Virginia Festival of the Book--Friday and Saturday

The Virginia Festival of the Book continued on Friday, and all of the programs I went to were great.

First, I headed over to WriterHouse for the Novels About Novelists panel, which featured Martha McPhee, John McNally, and Carolyn Parkhurst. I think I would enjoy all three of those novels, and all three writers were very good presenters. I didn't buy the books, but I'm definitely going to keep them in mind.

Then I walked back to New Dominion Bookshop, stopping on the way for coffee at Java Java, thinking I had plenty of time. And yet I realized the next program I wanted to see would be in high demand, so I finished quickly and got to the store. Where the seats were already filled. But I sat on the stairs and that was fine. This was the National Book Award Winners panel, featuring John Casey, Kathryn Erskine, and Jaimy Gordon. I was able to chat with John a bit--I know him from the Sewanee Writers' Conference--and got both Kathryn's and Jaimy's books. (I already had John's.)

After that program I had a little time to walk around the mall before my next program, also at New Dominion. This one was poetry, and while the space wasn't as crowded as it had been for the NBA winners, it was pretty full. The subject was The Disastrous Muse and featured Dan Albergotti, Jake Adam York, and Jon Pineda, all of whom I knew, and Jane Satterfield, whom I'd heard of but never met. The readings were all great. Then it was time to hurry home.

On Saturday I came over the mountain earlier because I was moderating a panel at 10AM. First, in the bookfair, I saw people I knew from both WriterHouse and James River Writers, so I chatted with them for a while. The panel went well, I thought. The subject was "Death: Another Time, Another Place" and, although I still don't know exactly how that title covered all the books represented on the panel, we had plenty to talk about. I really enjoyed listening to John Connolly, Alan Orloff, Deanna Raybourn, and Paul Robertson talk about their work. There were some very good questions, and then it was over. (The book signing afterward was a little confusing. Fans were supposed to go all the way out to the lobby to buy the books and then come back to the signing area, which was in the hallway. That wasn't made clear to me as a moderator or else I would have announced it. Also, my book was available for sale, but I doubt that anyone bought it--I wasn't able to stick around to sign, even if there had been a space for me.)

I hurried out to Barnes & Noble for the Short Story panel, the one I was on last year, and discovered that the moderator this year was the same as last year's also. I probably would have gone to this program even if my friend Mary Akers hadn't been on it, but it was fun to hear her read again. Also on the panel were Ed Falco and Andrew Wingfield, whose books I bought (I already had Mary's, of course), and Ariel Sabar, whose memoir I bought when he appeared at the Festival two years ago.

After a late lunch, then, I came back to Barnes & Noble to moderate my last panel, on Historical Fiction. We had a good crowd--better than I expected for late on a Saturday afternoon--for Lenore Hart, Brenda Rickman Vantrease, George Robert Minkoff, and Paul Robertson. Unfortunately I let their presentations go on a little long so there was only about 15 minutes for questions. It was all fascinating.

And then there was just enough time to head back to the mall for the authors' reception at the Paramount, a fun event that I always enjoy.

A very successful Festival! (It continues today, but I wasn't drawn to the events on the schedule for today.)

Virginia Festival of the Book

I missed opening day of the Virginia Festival of the Book, but I did get over there yesterday for a couple of programs. First, I went to Narratives of Illness at New Dominion Bookshop, because it featured Sarah Collins Honenberger and Leora Skolkin-Smith, both of whom I know, Elizabeth McColl, and Caroline Leavitt. It was great to hear each of them describe her book, and it also gave me some great ideas!

I wasn't sure I wanted to drive out to Barnes & Noble for the next event on my list, but I did. It was called Parallel Lives, for reasons that still aren't clear to me, but it featured Susan Gregg Gilmore, Michele Young-Stone, and Alden Bigelow. Each gave a short reading and answered questions. I also saw a bunch of people I knew at the event.

There was more after that I would like to have stayed for, but I had to head back over the mountain . . . I'll get back to the festival for several events today.

Virginia Festival of the Book

It's less than 3 weeks until the 2011 edition of the Virginia Festival of the Book kicks off. It's another packed festival. Using the handy "bookbag" on the website I've identified a lot of events I want to attend.

But Saturday will be my busy day because I'm actually moderating two panels then. First is Death: Another Time, Another Place featuring John Connolly, Deanna Raybourn, Paul Robertson, and Alan Orloff. Later in the day I'll be moderating the Historical Fiction panel, with Paul Robertson, Lenore Hart, George Robert Minkoff, and Brenda Rickman Vantrease.

I'm trying to read a book by each of the panelists before we meet, so I've got my work cut out for me. (I'm grateful to Paul Robertson for being on both panels, giving me one less book to read!)

I'm also looking forward to the Short Story panel on Saturday--that's the same panel I was on last year. This year it features Mary Akers, Ed Falco, Ariel Sabar, and Andrew Wingfield.

Virginia Festival of the Book: Saturday

Another long day at the Book Festival. This time I did make it for a 10am program: "Book Promotion for the 21st Century" moderated by Bella Stander, featuring Rebecca Skloot, Carleen Brice (whose blog White Readers Meet Black Authors I've mentioned here before), publicist Kelly Powers, and Jag Bhalla, who has written a clever book about idioms. This was a very good panel, and helpful. Anytime people are talking about book promotion it pays to listen, and Rebecca Skloot's experience was particularly interesting (she spent years building a platform while seeking the right publisher for her book).

Then it was time for my last panel. This one was "Writing Contests -- Making Them Work for You" moderated by Sally Honenberger, whose had a good deal of success in contests. Also on the panel were Hawes Spencer, publisher of The Hook, which runs a popular local writing contest, Meredith Cole, who has won a mystery book contest, and Rachel Unkefer, who has won The Hook's contest, and is also on the Board of Writer House in Charlottesville. And me, of course. I've won or been a finalist in a number of short story contests, and a few of the stories in my book In an Uncharted Country earned recognition that way. I think we provided some useful information about where to get information about contests (my favorite sources are Poets & Writers, New Pages, the Writer's Chronicle, and the CRWROPPS listserv).

I then had a few minutes at the bookfair (Splintered Light Books was selling books by festival authors, including mine) before I headed down to hear Daniel Pink's talk on "Working Smarter and Living Better" which I gathered was based on his book Drive. Pink is also a Northwestern Alum and we (the Northwestern Alumni Association) had tried to book him for our annual Leadership Development Symposium (I'm on the planning committee), but he had something else scheduled. Too bad, because his talk on what motivates people was terrific. I bought the book and look forward to reading it. I also got a big chocolate chip cookie out of it, as a reward for audience participation (demonstrating the biological urge of hunger).

I then trekked back to the Omni Hotel for the Agents Roundtable, but the room was packed, there weren't enough chairs, and I've already got an agent, so I decided to leave. I had wanted to hear Jenny Bent, with whom I've had some nice correspondence in the past, but I needed a break. So I went back out to the mall, got a little bit to eat at the noodle shop, checked email, and rested for a bit before heading down to the Paramount Theater for the . . .

Authors' Reception. I liked this event last year. Festival Speakers are guests, and others pay to come in and meet the authors. The food is pretty good, and there's wine and other drinks. I mingled a bit and then saw Elizabeth Strout come in. She gave me a hug and I led her to the bar, where she introduced me to Lee Smith and Lee's husband Hal Crowther, and I was pleased to be among such important writers. We talked for a long time (and I hoped my friends were watching). My friend Elizabeth McCullough introduced me a couple of Staunton residents I hadn't met before, both writers and historians who teach at Bridgewater College: Jason Vuic and his wife Kara Vuic.

After the reception, we moved to the theater for American Accents. This program was moderated by Sarah McConnell and taped for the With Good Reason public radio show. The first reader was Lee Smith, who read from her most recent book, Mrs. Darcy and the Blue-eyed Stranger. Then E. Ethelbert Miller read from his new book, The 5th Inning. Next up was Liz Strout, reading from Olive Kitteridge. And last was Colum McCann, who read four short sections from Let the Great World Spin. Wow. What a panel! Then there were a few questions--some basic but good questions about reading influences, the intersection of the roles of teacher and writer, and the future of the book business.

On the way out, as the hordes were about to descend on Liz and the others, I had a chance to say a quick goodbye, and then I headed over the mountain (to a very worried dog, who didn't know what to make of the fact that I was so late).

Virginia Festival of the Book: Friday

Friday at the Virginia Festival of the Book was almost as long as Thursday. I didn't manage to get to a 10am program (I worked instead), which is too bad because I later met a couple of the panelists and realize the panel would have been quite interesting), but I did arrive in time for Bella Stander's lunch (Bella is Book Promotion 101) where I sat with Katharine Weber and my friend Jessica Handler. After a lively discussion, I hurried over to Barnes & Noble to hear "Virginia Stories" (a panel on which I think my book would have fit well, and, as it turned out, there was room because Peter Neofotis canceled). Josh Weil and Sheri Reynolds gave excellent readings.

Then it was back downtown for "The Business of Book Reviewing" moderated by Bethanne Patrick (aka "The Book Maven"). The panel consisted of Rebecca Skloot, Ron Charles, Katharine Weber, and David Montgomery. I don't know that I heard anything I didn't already know or suspect, but all of the panelists spoke well and were interesting. I'm especially impressed by Rebecca Skloot, whose book The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks is getting so much attention. (I later bought the book and got her to sign it.)

When that was over, I realized I was done for the day and headed back over the mountain, which means that I missed some other interesting programs and a dinner.

Virginia Festival of the Book: Thursday

Thursday was a very busy day. I started off with a talk at the local Kiwanis Club at 7:00am. That was fun. I'd written some notes on what I wanted to talk about but didn't even look at them. It was very comfortable and it was a nice bunch of folks.

Then it was off to Charlottesville for the Virginia Festival of the Book. The Festival started Wednesday, but because of my class I wasn't able to get over the mountain then. I went to the Library where I moderated a panel on "Making Local History Come Alive" before an audience of almost 50. The panelists were great and included local historian Rick Britton, Jack Trammel, Bob Crewdson, and Stauffer Miller. After the presentations there was a lively Q&A, and the panelists were then engaged by audience members after the session was formally over.

Then I headed out to the Barracks Road Barnes & Noble for my reading there. We had a decent crowd. Jason Ockert read from his book, Rabbit Punches and also a new story. Then I read from "William & Frederick", one of the stories in my book, In an Uncharted Country. It was fun to talk to some of the audience members after the reading.

I decided to go home then, because I planned to go down to a reading at Washington & Lee University at 7pm, which I did. It was great to see my friend Porochista Khakpour again, and hear her read from her terrific novel, Sons and Other Flammable Objects.

Long day!

Virginia Festival of the Book

The amazing and wonderful Virginia Festival of the Book begins tomorrow in Charlottesville. Last year, I moderated one panel, which made me feel more a part of the festival than ever before. This year I'm moderating one panel, sitting on one publishing panel, and giving a reading as part of another panel.

First up for me is the panel I'm moderating on Making Local History Come Alive. That's at the Library at 10am on Thursday.

Then I'm reading at Barnes & Noble at 2pm on Thursday as part of the Short Fiction panel. (With Jason Ockert)

And on Saturday at Noon I'm on the Writing Contest panel.

I hope to see you there!

VaBook.org--Saturday

On Saturday at the Virginia Festival of the Book I moderated one panel and attended two, in addition to various hallway chats, meetings, and receptions.

The panel I moderated ("A Group of One's Own: Writers in Community") featured representatives from four Virginia writers' organizations: WriterHouse, Blue Ridge Writers' Club (a chapter of the Virginia Writers' Club), James River Writers, and Literary Ladies Luncheon. Thanks to the efforts of Christy Strick, Jack Trammell, Virginia Pye, and Janis Jaquith, we had what I thought was an informative and useful discussion.

After that I went to a panel that wasn't as depressing as I thought it was going to be. Entitled "What About My Book? Navigating the Industry," it featured industry blogger Ron Hogan, Chuck Adams from Algonquin, agent Deborah Grosvenor, and publicist Elizabeth Shreve, and was moderated by Bella Stander from Book Promotion 101. Hogan gave the bad news, detailing the layoffs that have happened in publishing over the last six months, but the panel as a whole concluded that the industry brought some of this on itself by giving ridiculously large advances to some projects. The upshot seems to be more caution, and more realistic advances, but not total collapse. Small houses in particular, like Algonquin, aren't going to do much that is different now. Grosvenor is still selling books to publishers. And Shreve is still publicizing them, although she observed that her clients are increasingly authors instead of publishers, and that seems to be a new trend. Don't give up, was the message.

Then we had the agents' roundtable, and this one resembled others that I've been to, although again I was encouraged by what was said. Deals are still being made. (This was particularly encouraging because my agent was on the panel!)

After a meeting with my agent, I then headed down to the Authors' Reception. I was afraid I wouldn't see anyone I knew, but I ran into friends on the way and as soon as I got there saw Peter Orner, and then bumped into a number of other acquaintances until they kicked us out at 7:30.

A full day, and the end of the Festival for me. It continues on Sunday, but I'm not able to go back again. So, I'm looking forward to next year: March 17-21, 2010.

VaBook.org--Friday

I managed to get to two panels today and enjoyed both very much.

First was "Searching for Our Roots: Memoirs" featuring Randall Kenan, whose The Fire This Time is part memoir and part response to James Baldwin. (I know Randall from Bread Loaf and Sewanee and it was good to catch up with him, briefly); Ariel Sabar, whose My Father's Paradise just won the NBCC Award for Memoir; Martha Frankel, whose Hats & Eyeglasses is about gambling addiction; and Lise Funderburg, whose Pig Candy is an account of getting to know her father. All four panelists were engaging and funny, and there were some good questions from the moderator and the audience.

Then I changed venues in order to see the "Book Review Superstars" panel featuring Michael Dirda, Alan Cheuse, Louis Bayard, and Bethanne Kelly Patrick. It was a lively discussion moderated by Ron Hogan, and I truly enjoyed listening to all of them. The news is no surprise: for a variety of reasons, newspapers are cutting back the space available for book reviews, and so reviewers are looking for alternative media. Writers, likewise, are struggling to get reviewed, and they two are looking for attention in a variety of spaces.

VaBook.org: Literary Editors/Book Fair

Today at the Virginia Festival of the Book was Crime Wave (way too many mystery writers in one place) and Publishing Day (events with editors, agents and publicity types). The only event that appealed to me today was the panel of Literary Editors, and that despite the fact that I’d heard all the panelists speak before, more than once. I keep thinking that someone will disclose the password or otherwise reveal some trade secret, so I go and I listen. Nothing new today (other than the news that Bret Lott has resigned as editor of The Southern Review, which isn't exactly news I can use). The one bit of advice I may take to heart is to focus efforts on six or seven journals I really want to publish in, learn those editors’ tastes and try to develop a dialogue with them. Like me, most writers I know cast a much wider net and that may not be more effective. I’ll blame impatience.

The panel consisted of David Lynn from Kenyon Review, Mary Flinn from Blackbird, Ted Genoways from Virginia Quarterly Review and R.T. Smith from Shenandoah. (Rod was kind enough to mention me by name—I was in the front row and hard to miss—as the person who helps him read fiction for the magazine.)

The other thing that was going was the Saturday Book Fair in the atrium of the Omni Hotel. Mostly the book fair consisted of authors selling their own books—many self-published, and good for them for taking the initiative to make some sales—but one table that appealed to me was a used book seller, Asia Fine Books, who specializes in books about Asia. I may have to order something . . .

VaBook.org: Communities of Memory/Disasters in Fact and Fiction

I made it to two Virginia Festival of the Book programs today (plus a little time for coffee drinking and reading at the Mudhouse). Both were really well done.

I knew the first (Communities of Memory: The Holocaust and Beyond) would be packed, not only because of the topic but because one of the presenters, Daniel Mendelsohn, just won the National Book Critics Circle award for his book, The Lost. So, I got there early and still had to sit in the back row, in the corner, and soon the stairs were lined as well. Mendelsohn spoke first and read the opening pages of his book, which explains how he came to be compelled by the search for six relatives who were killed by the Nazis. What he read was much more lyrical than I was expecting and even funny, and then he went on to discuss the process of interviewing people who had known his relatives. It sounds like an excellent book.

Next was Yaacob Dweck, the translator into English of Haim Sabato’s The Dawning of the Day. Dweck also read a beautiful section on the subject of memory.

Last in this program was Robert Satloff, author of Among the Righteous, in which he describes his search for Arabs who saved Jews in the Middle East during World War II, a fascinating topic with some obvious modern lessons. During his talk Satloff mentioned that his wife, who works for the World Bank, had been posted to Morocco and that it coincided with the time he was doing research for the book. Afterward I learned who his wife is--someone I had worked with on Vietnam when I was at the Bank!

Then it was off through Charlottesville’s horribly congested Main Street to the Barnes & Noble for the next program, Disasters in Fact and Fiction. I wasn’t particularly interested, frankly, but it was on the way home and I wanted to stop into B&N to pick up something else. I was glad I stayed. The first reader was Stefan Bechtel, whose book Roar of the Heavens is about Hurricane Camille. That storm had a huge impact in these parts and people still talk about it, so I think it will be an interesting read. Next was Elise Blackwell, whose novel Unnatural History of Cypress Parish is about the 1927 floods that devastated New Orleans. Ken Foster talked about his book, The Dogs Who Found Me, which isn’t a disaster book per se but begins with the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks and ends with Hurricane Katrina. And the final presenter was Katharine Weber, whose novel Triangle is based on a 1911 garment factory fire in New York. An excellent program with four thoughtful presenters.

VaBook.org: Lives Turned Upside Down

I only managed to get to one event at the Virginia Festival of the Book today but it was a good one. The theme was “Lives Turned Upside Down: Fiction” although it seems to me that theme could include a lot of books, if not most.

I think I would have gone to this event anyway, but the main reason I was there was because my friend Liam Callanan was one of the four authors reading. If there had been an applause/laughter meter, Liam would have won some kind of award as he was charming, funny, disarming, etc., and the packed balcony of the New Dominion Bookshop loved him. They loved the others also, but maybe not quite as much.

Liam read from All Saints, his second novel. One interesting aspect of the novel is that it is in the voice of a 50-something woman who teaches at a Catholic High School and it is fascinating to wonder how Liam captured her voice. Unexpectedly, she meets a man, which is what the book is mostly about. But the part Liam read to us was about her becoming a little too fond of one of her students. Very intriguing, and a terrific reading.

Melissa Clark read from her novel Swimming Upstream Slowly. The section she read was excellent and funny and poignant and it got me to thinking about the process of writing. Hers is based on a wild premise that is at once both crazy and, to the uninformed, plausible, and it's going to get a large audience for that alone. And it sounds like she’s done a good job with the execution, too, so I think she’s got a winner.

Katherine Davis read from her first novel, Capturing Paris. In her reading I found the language to be the most compelling. And I enjoyed her discussion in the Q&A that followed of how she turned to writing after a long teaching career.

Heidi Boehringer read from Chasing Jordan which sounds like it could be an emotional roller coaster. It’s about a woman whose little boy is killed by a passing car, so the tragedy is always present, but the section she read also had humor that made the tragedy bearable.

A good event and I'm looking forward to my next trip across the mountain on Friday.

Festival Begins

Today is the opening day of the Virginia Festival of the Book in Charlottesville. I've got my own busy day today but I plan to head over the mountain for a 4:00pm reading today, about which more later. Books! Read! Write!