Boston IS a Literary City!

Boston has a strong intellectual and literary community that often gets overlooked. Sure we don't have the publishing power lunches of New York and the national media headquarters within walking distance of each other, but we have some very, very bright people who are writing and thinking and generating ideas and innovation. No, really!

So I was excited with this news in the still-standing (though struggling) Boston Globe today: this fall will see a brand spanking new Boston Book Festival, launched at the Boston Public Library and in Copley Square! It will be free and it will focus on - get this! - "literary and technological creativity." Nice one!

More from the article:

Some of the writers will be Anita Diamant, author of "The Red Tent"; Joseph Finder, who wrote "Vanished"; and Walter Isaacson, author of "Einstein." Presentations will include "Books Without Pages: Discussing the Future of E-books"; "Eat Your Words: Food Writers and Chefs "American Writer Idol: Literary Agents Critique Unpublished Work"; "Whither the Weather: Climate Change"; and "We are the Champions: Sports Writers and their Love of the Game."

Other features include programming for children, teenagers, and families; writing workshops and publishing seminars; and theater, spoken-word, and music
performances. The theme of technology as it relates to reading will be woven through the festival activities.

Looking forward to it! And perhaps SotB can play a part? If nothing else, me and/or Christopher will try to do some reporting from the event. I'm psyched for it - if the website is any indication, it could be very cool.

Speaking of, who do we have to sleep with to get a report on the London Book Fair out of Christopher?