The 20th National Book Festival is coming up September 25-27. Obviously, this year things are different — the 2020 National Book Festival has gone virtual. If you want to know more, the main blog for the Library has a post that goes into all the details. However, I wanted to highlight a few of the authors and speakers that may be of interest to readers of Inside Adams. I am particularly excited about Deborah Hopkinson, who is going to be speaking about Frances Perkins, the first woman to hold a cabinet level position as Secretary of Labor.
Deborah Hopkinson
Available Friday, September 25, 2020
Live Q&A September 27, 2020 from 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm EDT
In “Thanks to Frances Perkins: Fighter for Workers’ Rights” (Peachtree), Deborah Hopkinson tells about the life of an American first, Frances Perkins, who was the first woman Cabinet member of the United States, made heroic efforts to bring about new laws to treat people better and make workplaces safer, and created our Social Security program. This year, 2020, marks the 85th anniversary of the Social Security Act.
For those interested in Science there are a number of things that may be of interest including a few Live Q&As.
Tonya Bolden
Available Friday, September 25, 2020
Award-winning Tonya Bolden tells of Black women who have changed the world of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) in America, including groundbreaking computer scientists, doctors, inventors, physicists, pharmacists, mathematicians, aviators and more. Her book, “Changing the Equation: 50+ US Black Women in STEM” (Abrams), celebrates more than 50 women who have shattered the glass ceiling, defied racial discrimination and been pioneers in their fields.
The Ray Bradbury Effect
Available Saturday, September 26, 2020
Live Q&A September 27, 2020 from 3:00 pm – 4:00 pm EDT
Ann Druyan, “Cosmos: Possible Worlds” (National Geographic), and Leland Melvin, “Chasing Space: An Astronaut’s Story of Grit, Grace and Second Chances” (Amistad), talk about Ray Bradbury’s effect on their lives and their work. The Bradbury centennial is currently being celebrated by fiction writers, astronomers, astronauts, and readers throughout the world. Melvin is one of NASA’s first African American astronauts. Ann Druyan, widow of astronomer Carl Sagan, is a space exploration writer and the producer of many documentaries on the space age. Moderated by Jonathan Eller, director of the Center for Ray Bradbury Studies.
Sarah Scoles Live Q&A September 26, 2020 from 10:00 am – 11:00 am EDT
Scoles is author of “They Are Already Here: UFO Culture and Why We See Saucers,” an anthropological look at the UFO community. Read more about Sarah Scoles.
Mario Livio Live Q&A September 26, 2020 from 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm EDT
Livio’s new book is “Galileo: And the Science Deniers,” a new interpretation of the life of Galileo Galilei. Read more about Mario Livio.
Katherine Eban Live Q&A September 27, 2020 from 10:00 am – 11:00 am EDT
Eban’s second book is “Bottle of Lies: The Inside Story of the Generic Drug Boom.” Read more about Katherine Eban.
The Science, Technology & Business Division is also going to have a virtual booth! Division librarians will share information about our services and selected items from the collections, highlighting individuals, ideas, and inventions, etc., resulting in advancements in science, technology and business. You will be able to find out where and when from the festival homepage closer to festival time. We will be doing one or two more posts here at Inside Adams related to our activities, so look here for updates over the next week.
If you want to see what the National Book Festival offers for children, or discover events related to poetry or videos by themes, such as “Democracy in the 21st Century,” “Fearless Women,” and “Hearing Black Voices” – see the schedule of events.
For updates and more information, follow the National Book Festival blog or the Library’s Events Twitter account. And if you want more stories on Science and Business topics, subscribe to Inside Adams — it’s free!