Wisconsin Book Festival

To those who proclaim that the book is dead, they need only to have attended the Wisconsin Book Festival to know how wrong they are.  A program of the Wisconsin Humanities Council, the Wisconsin Book Festival, held this year November 7-11 at various sites in and around Madison, attracted scores of authors and hundreds of readers from near and far.

On Saturday, I had the privilege of the introducing Jim Draeger and Mark Speltz, authors of “Bottoms Up: A Toast to Wisconsin’s Historic Bars & Breweries.”  The event was held at Le Tigre Lounge off Midvale Blvd. in Madison--and people were literally spilling out the door—all thirsting for a bit of “Bottoms Up” (and a cool brew or two as well).

On Sunday, afternoon, during the last time period of the five-day show, author Kristy Athens of Portland, Oregon and I shared a stage at the Overture Center in Madison for a program called “With Our Hands in the Dirt.”  She discussed her new book, “Get your Pitchfork on: The Real Dirt on Country Living,” and I talked about my book, “Garden Wisdom.”  We were privileged to have Wisconsin’s own, Larry Meiller, host of Wisconsin Public Radio’s Larry Meiller show, to introduce us.  With a cold rain making the afternoon a bit miserable, book readers listened, chuckled, and raised great questions during our nearly one and a half hour session. 

Really no need to say it, but books and book-reading continue to be important in the lives of many.  May it ever be so.

THE OLD TIMER SAYS: Books do not scold when you blunder, laugh when you are ignorant, or hide when you seek them.

CHECK THIS OUT: Tune in your Wisconsin Public TV station on November 28, 7:00 p.m. for the inaugural showing of “Jerry Apps: A Farm Story.”

UPCOMING EVENTS:

November 13, Barnes and Noble Book Store, Madison West. 7:00 p.m. Launch of “Tamarack River Ghost.”

November 14, Columbus, Wi Public Library. 6:00 p.m. “Tamarack River Ghost”

 November 15, 7:00 p.m. Brown County Central Library, 515 Pine Street, Green Bay, WI. Showing of “Jerry Apps: A Farm Story.” Wis. Public TV.   Free to the public. Reception with cider and cookies. Apps will speak and take questions from the audience following the show.

November 28, 7:00 p.m. “Jerry Apps: A Farm Story.” State-wide broadcast on all Wisconsin Public TV stations.

December 1, 10:30-2:30 Fireside Books, West Bend, WI. 10:30-2:00 p.m. Presentation at 11:00. “Tamarack River Ghost.”

December 3, 6:30 p.m. Patterson Memorial Library, Wild Rose.  Dinner and book launch for “Tamarack River Ghost.”  Call 920-622-3855 for reservations.

December 8, 9:30-11:30, Sheboygan Falls Memorial Library, Garden Wisdom. Sponsored by Sheboygan County Historical Research Center.

December 15, 11:00 -12:30. Wisconsin Historical Society Museum, Downtown Madison.  Book Signing.