Boston Book Festival Series

Lectures curated around the Boston Book Festival celebrating the power of words to stimulate, agitate, unite, delight and inspire.

The Boston Book Festival, is a start-up organization celebrating the word in all of its forms, from fiction, poetry and non-fiction to theatre, song and spoken word. This event showcases Boston as a center of creativity, innovation, and technology as it relates to books and reading with an all-star cast of nationally known participants, multi-media displays, a buzzing street presence, and a new twist on all-city reading groups.

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Alicia Silverstone: Sexiest Vegetarian Alive
Alicia Silverstone: Sexiest Vegetarian Alive
Alicia Silverstone
October 24, 2009
00:39:30
Alicia Silverstone, perhaps best known for her generation-defining role in Clueless, is a dedicated advocate for the planet and its animals, and was voted "Sexiest Vegetarian Alive" in 2004.
Ken Burns and Scout Tufankjian: Documenting History
Ken Burns
October 24, 2009
00:53:30
Documentarians work to answer the question, "Who are we?" Ken Burns, lauded as "the country's most famous documentarian" by The Los Angeles Times, shows clips and talks about his latest film and book, The National Parks: America's Best Idea.
Tribute to Chris Van Allsburg
Chris Van Allsburg
October 24, 2009
00:44:01
New York Times bestselling children’s author Brian Lies hosts a celebration of the achievements of beloved author and illustrator Chris Van Allsburg.
The Future of Reading: Books Without Pages?
David Pogue
October 24, 2009
01:36:23
New York Times personal technology columnist David Pogue takes a look at how reading and books will be experienced in the future. Steve Haber of Sony, Neil Jones of Interead, and Mary Lou Jepsen, founder of Pixel Qi, showcase new technology.
The Obama Year
Michael Porter
October 24, 2009
00:43:20
Harvard economist and business guru Michael E. Porter, pundit and advisor to presidents past David Gergen, Harvard Law professor Lani Guinier, and Atlantic Monthly senior editor Jack Beatty mix it up with a frank assessment of the President Obama's progress on his new agenda.
Ties That Bind: Family in Fiction
Michael Thomas
October 24, 2009
00:51:08
Bret Anthony Johnston, director of creative writing at Harvard and author of Corpus Christi: Stories, hosts a novelist panel on the family in fiction.
John Hodgman Interviewed by Tom Perrotta
Tom Perrotta
October 24, 2009
00:52:45
Tom Perrotta grills (or perhaps roasts, as on a slow-burning fire) the man whose irresistible humor begat Hodgmania on topics ranging from the sublime to the downright silly.
Digital Inclusion
Iqbal Quadir
October 24, 2009
00:32:34
Calestous Juma hosts a talk with Nicholas Negroponte, founder of the One Laptop Per Child initiative, and Iqbar Quadir, who connected millions of the rural poor in Bangladesh through Grameenphone cellphones and now supports MIT students whose start-ups will have a positive impact on developing count
Audio-only
Writer Idol: Judging the First 250 Words
Chris Castellani
October 24, 2009
01:17:38
In this freewheeling session, a professional actor performs the first page of attendees' unpublished manuscripts for the audience and a panel of three judges. Judges are agents and editors with years of experience reading unsolicited submissions.
Boston Noir
Dennis Lehane
October 24, 2009
00:43:19
Contributing author and master of the art of noir, editor Dennis Lehane celebrates the launch of the new fiction collection Boston Noir.
Boston Book Festival: Guided Open Mic
Hank Phillippi Ryan
October 24, 2009
01:29:07
Writers read their work to an eager audience and any guest authors, editors or literary agents who drop in. This open mic session is hosted by Boston Channel 7's Hank Phillippi Ryan, author of Prime Time, Face Time, and Air Time, and winner of 24 Emmy awards.
The Examined Life: Memoir
Leslie Gilbert-Lurie
October 24, 2009
00:37:41
Alicia Anstead, editor-in-chief of Inside Arts, hosts a panel discussion about how autobiographical writing can help us make sense of a broader world. Leslie Gilbert-Lurie writes about her mother's experience as a child Holocaust survivor in Bending Toward The Sun.
Orhan Pamuk: The Museum of Innocence
Orhan Pamuk
October 24, 2009
01:00:01
Orhan Pamuk discusses his new novel, The Museum of Innocence, his first since winning the 2006 Nobel Prize in Literature. Pamuk talks about literature, love, and life with commentator Christopher Lydon. Co-sponsored by PEN New England and the New York Review of Books.
Boston Roots
Kathleen Kent
October 24, 2009
00:50:26
Three writers share the stories behind their riveting historical novels set in and around Boston. Kathleen Kent's debut novel, The Heretic's Daughter, is based on the life of her ancestor who was hanged as a witch in Salem in 1692.
Beyond the Margins and Between the Lines
Scott Kirsner
October 24, 2009
00:57:08
Two innovators talk about employing a variety of narrative strategies to tell a story. Tim Kring, developer and executive producer of the blockbuster NBC show Heroes, gives a visual presentation about his use of transmedia storytelling. Reif Larson, whose The Collected Works of T. S.
Struggles in a Strange Land: The Power of Place
Anita Diamant
October 24, 2009
00:48:49
Basic Black host Kim McLarin moderates a panel discussion about how political and personal upheaval in settings as diverse as a post-WWII British internment camp in Palestine, the hills of Kenya, the mountains of Uruguay and the blue waters of the Caribbean can reveal the redemptive bonds o
Eat Your Words
Barbara Lynch
October 24, 2009
00:47:24
Three food writers discuss their craft. James Beard Award-winning superstar chef-owner Barbara Lynch runs seven Boston restaurants including No. 9 Park and B&G Oysters. She is the author of the new cookbook Stir: Mixing It Up in the Italian Tradition.
Audio-only
Spinning a Tale
Irene Smalls
October 24, 2009
00:42:21
Brian O'Donovan, of WGBH's A Celtic Sojourn, hosts storytellers Jay O'Callahan and Irene Smalls. Sponsored by State Street Corporation.
Audio-only
Spoken Word Showcase
Iyeoka Ivie Okoawo
October 24, 2009
00:45:43
Poet Iyeoka Ivie Okoawo host a spoken word showcase, in which beautiful, powerful language is transformed into music to convey deep emotions and provocative ideas. Young Bostonians perform original works as well as those of well-known published poets.
Matters of Faith
Matters of Faith
Cornel West
October 24, 2009
00:44:30
Radio host Christopher Lydon hosts a discussion on faith with Princeton professor Cornel West, Harvard Divinity professor Harvey Cox, and novelist Mary Gordon. Image
America: Debating Our Progress, Discussing Our Future
America: Debating Our Progress, Discussing Our Future
Walter Isaacson
October 24, 2009
00:45:36
Keen observers of the historical moment discuss how this may or may not be a pivotal moment in American culture. Walter Isaacson, author of Einstein: His Life and Universe and head of the Aspen Institute, leads the discussion.
Thrillers and Killers: Why Do They Fascinate Us?
Thrillers and Killers: Why Do They Fascinate Us?
Stephen L. Carter
October 24, 2009
00:48:14
Terrorism expert Jessica Stern hosts a discussion with novelists Stephen Carter, Joe Finder, and Andre Dubus III about what makes spies, operatives, and terrorists tick, and why they fascinate us. Image