April & May
April 14 | Livestreamed via Zoom
9:40 AM
Ann Tashi Slater discusses her book Traveling in Bardo: The Art of Living in an Impermanent World, which draws on Tibetan Buddhist teachings to explore how we move through life’s inevitable transitions and losses. Using stories of family, creativity, and everyday change, Slater examines the concept of bardo—the space between endings and beginnings. Her perspective offers a way to navigate life’s shifts with clarity and purpose. Elizabeth Gilbert calls the book “Brilliant and compassionate, philosophical and practical…Both gemstone and touchstone, this book is a gift.” Presented in Partnership with OLLI Mason.
Spring Headliner: Kate Quinn
April 30, 7:30 PM
Readers who have ever wished they could live inside their favorite books will love New York Times bestselling author Kate Quinn’s latest novel, The Astral Library. Alix Watson takes refuge from her barren life in the fantasy books of the Boston Public Library, where she meets the Librarian, a mysterious guardian who helps people escape into their favorite books. When a menacing enemy appears, Alix and the Librarian run through the Regency era of Jane Austen, the threatening streets of Sherlock Holmes, and the moral decay of Gatsby’s world. Author Sarah Penner says, “With a cheeky heroine you’ll root for from page one, this is bound to be one of the biggest books of the year.” Quinn is also the author of numerous historical fiction novels, including The Briar Club, The Alice Network, The Rose Code, The Diamond Eye, and more. Sponsored by the Fairfax County Public Library.
Free tickets go on sale on March 30th. Set a reminder on Eventbrite using the button below. Want to meet Kate Quinn at a private VIP reception? Join the Friends of the Festival at the Patron level or higher. Details at https://fallforthebook.org/friends.
Podcast Episodes
April 7
Kim Magowan and Michelle Ross talk about their co-authored collection Don’t Take This the Wrong Way. The twenty-five stories delight in characters who love to burn bridges, study language – both spoken and physical, and get lost in the moments in life full of affection, pettiness, humor, and self-discovery.
May 12
Two poets gather to discuss their work in the final episode of the season. Iain Haley Pollock’s All The Possible Bodies examines the myths we tell about ourselves, our families and nation, as well as asks the questions: How do we make peace with our hypocrisy and complicity in a social order that harms us all? Can and should we? Matthew Nienow’s If Nothing is a reckoning of alcoholism, fatherhood, longing and loss, and the need for forgiveness.