Call me a dinosaur if you want, as far as books are concerned I still prefer the printed version to the electronic one.
I would surely have enjoyed spending my Sunday at Brooklyn Book Festival on September 12 if I was able to. I cannot blame it on the cost since it's Free.
From 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM, the event, now in its 5th year, offers many themes and authors.
Best known names on the program include Salman Rushdie, Venus Williams, Sarah Silverman, Paul Krugman, Dennis Lehane, Paul Auster, Naomi Klein, Gary Shteyngart, Rosanne Cash, Jennifer Egan, John Ashbery, Nelson George, Mary Gaitskill, Colson Whitehead, Francine Prose, Esmeralda Santiago, Pete Hamill, Russell Banks, Michael Connelly, John Hodgman, Kristen Schaal, Sam Lipsyte, Sloane Crosley, Paul Hardin…
Like a good exchange of ideas, the schedule is chockful of them.
I noted these few:
It’s Only Rock ’n’ Roll (But I Like It). Musically inspired readings by three chart-topping American fiction writers: Steve Almond (Rock and Roll Will Save Your Life), Jennifer Egan (A Visit from the Goon Squad), and Colson Whitehead (Sag Harbor). Followed by Q&A. Introduced by Rob Spillman, Tin House St Francis Auditorium (10 AM)
Food, Metaphor, and Memory. A panel discussion exploring the ways in which food can provide a means of understanding culture and ethnicity in literature, and how it evokes some of our earliest personal stories and memories. Featuring Lara Vapnyar (Broccoli and Other Tales of Food and Love), Monique Truong (Bitter in the Mouth), and Amy Besa (Memories of Philippine Kitchens). Moderated by Jessica Hagedorn (Dream Jungle) International Stage (11 AM)
Border Crossings. Three writers with hyphenated identities and whose work crosses and bridges cultural boundaries read from their most recent books. Featuring Gary Shteyngart (Super Sad True Love Story), Luis Alberto Urrea (Into the Beautiful North), Maaza Mengiste (Beneath the Lion’s Gaze). Moderated by Rob Spillman, Tin House. International Stage (5 PM)
Perfect for bookworms like me.