With three successful seasons under its belt, the Deschutes Public Library Foundation announces the line-up for its 2015/16 Author! Author! literary series.
TIMOTHY EGAN
Thursday, October 1, 7pm
Egan is a Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter and National Book Award winning author of seven books, most recently Short Nights of the Shadow Catcher, named Best of the Month by Amazon.com. His book on the Dust Bowl, The Worst Hard Time, won a National Book Award for nonfiction and was named a New York Times Editors’ Choice, a New York Times Notable Book, a Washington State Book Award winner and a Book Sense Book of the Year Honor Book. Egan writes a weekly column, Opinionator, for the New York Times.
JAMES MCBRIDE and the GOOD LORD BIRD BAND
Sunday, November 8, 7pm
McBride is an author, musician and screenwriter. His landmark memoir, The Color of Water, rested on the New York Times bestseller list for two years. His debut novel, Miracle at St. Anna, was translated into a major motion picture directed by American film icon Spike Lee and released in September 2008. His latest novel The Good Lord Bird, about American revolutionary John Brown, is the winner of the 2013 National Book Award for fiction. McBride is touring with his Good Lord Bird Band and will perform at the Bend High on Sunday, November 8. Individual tickets are $35 unless purchased with the series and then tickets for James McBride and his band are $20. Tickets are available at www.dplfoundation.org.
ELIZABETH GILBERT
Friday, November 13, 2015 7pm
Gilbert is the author of Eat Pray Love, The Signature of All Things, Committed, Stern Men, The Last American Man and her most recent book, Big Magic, released September 2015. She has been a finalist for both the National Book Award and the National Book Critics Circle Award. Gilbert is best known for her 2006 memoir Eat Pray Love. The book was an international bestseller, translated into more than 30 languages and has sold more than 10 million copies worldwide.
LISA SEE
Thursday, February 25, 2016 7pm
See is the author of the New York Times bestseller Snow Flower and the Secret Fan which became a film in 2011. Her books include On Gold Mountain: The One-Hundred-Year Odyssey of My Chinese-American Family, Flower Net, The Interior, Dragon Bones, Snow Flower and the Secret Fan, Peony in Love, Shanghai Girls, Dreams of Joy and her latest novel, China Dolls, released in June 2014. Both Shanghai Girls and Snow Flower and the Secret Fan received honorable mentions from the Asian/Pacific American Awards for Literature.
ALICE HOFFMAN
Thursday, May 26, 2016 7pm
Hoffman is the New York Times bestselling author of The Dovekeepers, The Third Angel,Practical Magic, Here on Earth (a 1998 Oprah Book Club selection) and many other titles. Several of her books have been adapted into films, including Practical Magic and Aquamarine. Her 2011 bestseller, The Dovekeepers, is an epic tale that recounts the fall of Masada and was adapted into a 2015 CBS mini-series. Released in 2014, The Museum of Extraordinary Things, became an instant New York Times bestseller. Hoffman has two new novels due in 2015; the just released Nightbird for middle-grade readers and The Marriage of Opposites released this month.
“This year’s line-up offers something for everyone,” said Author! Author! Project Director Chantal Strobel.“We have a strong mix of nonfiction, creative fiction, historical fiction and memoir, as well as a special event with National Book Award winner and musician James McBride and his jazz ensemble the Good Lord Bird Band. We are including more outreach to the schools and the public this year with school visits and writing workshops. Deschutes County’s enthusiasm for the Author! Author! literary series shows that Central Oregon is a vital hub in the state’s cultural and literary landscape.”
Strobel says that the series’ success benefits the community in a number of ways. “The Author! Author! literary series promotes and strengthens community dialogue. We saw this clearly last season with authors Ann Patchettand and Piper Kerman, who engaged the audiences in provocative discussions. An additional perk is that the ticket sales proceeds are used to support and enhance Library programs and services. It’s a win-win for all!”
In an effort to increase exposure to literature and engage teens in civic dialogue, the Deschutes Public Library Foundation provides free tickets for up to 250 regional high school and community college students to attend the four author presentations and to receive copies of the authors’ books.
“The Library Foundation works closely with area high schools and COCC to provide books for students to read prior to each author’s visit,” Strobel says. “This is part of an effort to reach out to young adults in the region and to expose them to quality literature while engaging them in discussions regarding the books’ themes.”
Series tickets on sale now. Individual ticket sales begin on September 1 at www.dplfoundation.org or 541-312-1027. The Author! Author! literary series is made possible by these presenting sponsors: The Starview Foundation, Echo Fund, The Bulletin and Oregon Humanities.