Event Search

The Drifter

Nicholas Petrie

7:00 PM - A stunning exploration of the lives of returning veterans cloaked in a riveting thriller.

People Get Ready

John Nichols, Robert McChesney

7:00 PM - Join Bob McChasney & John Nichols for a publication celebration of their newest book.

Why The Right Went Wrong

EJ Dionne

7:00 PM - Dionne explains the unrest and discontent on the Right and the Republican Party’s bitter civil war

L=A=N=G=U=A=G=E Poetry

Bruce Andrews

7:00 PM - Experimental poetry never limited by disciplinary boundaries.

Circling the Sun

Paula McLain

7:00 PM - The acclaimed author of The Paris Wife, returns with her highly anticipated historical novel.

Two If By Sea

Jacquelyn Mitchard

7:00 PM - Mitchard's new novel about the best and worst in people and even heroism in ordinary life.

Summerlost

Ally Condie

7:00 PM - Ally Condie, author of the MATCHED series, joins us for her middle-grade debut!

H Is For Hawk & Shaler's Fish

Helen MacDonald

7:00 PM - Celebrate the paperback release of her sensational memoir and her marvelous debut poetry collection.

A Voice From The Field

Neal Griffin

7:00 PM - The second novel by acclaimed author Neal Griffin, a twenty-five year veteran of law enforcement

Humanities Without Boundaries

Agnès B.

7:30 PM - An evening with the acclaimed fashion designer and artist

The Last Bookaneer

Matthew Pearl

7:00 PM - A page-turning journey to the heart of a lost era.

Happy Money

Michael Norton

4:00 PM - A detailed guide to how you can get more happiness for your money.

Born Survivors

Wendy Holden

6:00 PM - Wendy Holden and special guests Dr. Mark Olsky and Larry Koskiek for a reading and discussion!

Democracy Now!

Amy Goodman

7:30 PM - A celebration of the acclaimed television and radio news program Democracy Now!

Rappin' Ricky Block Party at Breese Stevens Bodega

Rodney Lucas

6:00 PM - F. Stokes reads from Rappin' Ricky: Block Party at 6pm in partnership with the Wisconsin Book Festiv

Women Street Artists of Latin America

Lauren Gucik & Rachel Cassandra

7:00 PM - A discussion on street art and social issues, followed by crafts for all ages.

Summer Library Carnival

Justin Roberts

10:30 AM - Celebrate reading at an event co-sponsored by Overture Center for the Arts & Madison Public Library.

Going for Wisconsin Gold

Jessie Garcia

7:00 PM - Jessie Garcia and Wisconsin Olympians discuss the lives of athletes and their quest for gold!

Ten Ways Not To Commit Suicide

Darryl "DMC" McDaniels

7:00 PM - A memoir of redemption for anyone lost, with no guidance, and seemingly no place to turn.

Wisconsin Storytime

6:00 PM - Designs encompass the diverse talent pool of artists as well as diversity of Wisconsin stories.

The Assassination Complex

Jeremy Scahill

7:00 PM - Scahill exposes stunning new details about America’s secret assassination policy

Lithium Jesus: A Memoir of Mania

Charles Monroe-Kane

7:00 PM - Monroe-Kane speaks on his memoir that blends engaging charm with unflinching frankness

Tupelo Press 30/30 Project Reading

7:00 PM - The Tupelo Press 30/30 Project is a unique poem-a-day project and fundraiser which takes poetry out

Give Us The Ballot

Ari Berman

7:00 PM - Berman charts the transformation of American democracy under the VRA from 1965 to today

Perfume River

Robert Olen Butler

7:00 PM - Butler discusses Perfume River, a novel that examines family ties and the legacy of the Vietnam War

Prophets of Eternal Fjord

Kim Leine

7:00 PM - A sweeping tale of a Greenlandic community bereft by colonialism & the one priest who can save them

Celebrate Dyslexia Awareness Month

Children's Dyslexia Center-Madison

5:30 PM - Film and panel discussion highlighting dyslexia in children.

Roughneck Grace

Michael Perry

4:00 PM - Perry returns with a new essay collection from his Wisconsin State Journal column “Roughneck Grace”

2016 Friends of UW-Madison Libraries Book Sale

Friends of UW Libraries

4:00 PM - The largest used book sale in Wisconsin returns this fall!

Friends of the Madison Public Library Fall Book Sale

Friends of Madison Public Library

9:00 AM - Friends of the Madison Public Library are hosting the Fall Book Sale in support of the library.

Examples of Anything

Will Santino

9:00 AM - Examples of Anything is unlike anything you've ever read. It's a novel, it's a poem, it's a painting

James Madison Lecture

Gordon Wood

4:30 PM - Dr. Wood will share insights from his lifelong Study of the American Revolution

The Making of a Book: Writing, Editing, and Small Press Publication

Jeremiah Lewis

5:30 PM - Snow Creek Press founders discuss the long journey they took publishing their first book.

Writing Professionals Panel

Amy Hassinger, Michelle Wildgen, Susan Gloss

5:30 PM - The Day Job: How To Make Money And Write And Not Lose Your Mind

America Invertida

Jesse Lee Kercheval

5:30 PM - Kercheval pairs Spanish poems & English translations to introduce Uruguay’s vibrant literary scene

Scriptorium: Poems

Melissa Range

7:00 PM - Range shares poetry on religious & linguistic authority from medieval England to modern Appalachia

Hidden Thunder

Robert Boszhardt, Geri Schrab

7:00 PM - Schrab & Boszhardt research, document and interpret petroglyphs and pictographs from past millenia

All Elements Hip Hop Arts Showcase 2016

First Wave

7:00 PM - Experience visiting youth poetry slam champions and hip hop artists from cities across the Midwest.

2016 Charlotte Zolotow Lecture

Jacqueline Woodson

7:30 PM - Young People's Poet Laureate, Jacqueline Woodson, childhood unfolds in poems.

The Excellent Lombards

Jane Hamilton

7:30 PM - Best-selling author Hamilton shares her latest coming-of-age novel

You Can't Touch My Hair

Phoebe Robinson

9:00 PM - An utterly modern essay collection: one that examines our cultural climate and skewers our biases

High School Friday 2016

9:00 AM - A great opportunity for high school students in Madison to experience a wide-range of programming!

Some Like it Cold

Larry Williams

3:00 PM - Surfing legend Williams shares the true story of how he transformed Sheboygan into a surf destinatio

Barcadia! Arcade-Era Cocktails Re-Imagined

Andre Darlington

5:30 PM - Darlington shows how to mix craft cocktails and gives the history of classic recipes & spirits

Wisconsin People & Ideas Writing Contest Reading 2016

Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts, & Letters

5:30 PM - Readings from this year's poetry and prose Wisconsin People & Ideas Writing Contest.

First Wave Voices

First Wave

5:30 PM - First Wave poets put their spin on the global languages of hip hop with responses by artists.

Wisconsin on the Air

Jack Mitchell

6:00 PM - Peek behind the microphones in this history of Wisconsin Public Radio.

Under the Harrow

Flynn Berry

6:00 PM - Flynn Berry presents her debut novel, a chilling story with a sharpness Gillian Flynn fans will love

The Pleasure of His Company

Randall Duk Kim, Anne Occhiogrosso

7:00 PM - Performance pieces combine Shakespearean dramatic scenes and celebrations of his literature.

Tetris: The Games People Play

Box Brown

7:30 PM - Brown untangles Tetris’ complex history and delves into games’ role in art, culture, and commerce

American Panic

Mark Stein

7:30 PM - Stein gets to the heart of what drives American political panic and why certain people succumb to it

Everything We Always Knew Was True

James Galvin

7:30 PM - Galvin turns to highly imagistic yet intimate narratives to rain down compassion within isolation.

Murder on the Quai

Cara Black

7:30 PM - Black presents her latest Aimée Leduc mystery

A Perfect Score

Craig Hall

7:30 PM - Hall recounts his climb to receiving an elusive perfect score from Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

Making Waves Across The World

First Wave, Toni Blackman, Xuman

8:00 PM - Celebrate the arrival of First Wave’s 10th cohort through a special showcase performance

Last Night's Reading

Kate Gavino

9:00 PM - Gavino shares her book; a love letter to the joy of seeing your favorite author up close & personal

Friends of the Cooperative Children's Book Center’s Fall Book Sale

Friends of the CCBC

9:00 AM - Friends of the CCBC are happy host their Fall Book Sale with super bargains on books for a cause.

Hip Hop Education Summit

Jeff Chang, Chris Emdin, First Wave, Brian Mooney, Toni Blackman

10:00 AM - Workshops and break outs showcasing the power and potential of using hip hop in the classroom.

Be A Friend / Penguin's Christmas Wish

Salina Yoon

10:30 AM - Salina Yoon presents her two latest children's books.

I Will Send Rain

Rae Meadows

10:30 AM - Meadows shares a piercing story of family, resilience, and fierce love set in the Dust Bowl years

The Song Poet

Kao Kalia Yang

10:30 AM - The story of Bee Yang, a song poet who sacrificed much to build a future for his children in America

I'm Judging You

Luvvie Ajayi

10:30 AM - Culture blogger at AwesomelyLuvvie.com gives advice for the masses in this hilarious book of essays

Miss Paul and The President & Two Friends

Dean Robbins

10:30 AM - Alice Paul shows voters-to-be how important it is to never back down from a cause you believe in!

On Fourth Lake: A Social History of Lake Mendota

Don Sanford

10:30 AM - The story of the people, places, and events that have shaped the shoreline of Lake Mendota.

The Way to the Spring

Ben Ehrenreich

12:00 PM - Ordinary Palestinians and telling their story with surpassing literary power and grace.

Weapons of Math Destruction

Cathy O'Neil

12:00 PM - O’Neil digs into the mathematical engines running the modern world; a warning of software’s tyranny

The Matchmakers of Minnow Bay

Kelly Harms

12:00 PM - Madison author Kelly Harms trains her eye on the love lives of Lily Stewart and Ben Hutchinson.

The Fever of 1721

Stephen Coss

12:00 PM - Coss discusses The Boston smallpox epidemic of 1721, a prominent turning point in American history

The 100 Year Miracle

Ashley Ream

1:00 PM - Ashley Ream presents her latest whip-smart, powerful and captivating novel: The 100 Year Miracle

Fates & Traitors

Jennifer Chiaverini

1:30 PM - A riveting work of historical fiction about John Wilkes Booth and the four women who kept his secret

Utopia is Creepy

Nicholas Carr

1:30 PM - Utopia Is Creepy compels us to question the technological momentum that has trapped us in its flow

Days of Awe

Lauren Fox

1:30 PM - Fox brings us a daring book that explores marriage, motherhood, and the surprising shape of new love

The Midnight Star

Marie Lu

1:30 PM - The thrilling finale to the New York Times bestselling Young Elites series.

America's War for the Greater Middle East

Andrew Bacevich

2:00 PM - Colonel & author Bacevich provides a searing reassessment of U.S. military policy in the Middle East

The Sacred Disease

Kristin Seaborg

3:00 PM - A memoir of discovery, acceptance, and hope.

Thrill Me

Benjamin Percy

3:00 PM - Percy discovers how contemporary writers engage writing in service of one dictum: Thrill the reader

We Gon' Be Alright

Jeff Chang

3:00 PM - Powerful essays taking a wide-ranging look at the recent tragedies and widespread protests

Good Seeds: A Menominee Indian Food Memoir

Thomas Pecore Weso

3:00 PM - Tribal member Thomas Pecore Weso takes readers on a cook's journey through Wisconsin's north woods.

Finding an Agent Workshop

Chloe Benjamin

3:00 PM - How does an author find an agent?

The Hopefuls

Jennifer Close

3:00 PM - A glorious send­up of young D.C. and a blazingly honest portrait of a marriage­.

The Millionaire and The Bard

Andrea Mays

4:30 PM - The miraculous and romantic story of Shakespeare’s First Folio.

After the Dam

Amy Hassinger

4:30 PM - A gripping novel depicting the transformative power of motherhood with honesty, wit, and compassion.

Against Everything

Mark Greif

4:30 PM - Essays address key topics in the cultural and intellectual life of our time.

Children of the New World

Alexander Weinstein

5:00 PM - Weinstein grapples with how our ever-growing dependence on new technologies shapes our society

Lions

Bonnie Nadzam

6:00 PM - An arresting novel about a young couple whose love is threatened by the arrival of a stranger.

Teaching Hip Hop Culture

Brian Mooney, Chris Emdin

6:00 PM - Two leading hip hop scholars put forward innovative approaches to transforming education.

The Politics of Resentment

Kathy Cramer

6:00 PM - The Politics of Resentment shows that rural resentment plays a major role in dividing America.

Mapping the Heavens

Priyamvada Natarajan

6:00 PM - Yale professor Natarajan discusses her book on the “greatest hits” of cosmological discoveries

Big Ideas, Busy People: Shakespeare's Genome?

Joshua Calhoun

7:00 PM - Five leading thinkers will feature their groundbreaking work at this unique event.

The Sympathizer & Nothing Ever Dies

Viet Thanh Nguyen

7:30 PM - Pulitzer Prize winning author Viet Thanh Nguyen will discuss his two latest books

Hue-Man

Rain Wilson

8:00 PM - Perform pieces that will broaden, deepen, and stimulate conversations about policing.

Finding the Flavors We Lost

Patric Kuh

8:00 PM - An exploration of our cultural demand for “artisanal” foods in a world dominated by corporate food.

Atlas Obscura

Ella Morton

9:00 PM - Anyone can be a tourist. Atlas Obscura is for the explorer.

Run for Literacy 2016

Literacy Network

10:30 AM - Support the Literacy Network's effort to support adults in Dane County to learn literacy skills.

Braving It

James Campbell

10:30 AM - An ode to disappearing wilderness and a profound meditation on the role of nature in a child's life.

North of Dixie

Mark Speltz

10:30 AM - Speltz adds to the scope of the civil rights movement with images of activists outside the South

Much Ado: A Summer with a Repertory Theater Company

Michael Lenehan

10:30 AM - Much Ado provides an intimate, behind-the-scenes look at the lauded American Players Theatre

The History and Uncertain Future of Handwriting

Anne Trubek

12:00 PM - Trubek argues that the decline of handwriting in daily life does not signal civilization's decline.

Performing New Lives

Jonathan Shailor

12:00 PM - Shailor discusses his new book on the first years of The Shakespeare Prison Project

Book of Hulga

Rita Mae Reese

12:00 PM - Reese shares her latest book of poetry that wrestles with the long shadow of Flannery O'Connor

All the Little Liars

Charlaine Harris

1:30 PM - Charlaine Harris presents the latest novel in the Aurora Teagarden mystery series

One In A Billion

Mark Johnson, Kathleen Gallagher

2:00 PM - Pulitzer Prize–winning journalists chronicle the story of Nic Volker.

Evicted

Matthew Desmond

7:00 PM - In partnership with Go Big Read, Wisconsin Book Festival presents Matthew Desmond for Evicted

I Must Be Living Twice

Eileen Myles

7:00 PM - Eileen Myles discusses her 1994 novel and latest book of poetry

Empire of Imagination

Michael Witwer

4:00 PM - Pioneering biography of geek and gaming culture's mythic icon, Gary Gygax, and Dungeons & Dragons