GWU and the National Book Festival
This is one of those weekends when it’s good to be a book lover in Washington, DC.
The 10th annual National Book Festival, sponsored by the Library of Congress, is Saturday, Sept. 25 on the National Mall, from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Billed as “a celebration of the joy of reading for all ages,” the festival features an amazing line-up of readings and other events in six pavilions: Children, Contemporary Life, Fiction and Mystery, History and Biography, Poetry and Prose, and Children and Teens.
There are a number of exciting GW connections this year.
- First and foremost for readers of this blog, Prof. Thomas Mallon, head of the English department’s creative writing program, will be reading Saturday at 12:55 p.m. in the Poetry and Prose pavilion (and will be signing books later). Prof. Mallon is spending a good part of his time this year working to bring notable writers to GW as part of our Jenny McKean Moore readings series. This is your chance to hear and see him in front of the podium.
- In town for the festival, Jonathan Franzen, author of the new and much talked-about novel Freedom (the New York Times Book Review called it “a masterpiece of American fiction”–powerful words, those! ), will be doing a free reading/book signing at GW’s Lisner Auditorium Friday night at 7 p.m. Seating is general admission and no tickets are required. Get there early!
- A group of GWU students is going to the festival to hear Jonathan Safran Foer, most recently author of Eating Animals, a non-fiction exploration of vegetarianism and the ethics of eating. They’re meeting at Hillel on 23rd and H Streets at 1:15 to walk to the Mall together. For more information, email junior Robin Janofsky at rjj@gwmail.gwu.edu.
- Last but not least, I notice another GWU notable on the list of this year’s presenters: Adele Logan Alexander, Adjunct Professor of History, who will be reading in the History and Biography pavilion at 12:55 p.m. Prof. Alexander’s recent book is Parallel Worlds: The Remarkable Gibbs-Hunts and the Enduring (In)Significance of Race.
If you need another reason to venture to the Mall this weekend, take note: Saturday’s weather prediction is for sunny skies and a high of 86 degrees. Need we say more?
