Sadly, the temperatures are dropping and fall is approaching, despite the city's bold and welcome endorsement of the Summer Forever movement. Still, if fall must come, at least it brings the Brooklyn Book Festival with it. The Festival revealed some panel and author appearances when they first announced the date, but now the full schedule is out and guess what nerds? You're gonna have a great time.
The festival, which takes place on September 18th from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., will offer 82 panels, readings and discussions spread across seven locations in Downtown Brooklyn. Obviously your favorites will differ, but some highlights of the day include:
- Music writers Toure, Rob Sheffield, Greg Tate and Amanda Petrusich talking about the lives and careers of Prince and David Bowie and how each artist cut their singular paths through pop culture.
- Feminist writers Jessica Valenti and Rebecca Traister join Brett Fletcher Lauer to talk about the horrible modern world of dating and how men and women navigate both new and old pitfalls and betrayals in the realm of romance.
- Sci-fi and fantasy authors Catherynne Valente, Seth Dickinson, Alyssa Wong, and Alice Sola Kim talk about the hot topics of representation, gender constructs and sexuality in their genres.
- Ralph Nader, political author Thomas Frank, Gloria J. Browne-Marshall and Nicholas W. Allard talk about the future of voting rights and the election process, which should be especially relevant in this age of mass voter suppression efforts.
- Comedians Colin O'Brien and Michael Wolff bring their Union Hall show Literati from the venue's basement to the Brooklyn Book Festival's main stage, where they'll be joined by comedians Mark Vigeant, Sam Reace, Isaac Oliver and Phoebe Robinson who will all do their own comedic readings.
Those are just a handful of the many, many events the bookish afternoon has to offer you. Check out the full schedule here, and whatever you do, don't forget your reading glasses. If you wear glasses, that is.
