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Category: Washington DC

Image of an ornate clock showing 2:05 with sculpted male figures sitting on each side of the clock face

The Bebop Bridge

Posted by: Jennifer Gavin

East may be East, and West may be West – but music is universal, and if the music is jazz, it’s even open all night! On Wednesday, Sept. 30 from noon to 1 p.m., Larry Appelbaum, the Library of Congress’ jazz music specialist, will co-anchor “A Russian-American Jazz Summit – Conversations on the American Influence …

Image of an ornate clock showing 2:05 with sculpted male figures sitting on each side of the clock face

A Dozen Ways to Experience the National Book Festival

Posted by: Matt Raymond

Whether you can be in Washington tomorrow or not, there are many ways for everyone to be a part of the 2009 National Book Festival.  I came up with at least a dozen: 1. Attend!  It’s tomorrow (Sept. 26) from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. EDT on the National Mall (between 7th and 14th), rain …

Image of an ornate clock showing 2:05 with sculpted male figures sitting on each side of the clock face

By the Time We Got to Bookstock …

Posted by: Jennifer Gavin

Right now, here and there all over the world, people are sitting down with a good book and enjoying a good read. Sprawled on the lawn, curled up on the sofa, sitting on the steps in the piazza — they’re communing with a great author, or a funny author, or an author who’s telling them …

Image of an ornate clock showing 2:05 with sculpted male figures sitting on each side of the clock face

National Book Festival: For Your Listening Pleasure

Posted by: Matt Raymond

#nbf Heads up: The first batch of podcast interviews with 2009 National Book Festival authors are now online here, on iTunes here (link opens in iTunes client) and on iTunes U here (link opens in iTunes client). Included in the first round are Junot Diaz, Rickey Minor, James Patterson, George Pelecanos, Nicholas Sparks and David Wroblewski–with more …

Image of an ornate clock showing 2:05 with sculpted male figures sitting on each side of the clock face

The Joys of Jabbing Jefferson

Posted by: Jennifer Gavin

When revolutionary-turned-president Thomas Jefferson still walked the streets of Washington, D.C., there were people who wanted to give him a good jab with their index finger and hand him a piece of their minds. These days, here on Capitol Hill, you can give Thomas Jefferson a jab … and dig a little deeper into his …

Image of an ornate clock showing 2:05 with sculpted male figures sitting on each side of the clock face

But Wait … There's More!

Posted by: Jennifer Gavin

This year’s Library of Congress National Book Festival already promises the biggest lineup of literary stars this side of the Crab Nebula. Book-lovers can look forward, on Saturday, Sept. 26, to hearing from David Baldacci, John Grisham, John Irving, Julia Alvarez, Judy Blume, Ken Burns, Gwen Ifill and Jodi Picoult–not to mention celebrity chef Paula …

Image of an ornate clock showing 2:05 with sculpted male figures sitting on each side of the clock face

Herblog

Posted by: Jennifer Gavin

From time to time, we ask ourselves: Where is the outrage? Well, for an amazing 72 years, it was on editorial pages, especially that of the Washington Post–in political commentary by the influential cartoonist Herblock (Herb Block), who made presidents and other public figures, from Herbert Hoover to George W. Bush, ink-stained and wretched. The Library …

Image of an ornate clock showing 2:05 with sculpted male figures sitting on each side of the clock face

President, Mrs. Obama Honorary Chairs of Book Festival

Posted by: Jennifer Gavin

Both the President and the First Lady will be Honorary Chairs of the 2009 National Book Festival, to be held Saturday, Sept. 26 on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. between 7th and 14th Streets, from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m., rain or shine. This colossal event, heading into its ninth year, lets book-lovers hear …