Literary Fiction by People of Color discussion

Now, this is a book lovers dream! Hmmm, how many drive time hours between Atlanta and Miami? Anyone going?

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/10/bus...

Just a few of the 500 authors appearing:

Tiphanie Yanique
Walter Mosley
Edwidge Danticat
Morowa Yejide
Charles Blow
Jesmyn Ward
Lauren Francis-Sharma
Marlon James

An amazing line-up.

Oh wow. My book club planned our national retreat in Miami in 2012 so we could attend. The best part of the weekend was meeting Leonard Pitts after hearing him read the first chapter of Freeman. Love him.

Great book festival, but I'm glad to see they've added more writers of color this year.

Nakia wrote: "Oh wow. My book club planned our national retreat in Miami in 2012 so we could attend. The best part of the weekend was meeting Leonard Pitts after hearing him read the first chapter of Freeman. Lo..."

Nakia, do you recall it being pretty well organized? I was totally surprised at the quality of the line-up they've gathered. Writers of every hue, nationality, sexuality, gender and ethnicity assembled over the various days they've planned. I only mentioned these seven or eight but there's a lot of others and some I would even pay to see. Whenever the top book festivals were mentioned in the past I don't ever recall Miami included on the list. Now PBS promises to really give it a boost. Absent-minded me, I hope I don't forget about it in a week.

The Miami Book Fair has been on list to attend for several years. But it seems I always have an out-of-country trip planned around the same time so doing both was not feasible.

For those who have attended - this is a well-organized event and the issue is deciding what to attend.

Next year it seems I do not have a trip planned for the Nov/Dec time frame so 2015 might be the year.

Columbus wrote: "Now, this is a book lovers dream! Hmmm, how many drive time hours between Atlanta and Miami? Anyone going?

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/10/bus......"

Thanks for letting us know.
I have watched the C-Span BookTV coverage of the Miami Book Fair in the past and like mentioned it covers the NF side.

I will be marking my calendar!!!

Columbus wrote: "Nakia wrote: "Nakia, do you recall it being pretty well organized? I was totally surprised at the quality of the line-up they've gathered...."

Yes it was very well organized and tons of authors. It was like it's own literary city in the middle of downtown. I was just kind of bummed that there weren't many authors of color there that year. I only recall Pitts, Tananarive Due and her husband, and Junot Diaz (who was there before we arrived). This year's line up sounds fantastic, though.

And I am hoping that what will be "live-streamed" will be a couple of the authors of color mentioned above.

Beverly wrote: "And I am hoping that what will be "live-streamed" will be a couple of the authors of color mentioned above."

I hope so too!

Reminder: Live coverage of the Miami Book Fair today!

Coverage here in metro Atlanta is actually on C-span (10am) and not PBS according to my listings, so check your local stations. My C-span book alert email lists a Live program that includes:
Cornel West Black Prophetic Fire;
Charles Blow Fire Shut Up In My Bones: A Memoir;
Richard Blanco The Prince of Los Cocuyos: A Miami Childhood;
Gary M. Segura Latino America: How America�s Most Dynamic Population is Poised to Transform the Politics of the Nation;
Bob Herbert Losing Our Way: An Intimate Portrait of a Troubled America

All non-fiction offerings, but during breaks many publishers provide previews of new literary fiction selections and many other offerings. Now if I can just break away from the Davis Cup 3rd rubber match to watch.

Enjoy!

PBS and C-span will be Live streaming at various times. Interviews, panels and on-the-street fair segments:

http://www.miamibookfair.com/events/l...

Columbus wrote: "PBS and C-span will be Live streaming at various times. Interviews, panels and on-the-street fair segments:

http://www.miamibookfair.com/events/l..."

Thanks for the reminder
Both have their schedules available so you can plan your viewing.

I did catch the tail end of the PBS live streaming last night with the National Book Award finalist/winners who were present reading from their books.

Highlights of the readings for me were:

Rabih Alameddine reading from An Unnecessary Woman. This book was already on my tbr list but this reading made me push the book up on my list.

I loved the language of Redeployment so will be adding to my tbr list. I am reading Fives and Twenty-Fives and liking it and had not added Redeployment because was not sure if I wanted to read another book with similar subject matter. But I am a sucker for beautiful language so have to add this book to very long tbr.

I was on the fence about reading:
Age of Ambition: Chasing Fortune, Truth, and Faith in the New China
Can't We Talk about Something More Pleasant?

but both are now on tbr list - Age of Ambition because I recently visited China and some of the observations I saw was mentioned in his readings so would like to read more about them from someone who spent 10 years in China.
The Chast book because this is a timely issue for me.

I wonder how many more books I will be adding to my list after this weekend. :)

Beverly wrote: "Columbus wrote: "PBS and C-span will be Live streaming at various times. Interviews, panels and on-the-street fair segments:

http://www.miamibookfair.com/events/l..."

Thanks for the re..."

I hope they make available these readings on the website or archive them. Maybe someone will record them and make available on YouTube. I would really like to see Rabih Alameddine. I did read Unnecessary Woman, An: A Novel and Rabih is quite witty and has a way with words.

Beverly wrote: "Columbus wrote: "PBS and C-span will be Live streaming at various times. Interviews, panels and on-the-street fair segments:

http://www.miamibookfair.com/events/l..."

Thanks for the re..."

Beverly, did you read Fire Shut Up in My Bones? If so, what did you think?

Columbus wrote: "Beverly wrote: "Columbus wrote: "PBS and C-span will be Live streaming at various times. Interviews, panels and on-the-street fair segments:

http://www.miamibookfair.com/events/l..."

T..."

I think the PBS sessions will be archived and BookTV archives all of their programs.

Thanks for the comments Rabih.

Columbus wrote: "Beverly wrote: "Columbus wrote: "PBS and C-span will be Live streaming at various times. Interviews, panels and on-the-street fair segments:

http://www.miamibookfair.com/events/l..."

T..."

I am "currently" reading Fire Shut Up in My Bones and enjoying. I started as a library book and liked enough that I bought the print copy which I am reading now as will pass on to son-in-law and grandsons (16 & 23) to read when see them in a couple of weeks. My friend read the book and rated it a 5 and will have similar reading tastes. While I have listened to the Charles Blow livestream at the Schomburg and a book session on BookTv, I hope to catch him again today - enjoying listening to him.

Thank you both Columbus and Beverly for the discussion on the Miami Book Fair. I spent most of Sat and part of Sunday watching the live feed. Great discussions, especially regarding James Baldwin's writing and its mirrored reflections of racial events of today. It was great remembering Baldwin from my days as a young college student with a thirst to read Black authors, when only a handful of books were being published. How wonderful that today there are so many to choose from.
I also listened to Charles Blow's review of his book today. Powerful.
I am so thankful for this group and retirement. It allows me to read all I want and not justify staying up all night reading. This is a dream come true!

Kathleen wrote: "Thank you both Columbus and Beverly for the discussion on the Miami Book Fair. I spent most of Sat and part of Sunday watching the live feed. Great discussions, especially regarding James Baldwin's..."

All the thanks go to Columbus - he kept us informed of this event.

Glad you enjoyed.

So how many books have you added to your TBR list after this weekend? :)