This upcoming weekend the annual Buffalo Book Fair will be held outside, at the
corner of Lafayette Square and Washington Street. The Buffalo Book Fair
is the region’s leading celebration of the literary arts and celebrates
the power of reading through author presentations, book signings,
seminars and panel discussions that take place outside in literary
pavilions and in the Buffalo and Erie County Library. In years past, the
book fair has commanded the attention of over 4,000 visitors and serves
as the perfect partner to the annual Taste of Buffalo food festival
happening a mere two blocks away.
Jennifer Parker, the Book Fair’s event manager has lined up special
events that include healthy cooking demonstrations, poetry readings,
storytellers, live music, and hands on projects for children, art, and
retail and book exhibitors. The 2010 theme Its In A Book was chosen to
highlight the spectrum of artists visiting and spark the imagination of
adults and children alike. One Author, Rosalind Wiseman, an
internationally recognized expert on teen bullying, a concern of many
parents and an issue that has
been garnering the attention on national news recently. She is the
author of Queen Bees and Wannabes: Helping Your Daughter Survive
Cliques, Gossip, Boyfriends, and Other Realities of Adolescence
which was the basis for the 2004 movie success Mean Girls. I
spoke briefly with Jennifer Parker about the event.
Buffalo Rising: Do you think children will enjoy the Book Fair?
Jennifer Parker:
Yes, most definitely. The book fair is a family affair. There are
authors and presentations for all ages. One of the most popular areas
at the book fair is the WNED Main Stage and the Read to Succeed Literacy
Activity Tent.
At the WNED Main Stage children can hear from
children authors, meet and hear the winners of WNED’s Share a Story
Contest, see exciting demonstrations, enjoy storytime with their
favorite characters and personalities, and join in the hands-on fun as
we celebrate the power of reading and writing. Featured authors on the
Main Stage include Alyssa Satin Capucilli, the award winning author of
over fifty books including Biscuit, the popular best-seller used
to launch the My First I Can Read series from HarperCollins
Publishers and Whitney Ferré author of The Artist Within: A Guide to Becoming Creatively Fit.
BR: Can you tell me what goes into bringing an event like this
together?
JP: Where do I start? Well, it starts with the desire
to make a contribution to our community, a lot of creativity and
persistence because fundraising is a challenge in Buffalo. To get
leading authors to Buffalo we must often pay a fee and /or cover travel
and provide accommodations. I have a wonderful committee that consist
of representatives from WNED Think Bright and Well, Buffalo & Erie
County Public Library, Barnes and Noble Book sellers and WNY National
Black MBA Association. Everyone is dedicated to making the book fair a
literary experience for attendees. We would like for attendees to be
amazed about what they can learn or enjoy from a book.
BR: Is there a process (or theme) by which you choose the
visiting authors?
JP: National Authors are selected in various
ways, researching the NY Times Best sellers list, reading various
magazine book review pages and recommendations from committee members. Buffalo & Erie County Public Library librarians and WNED Think
Bright and Well take the lead in referring children and young adult
authors. Then I start the process of convincing the authors why they
must come to Buffalo and why they should come for a reduced fee! My goal
is to bring authors in that can cover some of the relevant issues and
topics of the day.
Other featured national authors include: James McBride, Michael
Gates Gill and Laura Pedersen, among many others. McBride, an
award-winning writer, composer, and saxophonist is known for his
landmark memoir, The Color of Water, a moving account of his mother, a
white Jewish woman from Poland who raised twelve black children in New York
City and sent each to college. Michael Gates Gill is the author of the
New York Times bestseller How Starbucks Saved My Life and How To Save
Your Own Life. Gill’s story is an inspirational one about survival
after job loss and transitioning into a new and rewarding life. And
Laura Pedersen, a former Amherst, NY native, is the author of the humorous
memoir Buffalo Gal (2008) which won “Best Memoir” from ForeWord
Magazine and an honorable mention for the Eric P. Hoffer book award.
Also look for urban writer and self-publishing sensation Teri Woods
is the author of True to the Game and many other best sellers. A teen
and young adult favorite, Ms. Woods has sold more than 300,000 copies of
her first novel and has recently published True to the Game II. Donna
Grant and Buffalo-native Virginia DeBerry are award winning writers and
the recipients of the 2008 Buffalo Book Fair Popular Fiction Award. With
five novels to their credit this bestselling writing duos newest
release is Uptown, a story of a prominent Harlem family strained to the
breaking point by the high-stakes world of the Manhattan real estate
industry, and one woman searches for her identity and the will to
forgive. Kayla Perrin, a Buffalo Book Fair favorite, is a USA Today and
Essence bestselling romance and suspense author who resides in
Southwestern Ontario.Her newest books include: Spring Break, a suspense
thriller (March 2010) and the romance novel, Island Fantasy. For a
complete list of authors, visit the Buffalo Book Fair website.
Buffalo Book Fair
Saturday, July 10th, 11-6 PM
Downtown
Buffalo at Lafayette Square & Washington Street
FREE
—-
Laura Duquette is a former ballerina who now dances with words
and punctuation. She has a knack for asking questions faster than the
speed of sound, and her interviews are often off the cuff and personal.
She is Co-Owner of 12 Grain
Studio, a Buffalo based creative firm that gives typical web design a
kick in the ass.
Lead image depicts the visit of James Earl Jones to the 2008 Buffalo Book Fair.