So I got a free bus pass to go to the National Book Festival in Washington D.C. next month, which is put on by the Library of Congress. There are a shit-ton of authors there so it looks like a neat event. I'm only going on Saturday (it's a 2-day event), which limits my options, but I know for sure that I want to see Gordon Korman, one of my favorite children's book authors when I was a kid.
But other than that, I'm not sure who to see. Both Toni Morrison and Gregory Maguire might be interesting, especially since they're major authors. But because of that I fear the crowds will be pretty unmanageable.
The full Saturday schedule:
Children
Time Author Signing
10:00-11:00
Mary Brigid Barrett 11:30-12:30
10:00-11:00
Exquisite Corpse Adventure TBD
11:10-11:55
Julianne Moore 12:30-1:30
12:05-12:50
Calef Brown 1:30-2:00
1:00-1:45
Chris Van Dusen 2:30-2:30
1:55-2:40
Dorie McCullough Lawson 3:30-4:30
2:50-3:35
Tomie dePaola 4:00-5:00
3:45-4:30
Harry Bliss 2:30-3:30
4:40-5:25
William Joyce 1:30-2:30
4:40-5:25
Joe Hayes 1:30-2:30
Top
Teens
Time Author Signing
10:00-10:45
Uma Krishnaswami 11:30-12:30
10:55-11:40
Sarah Dessen 12:30-1:30
11:50-12:35
Katherine Paterson 1:00-2:00
12:45-1:30
Jack Gantos 2:30-3:30
1:40-2:25
Gordon Korman 12:00-1:00
2:35-3:20
Cassandra Clare 12:00-1:00
3:30-4:15
Brian Selznick 2:00-3:00
4:25-5:10
Rita Williams-Garcia 1:30-2:30
Top
Contemporary Life
Time Author Signing
10:00-10:45
Jim Lehrer 11:00-12:00
10:55-11:40
Leon Fleisher 12:30-1:30
10:55-11:40
Anne Midgette 12:30-1:30
11:50-12:35
Hoda Kotb 1:00-2:00
12:45-1:30
Sylvia Nasar 3:30-4:30
1:40-2:55
Sarah Vowell 4:30-5:30
2:35-3:20
Jessica Harris 4:00-5:00
3:30-4:15
Joshua Foer 2:00-3:00
4:25-5:10
Amy Chua 3:00-4:00
Top
Fiction & Mystery
Time Author Signing
10:00-10:45
Toni Morrison 11:30-12:30
10:55-10:40
Jennifer Egan 12:00-1:00
11:50-12:35
Gregory Maguire 1:00-2:00
12:45-1:30
Steve Berry 2:30-3:30
1:40-2:25
Esmeralda Santiago 3:00-4:00
2:35-3:20
Russell Banks 3:30-4:30
3:30-4:15
Laura Lippman 1:30-2:30
4:25-5:10
Sara Paretsky 2:00-3:00
Top
History & Biography
Time Author Signing
10:00-10:45
Eugene Robinson 11:30-12:30
10:55-11:40
Maya Jasanoff 12:30-1:30
11:50-12:35
Eric Foner 1:00-2:00
12:45-1:30
James L. Swanson 2:00-3:00
1:40-2:25
Candice Millard 4:00-5:00
2:35-3:20
Justin Martin 4:00-5:00
3:30-4:15
Edmund Morris 4:30-5:30
4:25-5:10
Isabel Wilkerson 2:00-3:00
Top
Poetry & Prose
Time Author Signing
10:00-10:45
Michael Cunningham 11:30-12:30
10:55-11:40
Rita Dove 12:00-1:00
11:50-12:35
Jonathan Yardley 1:00-2:00
12:45-1:30
Linda Pastan 3:30-4:30
1:40-2:25
Mary Gordon 12:00-1:00
2:35-3:20
Claudia Emerson 4:00-5:00
3:30-4:15
Kimiko Hahn 1:30-2:30
4:25-5:10
Dave Eggers 2:30-3:30
Top
Family Storytelling Stage
Time Author Signing
10:00-10:30
Okee Dokee Brothers TBD
10:40-11:00
Matthew Reinhart 11:30-12:30
11:00-11:20
Lauren Myracle 12:00-1:00
11:20-11:40
James H. Billington TBD
11:45-12:15
Hip Hop Harry TBD
12:20-12:40
Mac Barnett 1:00-2:00
12:40-1:00
Ellen Sabin 1:30-2:30
1:00-1:20
Tom Lichtenheld 2:00-3:00
1:25-1:55
Choo Choo Soul TBD
2:00-2:20
Jarrett J. Krosoczka 3:00-4:00
2:20-2:40
Loren Long 4:30-5:30
2:40-3:00
Josh Lewis 3:30-4:30
3:00-3:20
Julianne Moore TBD
3:25-3:55
Moona Luna TBD
4:00-4:20
John Rocco 2:30-3:30
4:20-4:40
Jane O'Connor 3:00-4:00
4:40-5:00
Daniel Kirk 3:00-4:00
5:10-5:40
Justin Roberts TBD
So, any names stick out as ones that might give an interesting presentation/speech thingy? The only signing I care about is the aforementioned Korman. Unless some presentation impresses me enough that I'd want to talk to the author. Any suggestions would be taken quite seriously.
(For those in the area interested, the event is free. Here's the website with Sunday's schedule:
http://www.loc.gov/bookfest/schedule/ . In my mind, having Korman on Saturday makes Sat. much better, but him aside, Sunday looks pretty badass... especially with Neal Stephenson and a graphic novel section.)
