It’s Literally Wednesday: Book Fest Keynote Speaker
Dave | May 30, 2012 | 12:37 pm
The AJC Decatur Book Festival begins in only 93 days!!! This is the largest independent book festival in the country and one of the five largest overall. Of the many great festivals held in Decatur, it is the crown jewel (in this book lover’s opinion!).
Over the past six years an incredible variety of writers have given the festival’s keynote address.
The AJC Decatur Book Festival Keynote Speakers
2006 Arianna Huffington, author, political columnist, and founder of the Huffington Post
2007 Kinki Friedman, novelist and humorist
2008 Billy Collins, former U.S. Poet Laureate
2009 Sir Harold Evans, author, newspaper editor, and publisher
2010 Jonathan Franzen, novelist
2011 Colin Meloy (frontman for The Decemberists) and Carson Ellis, children’s author and illustrator
Was there any keynote speaker during the past six years who you found particularly engrossing?
Is there someone in particular you would love to see this year? (This should be someone who has a book published this year prior to August 31st.)
This Week
Jeff Shaara, author of A Blaze of Glory: A Novel of the Battle of Shiloh, Wednesday, May 30th, 7pm, The Atlanta History Center, free.
Samuel L. Popkin, author of The Candidate: What It Takes to Win — and Hold — The White House, Thursday, May 31st, 7pm, Jimmy Carter Library, co-sponsored by Georgia Center for the Book, free.
Harry A. Crumpton, author of The Art of Intelligence: Lessons from a Life in the CIA’s Clandestine Service, Friday, June 1st, 7pm, Jimmy Carter Library, co-sponsored by Georgia Center for the Book, free.
Mirabai Star, author of God of Love: A Guide to the Heart of Judaism, Christianity and Islam, Sunday, June 3rd, 6:30 pm, First Baptist Church, Decatur, sponsored by Georgia Center for the Book, free.
Will Allen, author of The Good Food Revolution: Growing Healthy Food, People, and Communities, Monday, June 4th, 7:15 pm, Decatur Library Auditorium, sponsored by Georgia Center for the Book, free.
Jan Wallentin, author of Strindeberg’s Star, Tuesday, June 5th, 7pm, Eagle Eye Bookshop, free.
Jillian Medoff, author of I Couldn’t Love You More, Tuesday, June 5th, 7:15 pm, Decatur Library Auditorium, sponsored by Georgia Center for the Book, free.
Lindsey Hilsum, author of Sandstorm: Libya in the Time of Revolution, Wednesday, June 6th, 7:15 pm, Decatur Library Auditorium, sponsored by Georgia Center for the Book, free.
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E. L. James ftw!
Um, we’re going to Shaara tonight, but it’s not a free event, unless you’re a member of the Atlanta History Center. It’s $10 a person ..
Totally my fault. Thanks, Cranky, for the correction.
Garrison Keeler, please
Keilor. (out of respect for him, not just being nitpicky with you)
Keillor. Being nitpicky with both of you.
Do nits get nits?
dang, I hate when I do that.
You don’t have to beat around the bush. I’m happy to deliver the keynote.
Unfortunately, Americapedia: Taking the Dumb Out of Freedom, though entertaining and informative, was published last year. And you appeared at DBF last year. Otherwise, you were a lock.
How about Karin Slaughter? Not that I’m much of a fan of her books or the detective genre, but she does great work with the Save the Libraries, she’s local but with a global audience, and I think her new book is out next month.
Robert Caro. The fourth volume of his epic biography of Lyndon B. Johnson was just published. Caro was fascinating on “Charlie Rose” the other night. Perfect choice in presidential election year.
+1
I’ve just started Caro’s book and 40 pages in, it’s already a page turner!
T. C. Boyle would be great. I like the Caro idea, but he’s probably too busy writing the last LBJ volume. How about Frank Langella? His new memoir “Dropped Names” is a wicked read. John Irving has a new one out. Christopher Moore would be hilarious, as would Tim Dorsey.
Eric Litwin – it’s all about appealing to the lowest common denominator (myself, included).
Carl Hiassen, please.
More nitpicking: Hiaasen.
okey dokey, getting off my high horse for the rest of the day. (That explains why I couldn’t find any Hiaasen books in the Dekalb County library catalog last summer — it was an utter mystery to me that they had none.) (Am I the only one who thinks the library catalog search function ought to be just a tad more Google-ish, e.g., respond “it’s HIAASEN, you ignoramus”?)
Agreed on the library search function: it’s terrible. It’s not just that it requires exact spelling either. I’ve found things by searching by title that weren’t listed in an author search, and vice versa.
ditto.
Keith Richards should’ve been the keynote last year.
Diana Gabaldon!
Stephen Colbert please. Follow the children’s book theme from last year.
Colbert would be a huge coup for the festival. I thought of him initially too, but considered the likelihood of it happening too low to seriously consider it. Maybe if we get enough mentions of him here, he’ll take notice.
Or Neil deGrasse Tyson. The dude’s amazing. Or both Colbert and Tyson.
+1 for deGrasse Tyson.
On another subject about books and authors, our own Wendy Watkins is signing her book, The Joy Factor, tonight at Cooks Warehouse from 7-9pm. Stop on by.
Alison Bechdel!
Loved Arianna and Kinki.
For future, can we get Lee Child back?
Karin Slaughter also spoke last year…she was terrific.
But, can we get Stephen King? I don’t care of he wrote a book this year or not, either.
Still more nitpicking. It’s Kinky Friedman. Dave’s fault.
Doh!
Joan Didion! Blue Nights was released last year, but after last year’s book festival . . . so would it count?
Some great suggestions posted here. Caro, Colbert or deGrasse Tyson would have me fighting to be at the front of the line for tickets .
When will they announce the 2012 keynote speaker ?
Rachel Maddow has a book out & she would be great
There’s a lot of good ideas here and I’ll make sure that The Powers That Be are made aware. I particularly like Christopher Moore, Carl Hiaasen, Neil deGrasse Tyson(!), Alison Bechdel, and Joan Didion.
Rachel Maddow, Robert Caro, or Stephen Colbert would be great, particularly given that it’s an election year.
There is nothing wrong with shooting for an author of the stature of a Stephen King — new book or not. My roundabout dream of getting him here was to book The Rock Bottom Remainders, which would also bring the likes of Amy Tan, Dave Barry, Scott Turow, Ridley Pearson, Mitch Albom, etc. Unfortunately, I understand that their final gig will be in June.
http://www.rockbottomremainders.com/
Finally, I hope I spelled all these names correctly.
Stephen King may not have a new book, but he did have a play open here this year. And didn’t a Dark Tower novel come out this year?
Stephen King may not have a new book, but he did have a play open here this year. And didn’t a Dark Tower novel come out this year?
Stephen King paid a visit to Eddie’s Attic for one of the Ghost Brothers nights in April. The Book Festival would probably need to find a larger venue than Prosser Hall if it landed King, though.