Event Search

An Orchestra of Minorities

Chigozie Obioma

7:00 PM - A heart-wrenching epic about destiny and determination.

The Banished Immortal

Ha Jin

7:00 PM - Due to weather and travel conditions, this event has been CANCELED.

Settlin'

Muriel Simms

3:00 PM - Stories of twenty-five African Americans whose families arrived, survived, and thrived in Madison.

The Curiosities

Susan Gloss

7:00 PM - A charming story of artists, inspiration, and how to reinvent your life with purpose and flair.

Gaylord Schanilec: A Natural History

Gaylord Schanilec

5:00 PM - Art book exhibit focused on the landscape, natural history, and culture of the upper Mississippi.

The Odyssey

Emily Wilson

7:30 PM - Emily Wilson describes her approach to translating The Odyssey

The Crown

Derrick Barnes

10:00 AM - A high-spirited, engaging salute to the beautiful, raw, assured humanity of black boys.

Survival Math

Mitchell Jackson

6:00 PM - A candid, lyrical, and thrillingly alive portrait of a family, a community, and a nation.

BAM Slam

7:30 PM - A two day spoken word poetry competition where 30 award-winning poets from around the country

The Body Is Not an Apology

Sonya Renee Taylor

7:00 PM - Reconnect with the radical origins of minds & bodies and celebrate our collective, enduring strength

I Can't Talk About the Trees Without the Blood

Tiana Clark

7:00 PM - CANCELED - Due to illness, our event with Tiana Clark has been canceled.

Era of Ignition

Amber Tamblyn

7:00 PM - A passionate and deeply personal exploration of feminism during divisive times.

2019 UW Poetry MFA Graduates Reading

Rebecca Bedell, Christopher Greggs, Rebekah Denison Hewitt, Wes Holtermann, Kabel Mishka Ligot, Alexis Sears

7:00 PM - A reading from the graduating MFA cohort in poetry.

A Small Place

Jamaica Kincaid

7:30 PM - CANCELED - DUE TO ILLNESS, JAMAICA KINCAID WILL NOT BE ABLE TO APPEAR AT THIS EVENT.

The Bird King

G. Willow Wilson

7:00 PM - An epic adventure from an essential voice in American fiction.

Doomstead Days

Brian Teare

7:00 PM - Through these poems, we experience the pleasure and pain of being a body during climate change.

Look

Solmaz Sharif

7:00 PM - Solmaz Sharif’s astonishing first book asks us to see the ongoing costs of war.

Little Faith

Nickolas Butler

7:00 PM - A Wisconsin family grapples with the power and limitations of faith.

2019 Wisconsin Institute for Creative Writing Fellows Reading

Aria Aber, Chekwube Danladi, Natasha Oladokun, Emily Shetler, Lucy Tan, Mary Terrier, Kate Wisel

7:00 PM - Poetry and fiction from the 2018-19 Wisconsin Institute for Creative Writing Fellows.

Greek to Me

Mary Norris

7:00 PM - Mary Norris is again delighting readers with her wit, knowledge, and exploration of language.

Native Country of the Heart

Cherríe Moraga

7:00 PM - A reckoning with white American history and a piercing love letter from a fearless daughter.

Creative Writing Awards Ceremony

7:00 PM - The 2019 undergraduate and graduate creative writing awards ceremony.

Sport: Ship Dog of the Great Lakes

Renee Graef

10:00 AM - Sport's adventures while discovering how lighthouse tender ships helped keep the Great Lakes safe.

We Want To Do More Than Survive

Bettina Love

6:30 PM - An alternative to traditional modes of educational reform that expands our ideas of civic engagement

Little Fires Everywhere

Celeste Ng

12:00 PM - The Madison Public Library Foundation presents the 2019 Lunch For Libraries.

A Good American Family

David Maraniss

7:00 PM - A tale of fear, paranoia, and injustice—and at the heart is the story of Maraniss’s father.

The Stiehl Assassin

Terry Brooks

7:00 PM - Terry Brooks will discuss the latest installment in the Fall of Shannara saga with Patrick Rothfuss

We've Been Here All Along

Richard Wagner

7:00 PM - An illuminating and nuanced picture of Wisconsin's gay history.

Kochland

Christopher Leonard

7:00 PM - Christopher Leonard reveals the secrets of Koch industries and the pitfalls of Corporate America

For the Good of the Game

Bud Selig

5:00 PM - Bud Selig provides unprecedented insight into the world of professional baseball

America That Island off the Coast of France & Strike

Jesse Lee Kercheval, Rebecca Dunham

7:00 PM - A poetic reflection on the impossibility of emigration and an exploration of citizenry

Advantages of Being Evergreen

Oliver Baez Bendorf, Jennifer Nelson

6:00 PM - A joint reading by Oliver Baez Bendorf and Jennifer Nelson.

The Education of an Idealist

Samantha Power

7:00 PM - An unforgettable account of the power of idealist and the fierce determination to make a difference

The Bone and Sinew of the Land

Anna-Lisa Cox

5:30 PM - Whitewashing the American Frontier: Historians and the Dangerous Myth of a White Midwestern Past

The Death and Life of Aida Hernandez

Aaron Bobrow-Strain

7:00 PM - The human consequences of militarizing what was once a more forgiving border.

Masters of Empire

Michael McDonnell

4:30 PM - McDonnell gives us a radical reinterpretation of early American history from a native point of view

Lexi Magill and the Teleportation Tournament

Kim Long

9:30 AM - The perfect adventure for middle grade readers who like scavenger hunts and puzzle-solving.

Go Big Read: The Poison Squad

Deborah Blum

7:00 PM - The dramatic true story of how food was made safe in the United States.

Nina Soni, Former Best Friend

Kashmira Sheth

3:00 PM - The series’ first book, Nina Soni, Former Best Friend, is a STEAM lover's delight.

Friends of the Memorial Library Book Sale

Friends of UW Libraries

4:00 PM - Thousands of books at unbelievably low prices!

2019 Friends of the Central Library Book Sale

Friends of Madison Public Library

9:00 AM - Thousands of gently used books, DVDs and other materials. 

The History of Living Forever

Jake Wolff

5:30 PM - A globe-trotting, century-spanning adventure story into the deep mysteries of life

Outspoken

Veronica Rueckert

5:30 PM - A timely examination of how women can learn to love her voice and harness its power

Dead of Winter

Annelise Ryan

5:30 PM - Medicolegal death investigator Mattie Winston has a new home, a new marriage, and a new family.

When Death Becomes Life

Josh Mezrich

5:30 PM - A Doctor's stories from his own work and a history of the medical advances that have extended lives

Doing Harm

Maya Dusenbery

7:00 PM - A clear-eyed, multifaceted exploration of inequalities against women within the healthcare system

Big Ideas, Busy People: Water, Water, Everywhere

7:00 PM - Fun and facts about Wisconsin’s lakes, rivers, faucets, snow and more

Milwaukee Noir

Christi Clancy, Vida Cross, Tim Hennessy, Jennifer Morales, Nicholas Petrie, Mary Thorson

7:00 PM - New stories, each one set in a distinct neighborhood or location within Milwaukee

Everything Must Go & Odes for You

Kevin Coval, Shira Erlichman, Angel Nafis

7:00 PM - A joint reading to start the Wisconsin Book Festival off right!

2019 Charlotte Zolotow Lecture

Kate DiCamillo

7:30 PM - Children's book author, Kate DiCamillo, will be presenting the 2019 Charlotte Zolotow Lecture.

Reclaiming Community

Bianca J. Baldridge

4:30 PM - Stories of loss and resistance amidst external political pressure on Black Youth

The Ideas that Made America

Jennifer Ratner-Rosenhagen

4:30 PM - An exciting history of the vibrant and powerful ideas that have shaped the United States.

Watershed

Mark Barr

4:30 PM - Watershed delivers a gripping story of characters whose ambitions and yearnings threaten to overflow

Wisconsin People & Ideas 2019 Fiction and Poetry Contest Reading

Steve Fox , Nikki Kallio, Michael Hopkins, Robert Russell, Mary Wehner, Jeri McCormick, Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts, & Letters

5:00 PM - A reading featuring the winners of the statewide 2019 Fiction & Poetry Contests

More News Tomorrow

Susan Richards Shreve

6:00 PM - A thrilling and richly drawn family drama about a daughter’s quest to understand her mother’s fate

Fentanyl, Inc.

Ben Westhoff

6:00 PM - A deeply human deep-dive investigation of a hazardous industry that has created a worldwide epidemic

Writing Books for Children

Kevin Henkes

6:00 PM - How do you write for different aged readers?

The Future of Another Timeline

Annalee Newitz

7:00 PM - An intelligent, gut-wrenching glimpse of how tiny actions can have large consequences

The Meritocracy Trap

Daniel Markovits

7:30 PM - A revolutionary new argument attacking the false promise of meritocracy in America

Inland

Téa Obreht

7:30 PM - A mythical re-imagining of true events of the American West

Crisis of Conscience

Tom Mueller

7:30 PM - Tom Mueller delves into the many factors which bring us to today's political climate

Initiated: Memoir of a Witch

Amanda Yates Garcia

9:00 PM - A mystical memoir about finding meaning, beauty, and power through a life in witchcraft.

2019 Friends of the CCBC Fall Book Sale

Friends of the CCBC

9:00 AM - THOUSANDS of new and gently used books for children and teens!

The Invention Hunters

Korwin Briggs

10:00 AM - A simple, fun way for curious kids to learn more about science, physics, engineering and history

What the Bleep is Women's Fiction?

Susan Gloss, Kelly Harms

10:30 AM - What does "women's fiction" mean for booksellers, librarians, publishers, and the people who read

How We Win

Farah Pandith

10:30 AM - A groundbreaking set of solutions for the crisis of radicalization and extremist threats

Dear Delia

Micheal J. Larson, John David Smith

10:30 AM - Dear Delia chronicles the story of Henry F. Young, an officer in the famed Iron Brigade,

Suicide Woods

Benjamin Percy

10:30 AM - A potent brew of horror, crime, and weird happenings in the woods.

Progressives in Navy Blue

Scott Mobley

11:00 AM - How intellectual and institutional developments transformed the U.S. Navy from 1873 to 1898.

The Astronaut Who Painted the Moon

Dean Robbins

11:00 AM - Journey to the moon on the Apollo 12 mission with Alan Bean!

For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Politics

Donna Brazile, Yolanda Caraway, Minyon Moore

12:00 PM - The four most powerful African American women in politics share their story.

Rebel Poet

Louis V. Clark III (Two Shoes)

12:00 PM - An intimate delve into family, community, grief and struggle for a 21st Century Indian

First Cell

Azra Raza

12:00 PM - These moving, true stories of patients explore cancer from every angle.

Among the Wonders of the Dells

J Tyler Friedman

12:00 PM - Never-before-seen photographs and essays sure to delight history enthusiasts and vacationers alike

Driving in Cars with Homeless Men

Kate Wisel

12:00 PM - Kate Wisel's debut novel is a gut-punching, razor sharp examination four women's love and rage

The Stakes

Robert Kuttner

1:30 PM - CANCELED - Due to unforeseen circumstances, Robert Kuttner is no longer able to appear

Food Politics

Jennifer Gaddis, Monica White, Anna Zeide

1:30 PM - Three of the country's foremost authors on Food Politics discuss the transformative power of food.

The Painted Forest

Krista Eastman

1:30 PM - The Painted Forest upends easy narratives of place, embracing tentativeness and erasing boundaries

Lights All Night Long

Lydia Fitzpatrick

1:30 PM - A rich tale of belonging and the pull of homes both native and adopted

Shadow Network

Anne Nelson

1:30 PM - How the collapse of American local journalism laid the foundation for the right's disinformation war

Proof!

Amir Alexander

1:30 PM - Amir Alexander traces how geometry has shaped our history and societies

After the Flood

Kassandra Montag

3:00 PM - A riveting epic saga of a world forever transformed by rising waters and the treacheries that ensue

Health Justice Now

Timothy Faust

3:00 PM - Timothy Faust advocates for healthcare reform and a single payer system

The Deer Camp

Dean Kuipers

3:00 PM - A story of fathers, sons, and the beauty and magic of the natural world.

Long Way Round

John Hildebrand

3:00 PM - Cobbling rivers together, Hildebrand navigates the beautiful but complicated territory of home.

Silver, Sword, and Stone

Marie Arana

3:00 PM - Arana writes on of the roles of trade, warfare, and religion in the history of Latin America

Wit's End

James Geary

4:30 PM - A demonstration that wit and wisdom are really the same thing.

Beautiful on the Outside

Adam Rippon

4:30 PM - Adam Rippon reveals his harrowing journey to Olympic dreams

Home Remedies

Xuan Juliana Wang

4:30 PM - An illuminating insight into the faces and stories of a new generation of Chinese youth

The Watershed

James Arthur, Anders Carlson-Wee, Jeffrey Levine

4:30 PM - Three award-winning poets visit Madison for this special Watershed Reading.

Deep River

Karl Marlantes

6:00 PM - A timely exploration of the individual & the immigrant, in an America still defining its identity

Make it Scream, Make it Burn

Leslie Jamison

6:00 PM - A fascinating collection of essays exploring the dynamics of haunting and obsession

Fighting for Space & Breaking the Chains of Gravity

Amy Shira Teitel

6:00 PM - Amy discusses the history of space flight, the space program, and all things Vintage Space.

Unfollow

Megan Phelps-Roper

7:30 PM - A gripping memoir of escaping the extremism of the Westboro Baptist Church and falling in love

I Can't Talk About the Trees Without the Blood & Gloss

Tiana Clark, Rebecca Hazelton

7:30 PM - Two decorated graduates from the UW Program in Creative Writing share from newest works

What My Mother and I Don't Talk About

Michele Filgate, Tiana Clark, Leslie Jamison, Brandon Taylor, Xuan Juliana Wang

9:00 PM - A collection of writers shatter the silence and delve into their relationships with their mothers

The Glass Forest

Cynthia Swanson

10:30 AM - The Glass Forest is a suspenseful literary tale of love and betrayal, marriage and motherhood

Wisconsin Cheese Cookbook

Kristine Hansen

10:30 AM - Stunning photos and diverse recipes bursting with innovation and Wisconsin cheese tradition

Dairylandia

Steve Hannah

10:30 AM - Dairylandia recounts Hannah’s love for his adopted state, Wisconsin.

Real Queer America

Samantha Allen

12:00 PM - An unexpected, culture-shifting portrait of Queer America

Plagued By Fire

Paul Hendrickson, David Maraniss

12:00 PM - A biography about premier American Architect Frank Lloyd Wright

Undocumented

Oscar Mireles, Denise Sweet, Wendy Vardaman, Ron Riekki

12:00 PM - Regional poets laureate writing on subjects critical to social justice in the Great Lakes Region.

A Dream of Lightning Bugs

Ben Folds

1:30 PM - Folds looks back at his life so far in a charming and wise chronicle of his artistic coming of age.

Future of Fiction

Tia Clark, Barrett Swanson, Rachel Swearingen, Brandon Taylor

1:30 PM - An exciting peek into some of the most dazzling and formidable new voices on the literary horizon.

A Year Without a Name

Cyrus Dunham

7:00 PM - Cyrus Dunham discusses their new book which honors the story of their transition with honesty

Sophisticated Giant

Maxine Gordon

7:30 PM - The life and legacy of tenor saxophonist Dexter Gordon, one of the major innovators of modern jazz.

Information Wars

Richard Stengel

7:00 PM - Richard Stengel offers an insightful glimpse into the perils of disinformation

Secondhand

Adam Minter

7:00 PM - A fascinating investigation into the question: where does all of our junk go?