Virtual Author Talks
Are virtual author interviews/talks as satisfying as in person appearances? Of course not!! That’s what we are relegated to for the present, however.
Last night I tuned in to listen to Sue Monk Kidd interviewed through the Sophia Institute in Charleston. I had never seen her speak before and was impressed with the earnestness she displayed when talking about Ana, the main character in The Book of Longings. It turns out, Kidd was speaking her own voice through Ana so I gained great insight into this author. Since I have posted about that book before, I won’t go into detail about the session except to say that, even though Kidd is a favorite author, the session was a bit beyond my attention span at 1 hour and 15 minutes. OK, so I didn’t finish watching it!! Don’t tell anyone. Since becoming an Episcopalian, my attention span for a sermon is now only 15 minutes. For a lecture, it has always been about 45 minutes. Hopefully this post does not exceed YOUR attention span. Please share this information with history buffs or political junkies.
In any event, there are many, many author talks around and about electronically now due to the virus and the extreme popularity of reading during these times. I almost decided to stop posting the opportunities until a viewer in Atlanta contacted me to thank me for the Erik Larsen ‘heads up’ because she was going to lead the discussion of The Splendid and the Vile for her book club. So, I will continue to let you know when I come across notifications. I would appreciate your doing the same if you see something interesting. All of these opportunities are offered through the Smithsonian Institute, and some require payment.
John Brennan: Undaunted
WhenWednesday, October 14, 2020, 6:45 – 8:15 PMCategoriesAfter Five, Webcasts & OnlineSponsorSmithsonian AssociatesEvent LocationThis program is part of our Smithsonian Associates Streaming series.CostClick here to view pricesGet Tickets or Registersmithsonianassociates.org…DetailsDrawing on his new memoir, Undaunted: My Fight Against America’s Enemies, at Home and Abroad, former CIA director John Brennan speaks with David Axelrod about events that led him to the top of the American intelligence community. |
Windows on the World: Reading Literature from Many Cultures
| WhenMonday, November 16, 2020, 6:45 – 8pmCategoriesWebcasts & OnlineSponsorSmithsonian AssociatesEvent LocationThis program is part of our, Smithsonian Associates Streaming series., ,CostClick here to view pricesGet Tickets or Registersmithsonianassociates.org…NoteJoin Lisbeth Strimple Fuisz of Georgetown University in spirited lectures and informal discussions about novels that explore stories set in Spain, India, the Dominican Republic, and the world of classical Greek mythology. <span style=”color: #e74c3c;”>This session discusses The Penelopiad by Margaret Atwood.</span> |
James Baker: The Man Who Ran Washington
WhenTuesday, October 20, 2020, 6:45 – 8:15 PMCategoriesAfter Five, Webcasts & OnlineSponsorSmithsonian AssociatesEvent LocationThis program is part of our Smithsonian Associates Streaming series.CostClick here to view pricesGet Tickets or Registersmithsonianassociates.org…DetailsHe was Washington’s indispensable man: five-time presidential campaign manager, White House chief of staff, treasury secretary, secretary of state, and political consigliere. Peter Baker and Susan Glasser draw on their new biography of James Baker to offer a case study in the acquisition, exercise, and preservation of power seen through the career of one of the most significant and influential leaders in modern government never to serve as president of the United States. |
Hitler’s Spies in America: The FBI and the Case that Stirred the Nation
WhenWednesday, November 18, 2020, 1 – 2:30 PMCategoriesWebcasts & OnlineSponsorSmithsonian AssociatesEvent LocationThis program is part of our, Smithsonian Associates Streaming series., ,CostClick here to view pricesGet Tickets or Registersmithsonianassociates.org…DetailsFast cars, shady liaisons, a murder plot, a Manhattan socialite, and a ringleader codenamed Agent Sex: they’re all elements of the story of the Nazi spy ring that infiltrated America in the 1930s. Historian Rhodri Jeffreys-Jones recounts how an intrepid FBI agent, whose talent was matched only by his penchant for publicity, played an essential role in bringing it all down. |