Politics and Prose has no small claim to bookselling fame; it is one of the most successful independent bookstores in the country. The store is perhaps best known for its author events, which attract legions of famous writers and large crowds.
It is my favorite time of year: temperatures begin cooling, kids head back to school, and literary festivals fill my days.
Local artist and author Joel Church has recently released Fingerprints, his first work of fiction, and he will be holding a book launch at Sova Wine Bar tomorrow (Wednesday) evening! I’ll see you there.
Yeah, yeah, I know it’s kind of far, but don’t miss the First Annual Gaithersburg Book Festival this weekend! Join authors and fellow literary fans on Saturday, May 15, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the Gaithersburg City Hall Grounds. With a panoply of author workshops and book signings, all for my favorite price of FREE, who could ask for more? OK, maybe a free shuttle from the metro, but no more than that. From the website: The Gaithersburg Book Festival […]
The Woodrow Wilson Center held a launch on September 14 for Haleh Esfandiari’s new book. The book is an amazing account of one woman’s detainment and interrogation in an Iranian prison for months on end.
This is certainly the weekend for exciting local book events – not one, not two, but three book festivals! The 2009 Fall for the Book festival is a week-long event held at George Mason University, in Fairfax, Virginia: What began as a two-day literary event in 1999, organized by George Mason University and the City of Fairfax, has expanded into a week-long, multiple-venue, regional festival that brings together people of all ages and interests, thanks to growing community interest and generous supporting […]
As if my own encouragement to attend the 9th annual National Book Festival on the Mall were not enough, Washingtonian also recommends the event. The magazine lists several headliners: novelists John Grisham, John Irving, and Jodi Picoult; children and tween favorites Sharon Creech, Judy Blume, Jeff Kinney, and Jon Scieszka (currently the Library of Congress’s national ambassador for young people’s literature); nonfiction authors Ken Burns, Gwen Ifill, and Jon Meacham. Others to look for include Paula Deen, Lois Lowry, Jerry Pinkney, David […]
The 15th Annual Small Press Expo will take place on Saturday, September 26, from 11 am-7 pm, and Sunday, Sunday, September 27, from noon-6 pm, at The North Bethesda Marriott Convention Center in Bethesda, Maryland.
“Esfandiari recounts her harrowing experience in a newly released book called My Prison, My Home: One Woman’s Story of Captivity in Iran (HarperCollins).The story began in Tehran when, while visiting her 93-year-old mother, Esfandiari was stopped by knife wielding intelligence officials who accused her of plotting to overthrow the government. This incident, which occurred December 30, 2006, led to four months of house arrest and intense interrogation, followed by another four months in Evin Prison. She was released in August 2007, following a robust diplomatic effort that involved her colleagues at the Wilson Center and members of the U.S. Congress.”
Today’s the big day. After months of rumors, ruminations, and really excited Tweets, Dan Brown’s The Lost Symbol has appeared in stores. This follow-up to the best-selling Da Vinci Code and Angels and Demons is set in Washington, D.C. – though Brown’s version of D.C. promises to be more thrilling and fantastical than Georgetown University’s annual tuition and expenses. Louis Bayard reviewed an advance copy for the Washington Post, and finds that the book will please readers who enjoyed the Da Vinci […]
Haleh Esfandiari will be launching My Prison, My Home today at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, from 4-5 pm.
The 2009 National Book Festival, organized and sponsored by the Library of Congress, will be held on Saturday, September 26, 2009, on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., between 7th and 14th streets from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. The festival is free and open to the public.
The BC in DC chapter of BookCrossing, always a good source for events, literary discussions, and local book news, will be sponsoring the 10th anniversary convention. The bad news? The convention won’t happen until April 15-17, 2011. Guess it gives me something to look forward to!
Washington Post‘s Courtland Milloy interviews poet-rapper Gil Scott-Heron about drugs, poetry, Obama, and the inspirational power of D.C.
Politics and Prose is a pleasant stop in a weekend stroll with its friendly staff, frequent author visits, and good selection of good books… What more could I ask for?
Perhaps a Columbia Heights location. But until then, I will schlep all the way out to Van Ness to get my calming bookstore fix.
Melody Schreiber 