Schedule
Book Signing | Stacey Abrams
STACEY ABRAMS is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of While Justice Sleeps, Our Time Is Now, Lead from the Outside, and the NAACP Image Award winners Stacey’s Extraordinary Words and Stacey’s Remarkable Books. She is also the CEO of Sage Works Productions, an entertainment production company. A tax attorney by training, she served eleven years in the Georgia House of Representatives, seven as minority leader. She has launched multiple organizations devoted to voting rights and tackling social issues at the state, national, and international levels. Committed to the pursuit of equity, Stacey works to break barriers for young people, people of color, and the marginalized through her work in the public, nonprofit, and corporate sectors. She holds degrees from Spelman College, the LBJ School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas, and Yale Law School.
Speakers | Stacey Abrams on the Importance of Libraries
Stacey Abrams is the New York Times bestselling author of several books for children and adults, a voting rights advocate, and former Minority Leader of the Georgia House of Representatives. Abrams and PBS’ resident librarian and TikTok star Mychal Threets discuss the vital role libraries play in connecting people with information and to the community.
Book signing with Stacey Abrams to follow.
This presentation will be livestreamed on the Kansas City Public Library’s YouTube channel and will be available to view from home at any time after the event.
Book Signing | Deborah Jackson Taffa
DEBORAH JACKSON TAFFA's memoir, Whiskey Tender, has been named to 2024 best lists at Esquire, Oprah Daily, ELLE, and The Washington Post. With fellowships and grants from the National Endowment for the Arts, PEN America, MacDowell, and the NewYork State Summer Writers Institute, Deborah received her MFA from the nonfiction writing program at the University of Iowa. A citizen of the Kwatsaan (Yuma) Nation and Laguna Pueblo, she is the director of the MFA CW program at the Institute of American Indian Arts in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
Workshop | Zine 101
Zines are DIY, self-published works. Typically printed on a copy machine, they act as vehicles for self-expression that exist outside regular confines or restrictions. In this workshop, learn how to create an eight-page mini-zine from a single sheet of 8.5" x 11" paper.
Workshop | Writing a Ghost Story
Creepy tales told around a campfire. A book finished by flashlight under the covers. Nothing is as delicious as the thrill of a good ghost story. How do authors create such scary-sweet treats? Using examples from Edgar Allan Poe to the present, we’ll get under the hood of horror and create our own spooky fiction.
Writers for Readers
These classes are taught by graduate students in the University of Missouri-Kansas City’s MFA Program in Creative Writing.
Read It Watch It | Bridget Jones's Diary
Is the book always better than the movie? Some film adaptations stick closely to the source material. Others add new characters and subplots and take viewers on a completely different journey. Join us for a viewing of Pride and Prejudice, followed by a lively discussion with the Library’s Cullen Roop.
© Miramax Films
Speakers | Tommy Orange (Wandering Stars) and Deborah Jackson Taffa (Whiskey Tender: A Memoir)
Tommy Orange and Deborah Jackson Taffa talk with the Library’s Cindy Hohl about their latest books: Orange’s Wandering Stars – a follow-up to the Pulitzer Prize finalist, There There – and Taffa’s Whiskey Tender: A Memoir. The authors share their perspectives on the Native American experience, past and present, as well as stories of identity, addiction, family, and survival.
Book signing with Deborah Jackson Taffa to follow. Signed bookplates will be available from Tommy Orange.
This presentation will be livestreamed on the Kansas City Public Library’s YouTube channel and will be available to view for 14 days after the event.
This project was made possible in part by the Institute of Museum and Library Services, Travois, and the Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation.
Workshop | Book Journaling
Book journals help you track your reading experiences – what you’ve read, what books are on hold, what you’ve loaned out, and more. Have you always wanted to create a book journal but didn’t know where to begin? Here’s your chance.
For those who RSVP, a notebook, pen decorating and art supplies, and templates will be provided.
Panel | A Community of Readers: Kansas City Bookstore Owners
Independent bookstores are making a comeback. Since 2020, hundreds have opened across the country, including in the Kansas City metro area. Several bookstore owners, both veterans and newbies, discuss their dedication to the written word through author events, book signings, and other activities. They also discuss partnerships with community agencies to promote literacy.
Panelists:
Cori Smith from BLK & BRWN
Michael Travis from Rainy Day Books
La'Nesha Frazier from Bliss Books & Wine
Halley Vincent from Seven Stories
Carley Morton from Under the Cover
Book Signing | Sarah Chapelle
SARAH CHAPELLE is a journalist and the creator of the blog Taylor Swift Style and Instagram account @taylorswiftstyled. Taylor Swift Style expands on her popular blog of the same name to provide a comprehensive and nuanced look at Taylor’s musical and fashion evolution spanning the last two decades. Her thoughtful, thorough, and witty approach to style commentary has been featured in Marie Claire, Glamour, The Wall Street Journal, Harper’s Bazaar, Coveteur, People, and more. She lives in Vancouver, Canada, with her husband and their cat.
Zine Workshop | Pedro Martín
Award-winning graphic novelist Pedro Martín discusses the process of writing Mexikid. In this hands-on workshop, Martín helps kids of all ages tell their stories using his tips and tricks for character and story development. He'll also give a behind-the-scenes glimpse of how graphic memoirs are created. This workshop is intended for attendees ages 10 and up, and participants of any skill level are welcome.
Pedro Martín will also participate in a family-friendly discussion in Kirk Hall at 10 am.
Book Signing | Keeping it Short: The Attraction of Short Stories and Essays for Readers and Writers
Visit and stay for a book signing with the authors Catherine Browder, Dawn Downey, and Kenan Orhan.
Workshop | Flash Nonfiction: Writing About Your Life
Everyone has a story. Sometimes it’s a chance encounter worthy of a mystery novel; sometimes it’s a simple moment of beauty that stops you in your tracks. But putting it into words can be difficult. In this course, learn how to turn everyday life into a compelling narrative, using techniques from creative nonfiction.
Writers for Readers
These classes are taught by graduate students in the University of Missouri-Kansas City’s MFA Program in Creative Writing.
Speakers | Taylor Swift Style: Fashion Through the Eras by Sarah Chapelle
Every Taylor Swift album, every music video, every concert, comes with a fashion statement – her new book includes them all. Style reporter and author Sarah Chapelle discusses her new book Taylor Swift Style: Fashion Through the Eras with podcast producer and editor Melody Rowell. They explore and analyze the Easter eggs and deeper meanings behind every outfit and lay out the emotional context of Swift’s ever-changing personal style.
Book signing with Sarah Chapelle to follow.
This presentation will be livestreamed on the Kansas City Public Library’s YouTube channel and will be available to view from home at any time after the event.
Workshop | Family Cookbook
Food is the language of family. The Library’s Lucy Donnelly discusses her nearly 15-year effort to produce a multi-generational cookbook that captured beloved special occasions and everyday family recipes. You’ll also learn how to craft your own family cookbook that can be shared as an heirloom for generations.
Panel | Keeping it Short: The Attraction of Short Stories and Essays for Readers and Writers
A collection of short stories or essays is like a literary buffet. Readers sample small bites of an author’s ideas and imagination, while writers experiment with a variety of subjects, formats, and styles. Several Kansas City authors, including Catherine Browder, Dawn Downey, and Kenan Orhan, introduce new writing techniques and talk about what inspires them to keep it short.
Book signing with authors to follow.
Moderator: Angela Elam
Panelists:
Catherine Browder, Resurrection City: Stories from the Disaster Zone
Dawn Downey, Blindsided: Essays from the Only Black Woman in the Room
Kenan Orhan, I Am My Country and other stories
Workshop | Delectable Writing: The Art of Food Writing
The best food writing can make a reader laugh, cry, and think. It can also inspire them to seek out a new restaurant, travel to exotic places, or make their own dishes at home. Freelance food writer and editor Liz Cook (Serious Eats, BBC Travel, The Pitch, Kansas City Magazine) discusses what it takes to construct a compelling food narrative. She’ll also recommend some of her favorite food memoirs.
Book Signing | Pedro Martín
PEDRO MARTÍN is the Newbery Honor Award, Pura Belpré Author and Illustrator award-winning creator of Mexikid: A Graphic Memoir. His debut memoir has landed on many year-end best-of lists, including The New York Times Book Review, NPR, Kirkus Reviews, and Publishers Weekly. He’s the son of an immigrant sharecropper, one of nine kids, and spent his childhood in the strawberry fields of the Monterey Bay area. He earned a graphic design degree at San Jose State University and moved to Kansas City after being recruited by Hallmark Greetings, where he worked to become a master artist. He retired from Hallmark and pursued his dream of writing an ongoing graphic memoir that would honor his hilarious and generous family and all that they struggled to achieve.
Workshop | Book Journaling
Book journals help you track your reading experiences – what you’ve read, what books are on hold, what you’ve loaned out, and more. Have you always wanted to create a book journal but didn’t know where to begin? Here’s your chance.
For those who RSVP, a notebook, pen decorating and art supplies, and templates will be provided.
Read It Watch It | Pride and Prejudice
Is the book always better than the movie? Some film adaptations stick closely to the source material. Others add new characters and subplots and take viewers on a completely different journey. Join us for a viewing of Pride and Prejudice, followed by a lively discussion with the Library’s Cullen Roop.
© Focus Features
Speaker | Mexikid by Pedro Martín
Pedro Martín says his graphic novel, Mexikid, is 100% true (okay, maybe 90%). Years ago, Martín and his eight siblings piled into a Winnebago in California to pick up their grandpa in Mexico. He’d be living with them for the foreseeable future. Martín talks with the Library’s Clare Hollander about his family’s grand adventure, which has now won several awards, and how others might tell their own stories. This conversation will engage and inspire people of all ages!
Book signing with Pedro Martín to follow.
Panel | Audiobooks for All
What makes an audiobook compelling? Audiobooks are portable. Download one – and listen to it on a long road trip, while running errands, or cleaning the house. But what makes an audiobook so compelling? The Library’s Kaite Stover and Lucy Donnelly will lead a lively discussion and offer suggestions for tapping into Library resources.
Panelists:
Kaite Stover from Kansas City Public Library
Lucy Donnelly from Kansas City Public Library
Workshop | Delectable Writing: The Art of Food Writing
The best food writing can make a reader laugh, cry, and think. It can also inspire them to seek out a new restaurant, travel to exotic places, or make their own dishes at home. Freelance food writer and editor Liz Cook (Serious Eats, BBC Travel, The Pitch, Kansas City Magazine) discusses what it takes to construct a compelling food narrative. She’ll also recommend some of her favorite food memoirs.
Speaker | Kate Brady Murr: Customized Poems On-The-Spot
If you could get a poem made just for you—or as a gift for someone special—what would you like it to be about? Visit with the talented poet, Kate Brady Murr with the “Delighted Poets Department.” She'll make it. Expect to be interviewed and deeply considered, then walk away with a physical, actual typewritten poem. Disclaimer: Visiting Kate will likely shift and/or deepen your attention and make your day more lyrical and weird!
No registration needed. Katie will be on site creating poems for walk-up attendees.
Workshop | The Contrapuntal Poem: More Than One Way to Read (and Write)
A contrapuntal poem is made up of multiple poems, which invites readers to read the poem in two or more ways. Learn about the poem’s origins, read examples by Nkosi Nkululeko, Tyehimba Jess, and others, write, share drafts, and devise strategies for completing your own poems in this tradition.
Writers for Readers
These classes are taught by graduate students in the University of Missouri-Kansas City’s MFA Program in Creative Writing.
Storytime | Stacey Abrams: Stacey Speaks Up
Stacey Speaks Up marks the third in Stacey Abrams’ series called “Stacey’s Stories.” Written by Abrams and illustrated by Kitt Thomas, this latest picture book taps into the former Georgia state representative’s legacy of advocacy with a story about access to school lunch. Abrams leads a special storytime about making a difference.
Book Festival attendees without children are encouraged to register for Ms. Abrams’ afternoon talk.