Thursday
October 12
9:40 AM
Aimie K. Runyan and Bryn Turnbull explore the power of women’s resistance during wartime in their captivating historical novels set in Paris. In Runyan’s A Bakery in Paris, two women – one during the 1870 siege by the Prussians and one in 1946 having suffered a great loss after WWII– embrace love and confront impossible choices armed only with the belief that flour, yeast, sugar, and love can ignite their own revolutions. In Turnbull’s The Paris Deception, estranged sisters-in-law risk their lives to rescue looted modern art from Nazi destruction, devising a daring plan to save Paris’s treasures. Sponsored by the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute.
Location: Virtual, via Zoom. To receive the login, register for free on Eventbrite.
10:30 AM
Interested in becoming a comic artist or graphic novelist? John Gallagher, author of the popular Max Meow graphic novel series, will discuss the wonderful world of comics. Gallagher, long-time comic book author, art director of the National Wildlife Foundation’s Ranger Rick Magazine, and cofounder of “Kids Love Comics,” will be explaining the ins and outs of being a comic artist, from the creation of graphic novels to the art of the comic business.
Location: Fenwick Reading Room, 2nd Floor, Fenwick Library, 4348 Chesapeake River Lane, Fairfax
12 PM
E.A. Aymar and Lindsay Cameron shock and thrill readers with uncovered secrets, murder, and sharp social commentary. Aymar’s No Home for Killers follows two troubled sisters trying to solve their brother’s death and confront their own demons. The New York Times calls it “an affecting tale of what we do for the ones we love.” Cameron’s No One Needs to Know is a fast-paced novel about the darkest secrets of New York’s wealthiest residents coming to light, and someone ending up dead. Author Robyn Harding says “this sly, witty thriller…is a juicy page-turner that will leave readers gasping—and guessing—until the end.” Aymar and Cameron will be in conversation with author Art Taylor.
Location: Wilkins Plaza Tent, between the Johnson Center and Horizon Hall, George Mason University.
The Leading to Well-Being Speaker Series presents Growing Leaders founder and CEO Tim Elmore, author of A New Kind of Diversity: Making the Different Generations on Your Team a Competitive Advantage, in our next webinar. Join us for his free presentation “Leading Multiple Generations.”
People talk a lot about diversity today – ethnic, gender, and income diversity. But there is an elephant in the room. A different kind of diversity exists: the diverse generations that serve on your team. Today’s workplace has four to five generations working together, and far too often, we collide instead of collaborate. Dr. Elmore’s presentation will explore the characteristics of each generation working today and how to leverage them to your competitive advantage. Too often we stereotype people, taking mental shortcuts and profiling young or old team members. This webinar will offer practical strategies to bring out the best in each generation. As a “pracademic,” Dr. Elmore is down-to-earth and his work is research-based. He is a best-selling author and international speaker who creates unforgettable leadership experiences for the world’s top brands. He has authored more than 30 books and trained thousands of leaders in nationally-renowned organizations such as Delta, Home Depot, the National Football League, and the U.S. Department of Justice.
This is a virtual Partner Event. Register for the Zoom here.
1:30 PM
Who We Lost: A Portable COVID Memorial is a community-generated collective memorial to those who passed away from COVID-19 and a handbook for the bereaved. In the early days of the pandemic, editor Martha Greenwald asked mourners to write memories of their loved ones lost to the pandemic. This book, which emerged as a result of this exercise, contains a collection of essays as well as writing prompts to help others write remembrances. Booklist reviewer Margaret Quamme says, “The collection, with many hopeful notes among its heartbreaking ones, should serve to connect readers who might feel alone in their losses and may inspire others to join the project.”
Location: Fenwick Reading Room, 2nd Floor, Fenwick Library, 4348 Chesapeake River Lane, Fairfax
This event has been cancelled.
In Kissing Kosher, Jean Meltzer delves into a tantalizing tale that combines love, secrets, and delectable treats. Avital’s dreams are derailed by chronic pelvic pain, leaving her focused solely on managing her family’s beloved kosher bakery, Best Babka in Brooklyn. Desperate for assistance, she hires a handsome baker, unaware of his ulterior motives. As Avital and Ethan work side by side, a delicious chemistry begins to simmer, and Ethan’s attention shifts from stealing family secrets to igniting passion in Avital’s life and helping her find relief from her pain. As they navigate the kitchen and uncover secrets, will they discover the recipe for a love that conquers all? Sponsored by Judaic Studies.
2:15 PM
Brett Crozier, captain of a prestigious US Navy aircraft carrier, made the courageous decision to protect his sailors from COVID-19, leading to his relief of command. In Surf When You Can: Lessons in Life, Loyalty, and Leadership from a Maverick Navy Captain, Crozier reflects on his life, career, and the importance of kindness, teamwork, and standing up for one’s beliefs. Through captivating stories from his extraordinary experiences as a fighter pilot and commander, Crozier shares valuable lessons applicable to both personal and professional life. Admiral James Stavridis called it “utterly compelling, authentic, and relatable – simply superb advice in life and leadership!” Sponsored by the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute.
Location: Virtual, via Zoom. To receive the login, register for free on Eventbrite.
3 PM
Photographer Antonia Tricarico chronicles the fascinating history of Inner Ear – the D.C. recording studio responsible for some of the most iconic DC punk bands in The Inner Ear of Don Zientara: A Half Century of Recording in One of America’s Most Innovative Studios, Through the Voices of Musicians. Tape OP says this photo-filled oral history “gives us a wonderful glimpse into who Don is, and what has made his Inner Ear Recording Studios one of the most culturally-important places to make records in the US. We hear about sessions with Bad Brains, Minor Threat, Fugazi, Bikini Kill, Foo Fighters, The Dismemberment Plan, and so many others.” Tricarico will be joined by Don Zientara, himself, along with Fugazi member Joe Lally to discuss this iconic period of music history.
Location: Fenwick Reading Room, 2nd Floor, Fenwick Library, 4348 Chesapeake River Lane, Fairfax
4:30 PM
Chika Unigwe and Leila Aboulela take readers on difficult and heart-felt journeys spanning time and continents. Unigwe’s The Middle Daughter, a modern reimagining of the myth of Hades and Persephone within a Nigerian family, tells the story of seventeen-year-old Nani’s journey to freedom and homecoming after marrying an abusive man. Publisher’s Weekly says, “Unigwe’s textured imagery and rich, lyrical prose make this a welcome addition to Nigerian feminist literature.” Aboulela’s River Spirit is the unforgettable story of the people of Sudan, who, against the odds and for a brief time, gained independence from foreign rule. With the spotlight on Akuany, a Sudanese girl who was orphaned in a village raid, this coming of age novel, illuminated by the voices of seven men and women, tells the bloody history of Sudan’s fight against imperialism bound by the tensions of Christianity versus Islam. Author Abdulrazak Gurnah calls it “A novel of extraordinary sympathy and insight … a wonderful achievement.” Ungiwe and Aboulela will be in conversation with Helon Habila.
Location: Johnson Center, 3rd Floor, Meeting Room D
In their innovative poetry collection, Negative Money, Lillian-Yvonne Bertram pushes the binary thresholds of life: racial and gender identity, love and loneliness, and more, as well as the exhaustion created by these oppressive, constraining systems. Publishers Weekly says, “Bertram blends irreverence, honesty, and formal play in poems that bear witness to the precarity of living on the margins of society . . . This profound book will stir readers into necessary reflection.” Bertram is also the author of Travesty Generator, which was a finalist for the National Poetry Series.
Location: Fenwick Reading Room, 2nd Floor, Fenwick Library, 4348 Chesapeake River Lane, Fairfax
6 PM
Written with witty directness and a kind-hearted spirit, CJ Hauser’s memoir in essays, The Crane Wife, offers an introspective and modern look at love, intimacy, and self. Ten days after calling off their wedding, CJ Hauser went on an expedition to study the whooping crane, and realized they’d almost signed up to live someone else’s life, prompting a complicated journey of self-discovery. The Washington Post says, “Hauser is a playful, energetic, and always likable writer” and calls The Crane Wife “a frank exploration of intimacy and romance that doesn’t always lead to a ‘happily ever after.’” Sponsored by Mason Creative Writing.
Location: Fenwick Reading Room, 2nd Floor, Fenwick Library, 4348 Chesapeake River Lane, Fairfax
7:30 PM
Enjoy the three powerhouse finalists – and celebrate the winner – of the Sixth Annual New American Voices Award for immigrant writers: Rachel Heng’s The Great Reclamation, Angie Kim’s Happiness Falls, and DK Nnuro’s What Napoleon Could Not Do. They will be joined by two of this year’s judges: Sofia Ali Khan and Cleyvis Natera. The New American Voices Award was created in 2018 by Fall for the Book and the Institute for Immigration Research to recognize recently published works that illuminate the complexity of the human experience as told by immigrants, whose work is historically underrepresented in writing and publishing. Sponsored by the Institute for Immigration Research.
Location: Grand Tier III, Center for the Arts, 4373 Mason Pond Drive, Fairfax
