2,000 Attend Second Annual MAPSO Book Festival
Book Festival Schedule
FRIDAY, JUNE 8th
SOMA Library Benefit: An Evening With Best-Selling Author David Baldacci, The Woodland
Reception, 6:00, Talk, 7:30
Click here to purchase tickets. All proceeds benefit the Maplewood and South Orange Libraries.
SATURDAY, JUNE 9th
10:00
Keith Hernandez, in conversation with Budd Mishkin, The Woodland, Great Hall (Ticketed event. Click here to purchase tickets. All other events free of charge.)
Join legendary first baseman Keith Hernandez in a talk and signing in honor of his gripping and literary memoir, I’m Keith Hernandez. He’ll be in conversation with former NY1 personality Budd Mishkin.
Poetry: Good for Us/US, The Woodland, Parlor
Tina Kelley, Kelly Davio, Joan Cusack Handler, Sander Zulauf
Four noteworthy poets, including a psychologist/publisher, a former professor/editor, an essayist/editor, and a journalist, discuss the intersection of poetry and health, and the theory that poetry is good for one’s physical and mental health, and good for the health of the republic.
11:00
Education, Inequality and Race: Michelle Kuo, in conversation with Dale Russakoff, Words Bookstore
Authors of two recent powerful books on educational inequality will talk with each other about what they learned from deeply human encounters with it in starkly different settings — rural Arkansas and urban New Jersey.  Michelle Kuo, author of the gripping memoir Reading With Patrick–A Teacher, a Student and a Life-Changing Friendship (Random House, 2017), and Dale Russakoff, author of The Prize: Who’s in Charge of America’s Schools (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2015), a penetrating account of the efforts to reform the Newark school system, will explore stories of individual students and the ways that race, poverty, family and community influenced their education as much as teachers and schools. They’ll discuss their creative processes and the role that their own family histories played in their approaches to these books.
Memoir: It’s All Relative, The Woodland, Parlor
Lisa Romeo, Pamela Druckerman, Andrea Jarrell, Krystal Sital
Four memoir authors discuss the perils, pleasure, and pitfalls of including family and friends in their books.
12:00
Anna Quindlen, in conversation with Jean Hanff Korelitz, The Woodland, Great Hall
Anna Quindlen is a novelist and journalist whose work has appeared on fiction, nonfiction, and self-help bestseller lists. She is the author of nine novels: Object Lessons, One True Thing, Black and Blue, Blessings, Rise and Shine, Every Last One, Still Life with Bread Crumbs, Miller’s Valley, and Alternate Side. Her memoir Lots of Candles, Plenty of Cake, published in 2012, was a #1 New York Times bestseller. Her book A Short Guide to a Happy Life has sold more than a million copies. While a columnist at The New York Times she won the Pulitzer Prize and published two collections, Living Out Loud and Thinking Out Loud. Her Newsweek columns were collected in Loud and Clear. She will be in conversation with best-selling author Jean Hanff Korelitz.
Let’s Talk YA: Stories for Teen Readers, The Woodland, Parlor
Melanie Conklin, Michael Northrop, Christine Kendall, Kristina Pérez, Veera Hiranandani
Whether contemporary, historical, or fantasy stories, today’s young adult fiction does not shy from exploring tough topics. Join our panel of award-winning authors for a discussion about the themes in their latest work, writing, life as an author, and how young adult literature offers a safe space for young readers who are just trying to find their way in the world.
1:00
Claire Messud, in conversation with Pamela Erens, The Woodland, Parlor
Claire Messud is a recipient of Guggenheim and Radcliffe Fellowships and the Strauss Living Award from the American Academy of Arts and Letters. She is the author of six works of fiction including her most recent novel, The Burning Girl. Claire will be in conversation with award-winning author Pamela Erens, winner of the 2017 Maplewood Literary Award.
The Rise of White Supremacy and the Future of Race Relations, Words Bookstore
Vegas Tenold, Anthony Thompson, Khalil Gibran Muhammad
The 2016 election of Donald Trump emboldened white nationalist groups across the country, giving voice to what had previously been considered a fringe element. In this timely and important panel, Vegas Tenold, author of Everything You Love Will Burn: Inside the Rebirth of White Nationalism in America, will discuss his experiences with the nationalist movement, based on his extensive interviews with its leaders and chief ideologues. He will be joined by Antony C. Thompson, co-author of A Perilous Path: Race, Equality and the Law, and the faculty director of the Center on Race, Inequality, and the Law at New York University School of Law, and moderator Khalil Gibran Muhammad, professor of History, Race and Public Policy at Harvard Kennedy School. Together, they will discuss the meaning of white nationalism in the context of building a healthy racial climate in America.
2:00
Tayari Jones, in conversation with Leigh Haber, The Woodland, Great Hall
Join award-winning author Tayari Jones, whose most recent novel, An American Marriage, was selected as an Oprah Book Club selection, as she talks about her work and life with Oprah magazine Books Editor Leigh Haber.
Modern Jewish Food: The Present and Future, The Woodland, Parlor
Shannon Sarna and Meny Vaknin
Food writer and South Orange resident, Shannon Sarna, author of Modern Jewish Baker, and editor of the popular Jewish food blog The Nosher, and Meny Vaknin, chef and owner Mishmish and Marcel Bakery & Cafe in Montclair, discuss the current state of Jewish and Israeli food in the U.S. and how traditional Jewish food continues to innovate and evolve.
3:00
#MeToo: From Victims to Activists, Words Bookstore
Donna Kaz, aka Aphra Ben, Helen Wan, Moderated by Anne Fernald
Join authors of recent books on the subject of sexual harassment and abuse as they share their journeys from victims to activists. Through fiction, memoir, and performance art, each of them is fighting to help empower fellow women and envision a future where no one has to say #metoo.
Researching the Novel, The Woodland, Parlor
Julie Maloney (moderator) with Maryann McFadden and Donna Baier Stein
Research plays an important part of writing the novel. Three novelists – all New Jersey residents – will discuss their research process as they developed the storylines in their latest novels. Julie Maloney’s A Matter of Chance led her to Cologne, Germany to study work by the artist, Kaethe Kollwitz.  Maryann McFadden’s The Cemetery Keeper’s Wife, initiated her personal exploration of a real-life nineteenth century tragedy in her hometown, Hackettstown, NJ. Donna Baier Stein’s The Silver Baron’s Wife brought her to Colorado to create a fictionalized story of an historical figure.
3:30
Rosemary Wells, The Woodland, Great Hall
Join iconic children’s author Rosemary Wells as she delivers the children’s keynote address. Parents and kids both welcome!
4:00
Rescue Board: The Untold Story of America’s Efforts to Save the Jews of Europe, Words Bookstore
Rebecca Erbelding, Monika Rice
America has long been criticized for refusing to give harbor to the Jews of Europe as Hitler and the Nazis closed in. Join Rebecca Erbelding, a lauded Holocaust historian, as she talks about her new book that tells the extraordinary story of the War Refugee Board, President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s little-known effort late in the war to save the Jews who remained. She will be joined in conversation by Seton Hall professor Monika Rice.
Clean Cocktails, The Woodland, Parlor
Tara Roscioli, Beth Nydick
In Clean Cocktails , holistic health coaches Beth Ritter Nydick and Tara Roscioli bring a clean-living mindset to craft mixology.Their recipes use nothing but naturally low-calorie spirits; fresh juices loaded with vitamins; gentle sweeteners like honey and maple syrup; and anti-inflammatory spices like cinnamon, cayenne, and turmeric—the perfect alternative to drinks that are typically loaded with refined sugars, artificial flavors, and dyes. And, the perfect way to end the book festival, as some free samples may be available!
CHILDREN’S AREA, WOODLAND PARKING LOT, 10:00AM-3:30PM
Holly McGhee
Michael Northrop
Stacy Davidowitz
Elizabeth Lilly
Mike Malbrough
Sujean Rim
Bob Bianchini
Kate Hosford
Ethan Berlin
Melanie Conklin
Booki Vivat
Denis Markell
Melissa Iwai
Susan Verde
Alex Eben Meyer
David Ezra Stein
Veera Hiranandani
Artie Bennett
Tracey Baptiste
Bridget Hodder
Micol Ostow
Kat Yeh
Josh Funk
Christopher Healy
Zachariah O’hora
Sarah Beth Durst
Christine Kendall
Jessie Sima
Tracey West
Ariel Bernstein
Emma Otheguy
Kristin Mahoney
Kristina Perez
Tami Charles
Gita Varadarajan
Kheryn Callendar
Greg Pizzoli
Tara Lazar
Alyssa Capucilli
MAPSO Book Fest in the News
Tayari Jones
We are happy to announce that Tayari Jones, whose novel, An American Marriage, was just selected as an Oprah Book Club pick, will be a featured author at this year’s festival.
Rosemary Wells
As a little teaser, we are very happy to announce that celebrated children’s author Rosemary Wells will be joining us for a keynote event as part of the 2018 festival. More details to come, but delighted to welcome Rosemary!
THANK YOU FOR A GREAT FIRST YEAR!
Caldecott Winner Javaka Steptoe To Deliver Closing Keynote
The Maplewood—South Orange Book Festival is delighted to announce that Javaka Steptoe, the 2017 winner of the Caldecott Medal, will be delivering the closing keynote address. Javaka Steptoe is an award winning, nationally renowned artist, designer, illustrator, and author. He’s received numerous awards for his work as an illustrator and as an author, including the Caldecott Medal for his most recent work, Radiant Child: The Story of Young Artist Jean-Michel Basquiat
A local hero Pamela Erens
Today’s featured author is a local hero, who will be honored in a few weeks with the Maplewood Literary Award. We are thrilled she will be joining us as part of the book festival.
“It’s an event so obvious for South Orange and Maplewood that it’s hard to believe it hasn’t happened already.”- The Village Green
Thanks to the Village Green for this article about the first ever MAPSO Book Fest. We are very excited about this event, which will be held at SOPAC, The Woodland, and several other venues in our two towns. Contact me at robert@mapsobookfest.org if you have any questions, or just want to help out (we’re going to need a lot of help!)
You can read the article here at The Village Green
