COVID-19 Choices: Virtual Events
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As many of you know, I had been working on the poetry contest for the Gaithersburg Book Festival, which was scheduled for May 16. Sadly, COVID-19 changed all that and many of the spectacular events and discussions leading up to it, as well as the festival, had to be cancelled.
The Festival team, like many others, worked together to create a virtual program for our Festival attendees online. While the program has us socially distant in our homes and watching online, many of the great authors we wanted to see are still talking to us, sharing their books, and so much more.
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Please do click on the banner and check out the programming. Or head on over to the Gaithersburg Book Festival YouTube Channel.
Here's a run down of the program during the weekend, and special stuff happens every weekend:
Featured Programming Over Four Consecutive Weeks, Saturday, May 16 – Sunday, June 14.
TGIF Live! One live author presentation, streamed to the GBF YouTube channel each Friday evening at 5:30 pm
Saturday Night Premiere A YouTube video watch party with the author in attendance, each Saturday night at 7 pm
Sunday Morning Kids One children’s author presentation streamed to the GBF YouTube channel each Sunday morning at 11 am
Wednesday Workshops Writing workshops featuring a variety of topics offered each Wednesday morning and afternoon. Spaces limited. Registration required.
This weekend's events are not to be missed:
Weekend of 5/22-5/24
Friday, 5/22
TGIF LIVE! at 5:30 pm with Louis Bayard – “Courting Mr. Lincoln.” Bayard writes about the brilliant, melancholic future president and the two people who knew him best: his confidant, Joshua Speed, and the spirited young debutante Mary Todd. In conversation with author Jennifer Bort Yacovissi
Saturday, 5/23
Saturday Night Premiere at 7 pm with Jonathan Karl – “Front Row at the Trump Show.” As the Chief White House Correspondent and Chief Washington Correspondent for ABC News and the President of the White House Correspondents Association (2019-2020), Jonathan Karl delivers essential new reporting and surprising insights. He’s known and covered Donald Trump longer than any other White House reporter. In conversation with author and journalist Susan Page.
Sunday, 5/24
Sunday Morning Kids at 11 am, LIVE with Adam Gidwitz – “Unicorn Rescue Society #5: The Madre de Aguas of Cuba.” In Cuba, it is believed that a mysterious water serpent–the Madre de aguas–is responsible for providing and protecting the fresh water of the island. But the serpent is missing, and a drought has gripped the island. Uchenna, Elliot, and Professor Fauna fly to Cuba and endeavor to rescue the Madre de aguas.
POETRY ALREADY AVAILABLE: (Bonus Author Presentations)
I hope that you'll check out the great content. We know this isn't the same as bringing the community to one place for an entire day of literature and connection, but in these times, this is how we continue to share.