A Festival of Books

Hey friends,

As much as I love reading by myself there is something so energizing and uplifting about going to a real, live, in-person book event, like a reading or festival. As a writer I know those who are presenting their books feel the same – you spend so much time in your own world and it’s almost miraculous when you get to talk about it with others.

If you’re in and around Wisconsin next week, I’ll be live on stage on October 23 at the Madison Central Library at 7pm with the novelist Jane Hamilton, talking about her new book “The Phoebe Variations,” as part of the wonderful Wisconsin Book Festival.  I’m a longtime fan and friend of the festival, having done events for the fest and its host the Madison Public Library for my own book and talking over the years with Mark Bittman, Jennifer Palmieri and Alissa Quart among others. The National Writers Series in Traverse City and the National Book Festival in Washington, DC are two of my other favorites, and It’s on my travel list to get to other book festivals like the Tucson Festival of Books and The Portland Book Festival.

If you’re in other parts of the country, you might find Jane Hamilton, who also wrote “A Map of the World” and “The Book of Ruth,” and happens to run an apple orchard, too, on her book tour, which makes the rounds from San Diego to Aspen to New York.  “The Phoebe Variations” is a coming of age story about friendships, and sisterhood and many kinds of love, and I can't wait to talk with her about it.

I hope you make it to an in-person bookish event soon, and if you come to hear Jane Hamilton next week, please join in for the question and answer time at the end, and say hello.

–   Shannon