Part cookbook, part memoir, all homage to family and vegetables; Hetty McKinnon’s latest is bursting with flavor and heart. Placing produce at the center of the plate, and vibrantly enhanced with the trademarks of Asian cuisine, Tenderheart makes it easy and adventurous to eat your veggies. Born of both creativity and practicality in the kitchen, the recipes in this cookbook will become mainstays at your family table.

ADVANCE TICKET REQUIRED - SOLD OUT, WAITLIST IS CLOSED

Presenter: Hetty Lui McKinnon

Moderator: Maureen Abood

As the population continues towards a greater appreciation for artisan ways of life, they also seek chronicles from those who have found—not always joy, but the makings of a really good story—in a return to working with their hands. With a glint of the mischievous in their eyes, as well as in their writing, our presenters relay their tales of shoeing horses, cultivating hemp, and building and piloting ships. Like anything which requires blood, sweat and tears, the job isn’t always sunny, but it sure makes for a great read.

Presenters: Michael Earl Craig, Finn Murphy, Will Sofrin

Moderator: Kent Case

A disenchanted American boy lost in the streets of Taiwan. Characters searching for the India they left behind or returning to a homeland haunted by its own. A teenage girl coming of age in a war-ravaged Vietnam. Engaging with richly-drawn characters and settings is one of the many ways in which readers and writers are able to celebrate their cultures. Join our presenters as they share heritage through storytelling.

Presenters: Mark Crilley, Nishanth Injam, Thao Thai

Moderator: Gina Balibrera

Special Note: This session previously titled “Exploring Other Cultures” has been renamed, with a new session description. The Festival deeply regrets causing any parties to feel marginalized and is grateful for the opportunity to rectify this through honest discussion.

Our lineup of lauded and award-winning artists dapple in everything from paint to digital illustration, pen and ink to collage. What we wouldn’t give to be a fly on the wall in their studios . . . We’ll gladly take what we can get and spend an hour with their creative processes, as these illustrators demonstrate how they get from blank page to the bound works of art you hold in your hands as readers.

Presenters: Sophie Blackall, Mark Crilley, Bridget George

Introductions: Rose Brickley

For as long as language has existed, humans have questioned their place in the cosmos. Why are we here? Can an individual make a difference? What is the measure of a life well-lived? Is our trajectory preordained or do we chart our own course? Is there any goal more noble than to simply be a good person? The characters in these novels are, by all accounts, as average as any of us. And this is why care about their journeys, their choices, and the joyful and sorrowful ways in which a single life unfolds each day.

Presenters: David James Duncan, Paul Harding, Lydia Millet

Moderator: Kate McCune

Alex Prud’homme has made a career in food writing. It is initially surprising to think that his recent book is just as much political account as it is culinary record. But the reader soon learns— in the words of Anthony Bourdain—“Nothing is more political than food.” With impeccable research, Prud’homme proves that food can fortify starving troops, serve as an olive branch between warring nations, and offer subtle commentary on everything from religion to environmentalism to economics. Join him for an evening of history, entertainment and good eats!

ADVANCE TICKET REQUIRED - SOLD OUT, WAITLIST IS CLOSED

Presenter: Alex Prud’homme

Moderator: Craig Fehrman

Enjoy a beverage as you visit with available presenters signing and personalizing their works. All presenters’ books will be available for sale at the pop-up bookstore, presented by Between the Covers.

Drink tickets available at event: $5 - beer & wine, $2.50 - soda & water

An evolution has taken place in publishing in the past several years—one that is too long overdue. Indigenous authors and illustrators are telling their own stories. It is a necessary transformation that involves native voices beyond the books’ creators, as we begin to see more representation in editing, design and publicity as well. We welcome our presenters’ thoughts on what has brought about this sea change, why it took so long to acknowledge, and why experience and heritage are best represented by those who live it today, as their ancestors did before them.

Presenters: Bridget George, Carole Lindstrom, Andrea L. Rogers

Moderator: Kerstine Omey

Sarah Ruhl sets foot in The Lyric Theatre today as no stranger to the stage. Her more than a dozen original plays include Pulitzer Prize finalists and a Tony Award nominee. Brendan Slocumb has spent his life in performance and education, playing with countless symphonies and passing on his belief in the power of  music through education initiatives. How do these backgrounds in the performing arts translate to writing memoir, essays or literary mysteries? How does one discipline inform the other? And how in the world do they find the time to do it all?

Presenters: Sarah Ruhl & Brendan Slocumb

Moderator: Jenny Offill

There are times in our lives when we seek solitude. Then, there are times when that separation is forced upon us. The pressure may come from geography or sociopolitical forces, from one’s own psyche or even from other people. Regardless of how a person becomes isolated or alienated, their natures tend to shift towards similar characteristics. As readers, we too respond to this feeling of loneliness and often find resolution in the indomitable will of the human spirit.

Presenters: Paul Harding, Nathaniel Ian Miller, Vesper Stamper, Francisco X. Stork

Moderator: Julie Spencer

Even the least readerly among us knows the classic suspense tropes: red herrings and cliff hangers and femme fatales and endings with a twist. Most of these elements are forced upon the characters from outside sources. But there is something else that keeps the pages turning long into the night, and that is the inner struggle. Be it a person or memory from the past, an unreliable narrator, dark tendencies or conflicted emotions; these too create a tension that cannot be ignored.

Presenters: Peter Heller, Chris Pavone, Peter Swanson

Moderator: Erinn Hartman

While these featured poets could not be more different in style, each offers a sort of mediation on America—past, present, or day-to-day lived experiences in this place. Otherworldly, in other languages, in multiple voices and shifting time; these works return our attention again and again to use of the form as a means of speaking truth. And there is no better way to bear witness than to hear them presented aloud, from the mouths of their creators.

Presenters:

Sarah Ruhl - 2:00 PM

Richard Meier - 2:30 PM

Paisley Rekdal - 3:00 PM

Michael Earl Craig - 3:30 PM

Session includes time for signing.

Introductions: Skip Renker

Many things we inherit from those who came before can be seen in our features and mannerisms, but so much more heritage resides in the secret spaces in our hearts and minds. It is here in which generations often question the choices and motivations of their ancestors. And while we might not always find the answers we want, the more interesting tale unfolds in how the past both influences the present and guides the future.

Presenters: Burkhard Bilger, Laura Warrell, Laura Zigman

Moderator: Jenna Blum

Anyone who has ever been a kid knows that kids can be pretty fantastic. More often than not, young people come through tough situations with courage, selflessness, imagination and honesty. Whether taking on big responsibilities to help their families, facing the catastrophes of a changing planet, or venturing to faraway lands to save their friends; the young people in these captivating middle grade novels prove that a bit of the extraordinary resides inside every ordinary kid.

Presenters: John David Anderson, Alan Gratz, Tae Keller

Moderators: Lisa Blanchard & 6th grader Bennett Chambers

Will Sofrin was just twenty-one and seeking his bearings when he was enlisted as a crew member on an unprecedented voyage to pilot a tall ship from Rhode Island to Hollywood for the filming of Master and Commander. The expedition—carried out by more individuals who didn’t know what they were doing than those who did—could have made for a movie all on its own. Luckily for us, Sofrin shares his footage which captures, not only his odyssey on the high seas, but also his journey to self-discovery.

Presenter: Will Sofrin

Introduction: Wil Cwikiel

NOTE: No Food or drink is allowed in the auditorium. However, you can come early and eat your lunch in the cafeteria.

Beginning at 11:45, authors are introduced at 15-minute intervals to read selections from their featured works. This is a come-and-go session, where attendees may simply sit and listen or enjoy their lunch.

Erin A. Craig - 11:45 am

Brendan Slocumb- 12:00 pm

Kiyash Monsef - 12:15 pm

Gina Balibrera (Good Hart Artist Residency) - 12:30

Anthony Marra - 12:45 pm

Francisco X. Stork - 1:00 pm

Peter Swanson - 1:15 pm

Introductions: Trina Hayes

We read novels for varying reasons. Some of us want to fall immediately into a plot that compels us to read on. Others long for settings in faraway lands or places comfortably familiar. Still others read for the quality of the writing, the play of language, the deliberate creation of a character. Interesting stories sit at the intersection of more than one of these elements, and here the commonality is found in the richly drawn characters whose vibrancy guides the action.

Presenters: Anthony Marra, Chris Pavone, Laura Warrell

Moderator: Dianna E. Morgan

“Home” is meant to evoke belonging, warmth and rootedness. It is our origin—the essence of who we are—no matter how long we’ve been away. It does not, however, mean that the return to home is always the easiest road to travel. And while it makes for some heartbreak, it also creates a propulsive plot. Secrets are revealed, loyalties are questioned, the past rears its head, and no one emerges unchanged. 

Presenters: Javier Fuentes, Thao Thai, Laura Zigman

Moderator: Julie Buntin

While the two women in conversation today have traveled different paths to their respective vegetarian cuisines, they find shared interests in their ingredient-versatility; refusal to sacrifice flavor for the benefits of health; and a general philosophy that produce can feed our families, our bodies, and our souls. Plant-based cooking is kinder to Mother Earth and looks pretty on our plates too! What’s not to love?

Presenters: Jeanine Donofrio & Hetty Lui McKinnon

Moderator: Katie Blanchard

The western United States is still a region of natural beauty—vast plains, snowcapped mountains, thundering rivers, fertile valleys and majestic wildlife. But it is also a place built on many bodies—the Native peoples who first inhabited the land; the Chinese and Irish who laid the railroads; herds of buffalo and packs of wolves, once nearly extinct. These presenters recognize the West for its contradictions and have each found a way to capture the romance of the big sky and the broken dreams that often lie in the contours.

Presenters: David James Duncan, Peter Heller, Finn Murphy, Paisley Rekdal

Moderator: Glen Young

Readers both young and old will delight in hearing our acclaimed picture book creators present their latest stories aloud. Session includes time for book signing.

The public is welcome to attend. Registration is not required.

Presenters:

9:30 AM Steve Light

10:00 AM Sophie Blackall

10:30 AM Carole Lindstrom & Bridget George

Introductions: Amelie Dawson

We all know a thing or two about truth. Truth is stranger than fiction. Once you eliminate the impossible, whatever remains, no matter how improbable, must be the truth. Whether uncovering a family’s unspoken history in World War II, chronicling the rise and fall of a criminal mastermind, or charting the ways in which a slice of pie can broker global peace, all of our presenters have a similar approach: do the research, enthrall the reader, write the truth.

Presenters: Burkhard Bilger, Michael Finkel, Alex Prud’homme

Moderator: Dr. Benjamin Gilmer

Place shapes us as human beings. We adapt to the environments in which we exist—the geography, the lifestyle, the food, the culture, the language, the people who surround us. Good, bad and otherwise, we become products of our surroundings. Writers must not only create characters who come alive to readers, but they must also make their characters believable products of their settings. That is the whole package.

Presenters: Nishanth Injam, Jenny Jackson, Nathaniel Ian Miller

Moderator: Lillian Li 

While Vesper’s latest novel, Berliners, finds inspiration in art, photography and theater from the 1960s, her watercolor workshop focuses on the emotion, magic and imagination which emerge when paint and paper meet. Novices and professionals alike will delight in this chance to learn and create in a comfortable setting. Please bring your own watercolors and brushes if you have them. Watercolor field kits will be available for sale at the pop-up bookstore in Holy Childhood. Paper and water cups will be provided.

ADVANCE SIGN UP REQUIRED (Limit 20)

Presenter: Vesper Stamper

Curses and creatures and spirits! Oh my! We’re certainly not in Kansas anymore, Toto. Not with the glorious shadows these featured books cast. A nod to classic works of Gothic suspense and romance. Mythical beasts and spirits who roam barren lands. A chilling homage to heritage. As dark as they may seem, these pages find other common ground, too— in the courage of those (often young people) who persevere against all odds. Come for the chills. Stay for the spunk.

Presenters: Erin A. Craig, Donna Barba Higuera, Kiyash Monsef, Andrea L. Rogers

Moderator: Kacey Riley

Literary Director Katie Boeckl will walk attendees through highlights of the Saturday and Sunday sessions. The buffet begins at 7:30 and Katie begins speaking at 8:15 AM. Ticket: $40

Jackson—Heller’s longtime editor turned bestselling debut novelist—and Heller—outdoorsman, adventurer and beloved writer of books about adventurers—will be live, unmoderated and unscripted, on stage at the PAC. Join us for this unparalleled opportunity to listen as the pair discuss their writing, their professional relationship, their process, the industry, the city, the wilderness, people and places in between, and a whole heap more. Come curious and bring your questions!

ADVANCE TICKET PURCHASE IS REQUIRED

Presenters: Peter Heller & Jenny Jackson

Introduction: Katie Boeckl

Readers think in chapters. Writers think in word counts. Most of them. But what about writers who find their footholds in the rhapsody of poetry, or the precise and concise arc of a short story? When one’s count is limited, is there a greater emphasis on how words are selected, clustered and laid out on the page? We talk so much about plot and characters, but find it daunting to consider craft. Not today, good readers!

Presenters: Michael Earl Craig, Nishanth Injam, Richard Meier

Moderator: Cody Walker

Radio, television, print, and social media are constant reminders that our country and our world continue to struggle with conflicts of class, immigration, censorship, and minority voices through history. The news is constant and frenetic and impersonal. This is why we turn to storytellers and their works of fiction. Through relatable characters and situations, we put a face to these matters, and often see a reflection of our own time.

Presenters: Javier Fuentes, Anthony Marra, Brendan Slocumb

Moderator: Sarah Stonich

People often say that writing is a lonely business. What they seem to overlook is that it’s not just the writing part that’s solitary. Being constantly observant of the world and forever sorting story in one’s head are also fairly introverted work. Some writers are, however, fortunate enough to find their partner in the process—the fellow writer who not only reads one’s words and offers critique, but also becomes a friend, a confidante and someone who makes the job a bit less lonely.

Presenters: Lydia Millet & Jenny Offill

Moderator: Christina Clancy