Boston Book Festival 2018

Michael Pollan writes about the places where nature and culture intersect and the everyday moral dilemmas that ensue. His previous books include bestsellers such as The Omnivore’s Dilemma, The Botany of Desire, and Cooked. Now Pollan has turned his discerning eye from our stomachs to our minds. His latest work, How to Change Your Mind: What the New Science of Psychedelics Teaches Us About Consciousness, Dying, Addiction, Depression, and Transcendence, is one of the most talked-about books of the year. Not the sort to write about something he hasn’t experienced, Pollan’s research included doses of LSD, psilocybin, and Sonoran Desert toad venom. Although Pollan doesn’t advocate the recreational use of psychedelics, he is persuasive on the therapeutic possibilities. Join us to kick off Boston Book Festival 2018 with a mind-expanding interview with Michael Pollan. Meghna Chakrabarti, host of WBUR and NPR’s On Point, will guide us on this magical mystery tour of the world of psychedelics. A not-to-be missed happening.

Note that this event is now SOLD OUT. If any additional tickets become available, they will be sold at the door for $10 CASH ONLY beginning at 7pm on 10/12/2018.

Kate DiCamillo’s indelible characters--from India Opal Buloni (and her dog Winn-Dixie) to Despereaux and Raymie Clarke--have become friends to an entire generation of young readers. DiCamillo’s thoughtful, hopeful characters and her emotionally authentic novels show that she deeply understands and respects children--both those she writes about and those she writes for. DiCamillo is also a passionate advocate for reading, having served as the National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature. Now lucky readers have the opportunity to get to know one of DiCamillo’s characters--Louisiana Elefante, first introduced in Raymie Nightingale--a lot better, as she stars in her very own novel, Louisiana’s Way Home. When her grandma abruptly uproots their small family, Louisiana comes to realize that everything she thought she knew about herself was wrong. “Who am I? Who am I?” Louisiana wonders, first in despair and eventually in curiosity and wonder--poignantly embarking on a journey of self-discovery that will resonate with all readers. We are honored to welcome two-time Newbery Medalist Kate DiCamillo as this year’s BBF Kids’ Keynote. DiCamillo will be interviewed by Lauren Rizzuto of the Center for the Study of Children’s Literature at Simmons University, and DiCamillo will also conduct an extended Q&A with children in the audience. Sponsored by Simmons University.

Special signing guidelines for this event: The featured title for this event is Louisiana’s Way Home. Kate will sign and personalize an unlimited number of the new book, and just ONE additional backlist title per person. Kate will do autographs and first name personalizations only, and will not sign any posters, bookmarks, scraps of notebook paper, etc. Thanks for your cooperation with these guidelines!

Does democracy need to be reformed to preserve economic growth for all, or does capitalism need to be reformed to preserve democracy? That is the question we will tackle with three preeminent thinkers. Economist Dambisa Moyo, one of Time Magazine’s100 Most Influential People, argues in Edge of Chaosthat economic growth is paramount and that democracy must undergo radical reforms to deliver it. Robert Kuttner’s title speaks volumes: Can Democracy Survive Global Capitalism?  Kuttner blames global, predatory capitalism for workers’ declining prospects and the subsequent dwindling of democracy. Yascha Mounk, in The People vs. Democracy, deemed by The Economist a “standout” book on this subject, thinks people have fallen out of love with democracy and offers a brilliant analysis of why and what to do about it. Our moderator-cum-referee is Rebecca Henderson, who teaches Reimagining Capitalism at Harvard Business School.

History provides us with many examples of authoritarian leaders and tyrants. So does Shakespeare. This session looks at our present political circumstances with an assist from the past. The great Shakespeare scholar Stephen Greenblattt will talk about his latest work, Tyrant, and show how the Bard’s plays, from Richard III to Julius Caesar to Macbeth, mirror our own times. Yale historian Timothy Snyder has spent his career studying twentieth-century European history. His latest book, The Road to Unfreedom, shows in forensic detail that authoritarianism is on the rise again, that the driving force is Putin’s Russia, and that the fruits of Putin’s malign influence, including the presidency of Donald Trump, are being sown in western democracies, which are more fragile than we imagined. To illustrate the current authoritarian threat, Amy Siskind’s The List enumerates the Trump regime’s actions that pose a threat to our democratic norms, from his acceptance of white supremacists to his demonization of the press. Our moderator for this chilling and important conversation is Harvard’s Timothy Patrick McCarthy, Director of Culture Change and Social Justice Initiatives at the Carr Center for Human Rights Policy and author of the forthcoming Stonewall’s Children: Living Queer History in the Age of Liberation, Loss, and Love.

What makes a good leader? Expertise? Wisdom? Personality? It’s hard to imagine a more qualified group to explore the question of leadership. Historian Doris Kearns Goodwin’s new work, Leadership in Turbulent Times, examines the qualities and traits of four past presidents: Abraham Lincoln, Teddy Roosevelt, Franklin D. Roosevelt, and Lyndon Johnson. She maintains that although they differed enormously in background and abilities, all were guided by a deep sense of moral purpose and the desire to improve the lives of others. Senator John Kerry's memoir, Every Day Is Extra, tells his story: decorated Vietnam War vet, prosecutor, five-term US senator, presidential candidate, and Secretary of State. He has served in positions of leadership and has been close to power his entire life. None other than Samantha Power, former US Ambassador to the UN under President Obama and author of A Problem from Hell: America and the Age of Genocide, will moderate. This trifecta of luminaries will discuss our leaders past, present, and future in what is sure to be a highlight of BBF 2018. Sponsored by the Plymouth Rock Foundation and Cathy and Jim Stone. 

Gossip rags, celebrity sighting blogs, verified social accounts, specialized TV shows--why are we so obsessed with famous folks? How does our obsession make celebrities feel? Does it matter? In her new book Fame, writer, director, producer, and actress Justine Bateman says, viscerally, yes. She talks with Geoff Edgers, Washington Post national arts reporter and host of WBUR podcast The Edge of Fame, about the internal reality-shift of the famous, theories on the public's behavior at each stage of a famous person's career, and the experiences of other famous performers.