Arlington — The 14th annual Fall for the Book Festival celebrates the 30th anniversary of The Color Purple with a visit by novelist Alice Walker and presents four authors — Michael Chabon, Neil Gaiman, Rita Dove, and Katherine Boo — with the festival’s 2012 awards. These authors and nearly 125 others will appear Sept. 26-30 at George Mason University and at venues throughout Northern Virginia, D.C., and Maryland.
A full schedule of events is available at the festival’s website: www.fallforthebook.org.
Fall for the Book is Northern Virginia’s oldest and largest festival of literature and the arts, and in recent years the festival has expanded from its base at George Mason University’s Fairfax campus to host events at select venues throughout Northern Virginia, D.C. and Maryland. All events are free and open to the public thanks to the generous support of sponsors including the Fairfax County Public Library, the Association of Writers and Writing Programs, and George Mason University’s College of Humanities and Social Sciences and Office of University Life, in partnership with other business and organizations.
WEDNESDAY/SEPT. 26
Ken Budd. 7:30 p.m. at Shirlington Library, 4200 Campbell Ave. “I want to live a life that matters.” With these eight emotional words, the author of The Voluntourist: A Six-Country Tale of Love, Loss, Fatherhood, Fate, and Singing Bon Jovi in Bethlehem, embarks on a quest to help others—from post-Katrina New Orleans to a special needs school in China, from climate change research in Ecuador to projects in Kenya, Costa Rica, and the West Bank.
Martin Ogle. 7:30 p.m. at Founder’s Hall, Room 125 George Mason University, 3351 Fairfax Dr. In his book In the Eye of the Hawk: Reflections Along the Potomac, Ogle, former chief naturalist at Potomac Overlook Regional Park, draws wisdom from a place that he inhabited for almost three decades. Ogle is the recipient of George Mason University's first Arlington Green Patriot Award, recognizing an individual, business or organization that exemplifies sustainability in Arlington.
Will Lavender. 7 p.m. at One More Page Books, 2200 N. Westmoreland St., #101. The author of Obedience reads from his newest puzzle thriller, Dominance. Sponsored by One More Page Bookstore.
Thursday/SEPT. 27
Amy Goodman and Denis Moynihan. 7:30 p.m. at Founder’s Hall, Room 125 George Mason University, 3351 Fairfax Dr. The co-authors of the syndicated weekly column “Breaking the Sound Barrier” and the minds behind Democracy Now!, explore how ordinary people can stand up to corporate and government power—and make a difference—in The Silenced Majority: Stories of Uprisings, Occupations, Resistance, and Hope. Sponsored by The Democracy Project at George Mason University.
Friday/SEPT. 28
Barbara Ehrenreich. 6:30 p.m. at Busboys and Poets, Shirlington 4251 South Campbell Ave. Activist and author Barbara Ehrenreich, whose bestsellers, including Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America (2001), have offered provocative looks at U.S. social, cultural and economic experiences, will speak about her work, including her latest book, Bright-Sided: How Positive Thinking Is Undermining America (2010).
Sunday/SEPT. 30
Young Adult Authors Panel. 4 p.m. at One More Page Books 2200 N. Westmoreland St., #101. Kristen-Paige Madonia, author of Fingerprints of You; Diana Peterfreund, author of For Darkness Shows the Stars; Carmen Rodrigues, author of 34 Pieces of You; and Timothy Travaglini, Director of Children's Acquisitions at Open Road Integrated Media, discuss the widening demands for Young Adult fiction—with a focus on fiction that might be considered “too dark” for young adult readers.