Authors I Enjoy, and if there was more than one of me

I thought I’d take a better look at the schedule for Brooklyn Book Festival 2011 taking place Sunday, May 18th at Columbus Park in Brooklyn, New York. I will be focusing on the non comics selections this time. So please keep the previous post in mind if you head to this wonderful event.

LAWRENCE BLOCK and SUSAN ISAACS, two highly entertaining writers in the crime drama genre are part of a moderated panel at 5 PM in The Borough Hall Courtroom. While my familiarity with them is not as heavy as it should be, as I aware that their books are the kind of work I tend to truly enjoy. It amazes me that only one film has ever come from Block’s works as well, as I see the few Matthew Scudder books I’ve read to be perfect for film. Issac’s though has a little bit of film work, which she actually wrote but again not since the 90’s. This is no indication of the quality of their work, as both are best selling and highly respected writers and in the current trend of Crime Fiction, their views are invaluable.

DJ SPOOKY, whom I only know as a musician, seems to have written a few books and will joining a photographer for a speak on the environment and sustainable change on the Main Stage at 2 PM.

PETE HAMILL, one of the greatest journalists ever and with a slew of fictional works becoming one of the best traditional fiction writers will part of a talk at 3 PM on the Main Stage.

JULES FEIFFER, a living legend cartoonist will be joined by Norton Juster to talk the 5oth Anniversary of THE PHANTOM TOLLBOOTH at 12 PM in The St. Francis Auditorium.

At 1 in The St. Francis Auditorium two of the greatest living writers of all time in my opinion shall be reading. JONATHAN SAFRAN FOER and the truly compelling and captivating JOYCE CAROL OATES will be presenting and speaking.

The 12 o’clock session in the St. Francis Reading Room features three quality writers on subjects that are of high interest to me, so I shall just copy&paste the official description here:
Crashing Genres. Join authors whose work defies classification: crashing the genre borders of science fiction/ fantasy and the supernatural. CORY DOCTOROW (For The Win, Little Brother), KELLY LINK, author of cult favorite stories in Pretty Monsters and Magic for Beginners, and best-selling author JEWELL PARKER RHODES, winner of the American Book Award, uses magical realism to examine race and memory in her New Orleans vampire trilogy Seasons,Moon, and Hurricane. Moderated by Stephanie Anderson.

Controversial and very popular Critics J. HOBERMAN (The Village Voice) and JASON ZINOMAN (NY Times) will be joined by Foreign Film Expert and a professor at the United Nations, ROBERTA SERET in a discussion on film moderated by film historian and critic ED HALTER at 5 PM in the St. Francis Screening Room.

EOIN COLFER and WALTER MOSELY talk crime drama with Los Angeles Times book critic DAVID L. ULIN 3 PM at ST. ANN AND THE HOLY TRINITY CHURCH.

Right after that at 4 PM same location, actor, playwright and essayist WALLACE SHAWN will joined on stage by partner and fellow actor and essayist DEBORAH EISENBERG and colleague FRAN LIEBOWITZ in a discussion modern by the executive director of the National Book Association HAROLD AUGENBRAUM.

At 2 PM on the North Stage is a very exciting presentation based upon the television program JEOPARDY it features two big winners JUSTIN BERNBACH and celebrated author ARTHUR PHILLIPS and journalist and former Businessweek Editor STEPHEN BAKER who wrote a book abiout the development of IBM’s Jeopardy computer Watson. Moderated by SPIN Magazine’s Greg Milner.

I want to remind folks that there are planned signing schedules for many of these authors as well, so pay close close close attention to the free guidebook being handed out at Book Festival. It will be an invaluable device to have a full and fulfilling day!

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