Spencertown Festival of Books Celebrates Literary Excellence and the Spoken Word

Verlyn Klinkenborg

Verlyn Klinkenborg

(SPENCERTOWN, N.Y.) — Verlyn Klinkenborg, Peter Biskind, Taylor Mali, Charles Dubow and Hugh Howard are featured authors at this year’s Spencertown Academy Arts Center’s Festival of Books, taking place over Labor Day weekend, August 30 through September 2, 2013. The festival features a giant used book sale, two days of readings and book signings by nationally known and local authors, and a children’s program. Admission is free to all of the events, save for the early book-buying opportunities detailed below.

The Festival of Books, which began in 2006 as a modest book sale to raise funds for the Academy’s community art programs, has grown into one of the biggest and most eagerly anticipated cultural events of the year. Last year, nearly 2,000 people attended the event. “We are proud to be known for outstanding literary programming and thrilled to be able to make these programs available to the community free of charge,” said Nick Van Alstine, president of the nonprofit arts center’s board of directors.

“The book sale is going to be bigger and better than ever this year, as the selection of new and collectible books is especially strong; we also have many beautiful art and design titles, cookbooks, and signed novels,” said David Highfill, executive editor at William Morrow and Company and chair of Spencertown Academy’s Festival of Books committee.

Proceeds from the Festival book sale help support the Academy’s programs and preservation and maintenance of its historic building.

 

The events are as follows:

 

 

FESTIVAL MAIN STAGE

SATURDAY, AUGUST 31

 

The Festival will kick off at noon with “eBooks: Are They Good For Kids?” in which StarWalk KidsMedia Publisher Liz Nealon will demonstrate the latest digital developments and discuss how children can get the most out of eBooks. Emily Arnold McCully, a Caldecott Award-winning author and illustrator, will introduce the event. StarWalk KidsMedia provides high quality, engaging eBooks for schools, libraries and families. Its mission is to delight digital kids with content that parents and educators know and trust. Liz Nealon is co-founder of this new media company; she previously served as creative director for Sesame Street.

Taylor Mali (photo by Seth Rogovoy)

Taylor Mali (photo by Seth Rogovoy)

At 1:30 p.m., renowned performance poet Taylor Mali, author of What Teachers Make: In Praise of the Greatest Job in the World (Putnam Adult, 2012) and four-time National Poetry Slam champion, will give a performance titled “Words that Sing” on the art — and joy — of teaching. Mali is passionate about the potential of learning to change the world. Since 1998, over 1,000 people have become teachers after reading or listening to his passionate poems about his experiences teaching middle school, high school, and college.

At 2:30 p.m., author Charles Dubow will talk about his debut novel, Indiscretion (William Morrow, 2013), set among the Hamptons and Manhattan party set. Dubow was born in New York City and spent his summers at his family’s house on Georgica Pond in East Hampton. He has worked as a roustabout, a lumberjack, a sheepherder in New Zealand, and a congressional aide, and was a founding editor of Forbes.com and later an editor at Businessweek.com.

 

FESTIVAL MAIN STAGE

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 1

 

The program on Sunday, September 1 opens at 11 a.m. with “Life on the Land,” a lecture by Columbia County resident, renowned writer, and New York Times columnist Verlyn Klinkenborg. He will talk about a life deeply connected to our local landscape, as well as about his latest book, More Scenes from the Rural Life (Princeton Architectural Press, 2013). Klinkenborg writes with a grace and understanding that makes us more aware of the world around us, whether we live on a farm or in the middle of the city. His new book gathers over 150 of his best pieces since his last collection, The Rural Life, was published a decade ago.
At 12:30 p.m., film historian Peter Biskind and actors will bring Orson Welles vividly alive as they read from and discuss his new book, My Lunches With Orson: Conversations between Henry Jaglom and Orson Welles (Metropolitan Books, 2013). Biskind is the acclaimed author of Easy Riders, Raging Bulls; Down and Dirty Pictures; Seeing Is Believing; and Star, among other books. A contributing editor at Vanity Fair, he is the former editor in chief of American Film and the former executive editor of Premiere. His writing has appeared in the New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, the Washington Post, the Nation, and Rolling Stone. He lives in the Hudson Valley.

Sunday’s final program at 2 p.m. will feature historian Hugh Howard, author of Houses of the Presidents (Little, Brown, 2012), who will offer intimate stories and glimpses of FDR’s Springwood, JFK’s Brookline birthplace, Calvin Coolidge’s Vermont farm, and Columbia County’s Lindenwald, home of Martin Van Buren. Howard is the author of more than a dozen books on architecture, art, and American history, including Mr. and Mrs. Madison’s War. His writings have also appeared in Smithsonian, The New York Times, The Washington Post, House Beautiful, Preservation, Early American Life, Traditional Homes, and many other publications.

 

CHILDREN’S PROGRAM

 

The Festival of Books children’s program on Saturday, August 31 from 10 a.m. to noon will feature a visit from the costumed character Llama Llama of Anna Dewdney’s popular children’s book, Llama Llama Red Pajama. Youngsters will get to shake Llama Llama’s hand and pose for souvenir pictures with their storybook friend in the Festival photo booth, as well as make creative bookmarks in the crafts tent with Chatham art teacher Susan Grybas.

 

 

 

GIANT USED BOOK SALE

 

At the heart of the Festival is a giant book sale, one of the biggest in the region, featuring more than 10,000 gently used books, including fiction and nonfiction, hard and soft covers — all offered at very affordable prices. There’s a special Kid’s Corner for young readers and a media rack full of CDs and audio books. A first-floor gallery features a handpicked selection of specialty books, limited editions, and out-of-print books, as well as recently-published general fiction and nonfiction. Books are donated by members and friends of the Academy and a dedicated band of volunteers, led by Allan Davidson and Wayne Greene, spend countless hours throughout the summer carefully sorting and organizing the books in preparation for the sale.

The book sale is open to the public on Saturday, August 31 and Sunday, September 1 from 10a.m. to 5p.m., and on Monday, September 2 from 10a.m. to 2p.m. Admission is free.

In addition, there are two early-buying events. Supporters of the Spencertown Academy Arts Center will have first crack at the books and enjoy wine, cheese, and shopping at the Members Preview Party on Friday, August 30 from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Admission is $25 and memberships are available for purchase at the door. Shoppers and book dealers who want first pick of the stock can take advantage of an early-buying opportunity on Saturday, August 31 from 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. Admission for early buying on Saturday is $20. Serious bargain hunters will want to return to the sale on Monday, September 2, when all remaining sale books will be just $1.00 and all specialty books will be half price.

Housed in a beautifully restored 1840s Greek Revival schoolhouse, the Spencertown Academy Arts Center is located at 790 State Route 203 in Spencertown, New York. For more information, visit Spencertown Academy Arts Center or call 518-392-3693.

 

 

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