Upcoming Fairfax County Public Library Author Programs
Author Presentations
Fairfax Prize
E. L. Doctorow was the recipient of the 2009 Fairfax Prize for Lifetime Achievement in the Literary Arts. This award was funded by the Fairfax Library Foundation, at the 11th annual Fall for the Book literary festival. On Thursday, September 24, Fairfax Library Foundation Chair, Alvah Beander, presented the award in the Concert Hall of George Mason University’s Center for the Arts. This award recognized Doctorow as an award-winning novelist including the National Book Critics Circle Award and the PEN/Faulkner Award for The March. At the free author presentation the author read from his forthcoming novel, Homer & Langley.
Novelist Michael Cunningham received the 2008 Fairfax Prize for Lifetime Achievement in the Literary Arts at the 10th annual Fall for the Book Festival. Fairfax Library Foundation Chair, Alvah Beander, presented the prize recognizing Cunningham as an award-winning novelist including the Pulitzer Prize for The Hours.
Tuesdays with Morrie author, Mitch Albom was the recipient of the 2007 Fairfax Prize. Former Chair, Joan Kane presented the Fairfax Library Foundation sponsored award. Albom founded three charities in his hometown of Detroit and donated proceeds from his most recent novel, For One More Day, to promote literacy.
All Fairfax Reads
All Fairfax Reads is a “one book, one community” project that encourages Fairfax County residents to read and discuss the same book at the same time. The Fairfax Library Foundation is proud to sponsor this initiative, which was launched in 2004 with Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird. The selections for years to follow include:
- 2005 - The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
- 2006 - Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress by Dai Sijie
- 2007 - His Excellency: George Washington by Joseph J. Ellis
- 2008 - The Uncommon Reader by Alan Bennett
In 2009, the Fairfax County Public Library partnered with the Virginia Foundation for the Humanities and many communities throughout Virginia to read A Lesson Before Dying by Ernest J. Gaines. The Big Read/All Fairfax Reads is one of the largest reading programs in the country.
Sharon Bulova, Chairman of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, (pictured here) encourages everyone to participate in this wonderful community-wide endeavor that encourages reading and conversation.
The Perspectives Series
The Perspectives Series, co-sponsored by the Fairfax Library Foundation, the Fairfax County Public Library's Center for the Book and The McLean Community Center since 2002, features renowned author programs that are free to the public on a first-come basis. All events in this series begin at 7:30 p.m. and are held at the Alden Theatre of the McLean Community Center.
2009 Perspectives Series
On
Thursday, March 5, the Fairfax Library Foundation presented former
Freedom Rider Rev. Reginald Green and Eric Etheridge (pictured
right),
journalist and photographer, and author of Breach of Peace: Portraits
of the 1961 Mississippi Freedom Riders, a "then-and-now" memoir
of the 328 black and white Freedom Riders arrested in Jackson, Mississippi.
The Freedom Riders were civil rights activists who fought segregation
by riding interstate buses from Washington, D.C. to New Orleans. Etheridge
explored the files of the Mississippi State Sovereignty Commission
and eventually tracked down and interviewed all of the original Freedom
Riders.
Eugene
Robinson, a Washington Post nationally
syndicated columnist and MSNBC political analyst, presented “Today’s
News: Who’s
Up, Who’s Down and What’s Really Going On” on Thursday,
April 16. Robinson is one of the most prominent print journalists and
commentators in the country, writing a twice-weekly column that runs
in 145 newspapers nationwide. His articles explore the intersection of
current events, politics and culture. Sharing his 25 years of experience,
Robinson has contributed political commentary to such T.V. news shows
as “Hardball With Chris Matthews,” “Countdown” and “Meet
the Press.”
The
May Perspectives Series was a success on Tuesday, May 12 with Lisa
Scottoline, author of Lady Killer and many others.
Scottoline is a New York Times best-selling author of legal
thrillers, set in Philadelphia and featuring gutsy and resilient female
characters. An award-winning writer, she is the recipient of a variety
of honors including the Edgar Award, mystery writers' highest honor.
All of her books draw on her experience as a trial lawyer as well as
her judicial clerkships in the state and federal justice systems.
2008 Perspectives Series
John Bolton (right), U. S. Ambassador to the United Nations from 2005
to 2006 and author of Surrender Is Not an Option: Defending America
at the U.N. and Abroad, presented “America, International
Security and the Future.”
Marjane Satrapi (left) discussed her best-selling graphic novel, Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood, the compelling story of her youth in Iran in the 1970s. Satrapi worked on the film adaptation of the novel.
Conservative Cal Thomas and liberal Bob Beckel, authors of the syndicated USA Today column, “Common Ground” talked about their latest book, Common Ground: How To Stop the Partisan War That Is Destroying America.
2007 Perspectives Series
Susan Orlean, a staff writer for The New Yorker and author of The Orchid Thief, inspiration for the 2002 film adaptation in which Orlean was portrayed by Meryl Streep, presented “My Encounters With Extraordinary People”.
David Rakoff, a contributor to Public Radio International’s 
"This American Life," and writer for The New
York Times Magazine, Outside and GQ discussed his book Don’t
Get Too Comfortable, a critique of 21st-century American life.
Julian Bond (right), author, educator and advocate for social change who served in the Georgia General Assembly for 20 years, presented “Crossing the Color Line From Rhythm ‘n Blues to Rock ‘n Roll”. He received the prestigious National Freedom Award in 2002. The Foundation hosted a reception prior to the program.
2006 Perspectives Series
Paul Rusesabagina (right), subject of the award-winning
film Hotel Rwanda discussed his book An Ordinary Man: The Story of Hotel Rwanda.
Sports Illustrated writer Frank Deford presented Sports: The Hype and the Hoopla.
Colonel Matthew Bogdanos presented Thieves of Baghdad: The Journey to Recover the World’s Greatest Stolen Treasures.
Bestselling author Sara Paretsky revolutionized the mystery world when she introduced private detective V.I. Warshawski, the strong female detective who still uses her wits and fists to solve crimes in Fire Sale.
2005 Perspectives Series
Jack Valenti, Former president of the Motion Picture Association of America, presented “Hollywood, Then and Now.”
CBS News Vetrean, Bob Schieffer discussed his book Face the Nation: My Favorite Stories from the First 50 Years.
Andrea Mitchell, NBC News Correspondent, presented “The View From Washington”.
2004 Perspectives Series
Pulitzer Prize Winner, David Maraniss, discussed the writing of his books They Marched Into Sunlight: War and Peace, Vietnam and America, October 1967.
Syndicated Columnist, Linda Chavez presented "Politics, Diversity and the Media".
Pulitzer Prize Winner, David Broder discussed "American Political Life".
2003 Perspectives Series
Judi Nardella Hershman introduced Newsweek Contributing Editor Eleanor Clift (pictured right) who presented "Women in Politics".
Ken Starr discussed his book First Among Equals: The Supreme Court in American Life.
Political analyst, James Carville presented “A look at American Politics”.
Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, discussed her book, Lazy B: Growing Up on a Cattle Ranch in the American Southwest.
The Capital Book Festival
Fairfax Library Foundation celebrated its 10th anniversary by hosting The Capital Book Festival: A Celebration of Notable Authors. The festival featured celebrity author presentations, writers' workshops, autographed book sales and special children's activities
Other Center for the Book Author Programs
Warren Brown
Warren Brown, author of CakeLove: How to Bake Cakes from Scratch, owner of Washington, D.C., based CakeLove and Love Café as well as former host of the Food Network’s Sugar Rush. will speak following a Fairfax Library Foundation sponsored cupcake reception. Brown is also the writer of the soon-to-be released Cakes of America: Recipies Celebrating Every State. A former attorney, Brown left his career to pursue a passion for baking. Listen to the interview with Warren Brown.
Books will be available for sale by the Fairfax Library Foundation and there will be a signing following the presentation. Proceeds raised from the book sales at this and other author programs will help to ensure that such author programs continue to be available at no cost. Please register.
Daniel Silva
The Fairfax Library Foundation hosted a reception with New York Times Best-Selling Author, Daniel Silva prior to a Center for the Book program of the Fairfax County Public Library. Having written The Secret Servant and Moscow Rules, he has been called his generation’s finest writer of international intrigue and one of the greatest American spy novelists ever. Compelling, passionate, haunting, brilliant: these are the words that have been used to describe the work of Daniel Silva.
Alexander McCall Smith
The Fairfax County Public Library presented author Alexander McCall Smith, who presented "The Very Small Things of Life"; a talk on writing, creativity, Africa and the life of an author. McCall Smith has written more than 50 books, including academic titles, short story collections, children’s books and the internationally acclaimed The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency series. The program was co-sponsored by the Fairfax Library Foundation.
Lynne Cheney
Lynne Cheney, author and senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, presented a special event co-sponsored by Cox Communications. Her book, America: A Patriotic Primer, is an alphabet book that celebrates the ideas and ideals that are the foundations of America. Mrs. Cheney's net proceeds from America are being donated to charity.
During Constitution Week, Cheney spoke on the importance of teaching children about American history. "Time and again, we receive reports that young people are woefully lacking in knowledge of the past," Cheney has said. "Insuring the historical literacy of the next generation is not solely the responsibility of schools. Parents and grandparents and other adults should talk to children and young people about the American past."
James Patterson
James Patterson, best-selling author of the Alex Cross series, the Women's Murder Club series, and Beach House, discussed his work through a free program sponsored by the Fairfax County Public Library Center for the Book and funded by Fairfax Library Foundation. Patterson's books were available for sale and signing.