Wednesday, October 14, 2009

The inaugural Boston Book Festival will have a rousing kick-off with an all-star cast of local celebrities on Friday, October 23 at Trinity Church with Boston Out Loud, a celebration of the power of words.   Robin Young, the host of Here and Now on WBUR, will emcee the evening’s festivities, beginning with Boston Mayor Thomas Menino’s reading of a passage from his favorite book.

Singer-songwriter Livingston Taylor will headline the evening with a performance  and  a conversation with Robin about songwriting.  Taylor, a  much-loved figure on the Boston arts scene and a professor at Berklee College of Music, writes songs of “love and loss, lessons learned and memories of family.”  Click here to read more about Livingston Taylor and his favorite place to write.

Benjamin Zander, conductor of the Boston Philharmonic and one of the most popular motivational speakers in the country, will talk about an amazing experience he had recently relating to the power of words.  One observer writes of Zander, “in his passionate, almost savagely energetic monologues… Zander pushes his audience to laugh, cry and sing.”   Click here to check out Ben Zander’s TED talk for a taste of his style.

The Reverend Peter Gomes, Pusey Minister in the Memorial Church at Harvard University, will read from a work of literature that inspired him.  Seamus Heaney, the Irish poet and Nobel Laureate, says of Gomes,  “his style is full of cadence, roguery, and scampishness.”   We look forward to hearing this orator extraordinaire’s choice and what is sure to be a powerful delivery.

In addition to this illustrious line-up, we are pleased to introduce Yolandi Cruz a student at the Boston Arts Academy who will perform a piece of poetry.   And lest we forget, the exciting sound of the Boston Children’s Chorus which will provide a welcome to the Boston Out Loud audience.  The Boston Children’s Chorus harnesses the power and joy of music to unite our city’s diverse communities and inspire social change.  Click here to read more about them and hear a preview.

Please join us for this inspiring beginning to the Boston Book Festival. Click here for tickets.

Can you please tell me what is required to sign up for the Open Mic.

- Can we sign up in advance?

- What is the time limit?

- Any specific guidelines or requirements?

Thank you-Patrick

I’d much rather listen to Robin Young (than Menino).

For just a $12 ticket, this is an excellent start to what is destined to be a great inaugural event.
As a warmup to this, you may be interested in helping the area’s best annual library book sale to setup their books over 3 rooms. To volunteer, send an email to:
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Wish I could have been there to feature my two books both set in Boston.

Tales Out Of School

Tales Out Of College

But still, you can check them out at:

http://www.ShirleyAnnHoward.com