Weekend Happenings

In the spirit of spring and a renewal of posting, I wanted to let everyone know that I will be attending the Free Library Festival this weekend, April 17 and 18. (You should go too--tell your friends!)

Although the festival launched in 2007, and I'm usually a proponent of this sort of thing, I have yet to attend. According to the library's website, the event is "an annual 2-day celebration of books, music, people, and ideas." Hosted by Philadelphia's Central Library on the Parkway, the festival is a free public event that draws 25,000-35,000 booklovers from across the mid-Atlantic region. "Highlights include appearances by celebrity authors, engaging children’s programs, live music and other performances, plus a Street Fair & Literary Marketplace featuring numerous literary exhibitors—including publishers, booksellers, independent authors, and cultural organizations."

I'm not yet sure which events I'll be able to hit, but here are a few of my favorites:

• Robin Black | If I Loved You, I Would Tell You This
• Storybook Parade
• Heidi W. Durrow | The Girl Who Fell From the Sky: A Novel
• Chang-rae Lee | The Surrendered
• David Lipsky | Although Of Course You End Up Becoming Yourself: A Road Trip with David Foster Wallace
• Second Annual First Person Inter-City StorySlam: Philly vs. Washington D.C.
  

And that's just a taste of what's going on Saturday. Many more on Sunday (including an event with Sapphire, the author of Push, the novel for which the movie Precious was based).

Other noteworthy going ons this weekend: I'm getting my first tattoo!