighting the light, the dark, the publically perceived, and the privately unknown sides.
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