EBRPL Author Focus – East Baton Rouge Parish Library InfoBlog

Virtual Author Talk Series: Amor Towles

Wednesday, September 27 at 7 p.m. – Please tune in as we chat online with New York Times best-selling author Amor Towles about his incredible body of work. Rules of Civility (2011) was New York Times bestseller and was names by the Wall Street Journal as one of the year’s best books. His second novel, A Gentleman in Moscow (2016) was on the New York Times bestseller list for two years and was named one of the best books of 2016 by the Chicago Tribune and various other media outlets. Most recently, in 2021, The Lincoln Highway debuted at #1 on the New York Times bestseller list and a Today Show “Read with Jenna” book club pick, as well as having received many other accolades. His books have sold more than 6 million copies worldwide, been translated into numerous languages, optioned by entertainment companies for production as a movie and television miniseries, and heralded as irresistible, marvelous, and gorgeously crafted books of beauty.

Visit here to register for these virtual events, learn about other upcoming conversations with bestselling authors, and view previous author talk recordings.

46th Annual Author-Illustrator: Carole Boston Weatherford and Jeffery Boston Weatherford

Make plans to join us for the 46^th Annual Author-Illustrator Program on September 28 & 29 featuring author Carole Boston Weatherford and illustrator Jeffrey Boston Weatherford!

The Baltimore-born daughter of educators, Carole at age six dictated her first poem to her mother. In eighth grade, her teacher wrongfully accused her of plagiarism. That slight left her determined to use her writing to amplify marginalized voices. Growing up, Carole found few Black characters in books, so when she became a mother, she shifted from writing for adults to creating children’s literature. Family stories, fading traditions, and forgotten struggles inform her poetry, nonfiction, and historical fiction.

An artist and spoken word poet, Jeffery Boston Weatherford is illustrator of the award-winning book, You Can Fly: The Tuskegee Airmen. He has designed, illustrated, and published several children’s books and often collaborates with his mother, Carole.

Carole and Jeffrey will present “Behind the Writing, Part I” on Thursday, September 28, 7-8 p.m. at the Main Library at Goodwood. All ages are invited to attend this FREE program! A book sale, autograph session, and reception will follow the presentation.

Teachers, librarians, writers, parents, and lovers of children’s literature are invited to attend “Behind the Writing, Part II” on Friday, September 29, 8:30 a.m.-12 p.m. at the Main Library at Goodwood. Registration and a fee are required to attend. Registration will take place before the event, beginning at 8 a.m., but you are encouraged to register in advance in the Children’s Room at the Main Library at Goodwood. The registration fee is $25 for adults and $10 for students with a valid school ID. There are some scholarships available for students. Snacks will be provided during breaks, and a book sale and autograph session will follow the presentation.

The Author-Illustrator Program affords an excellent opportunity to hear the “story behind the story” from prominent writers and illustrators of literature for children and young adults. The program is sponsored by the East Baton Rouge Parish Library and Patrons of the Public Library. For more information about the Author-Illustrator program, call 231-3760.

For more information about the mother-son, author-illustrator duo and their books, please visit her website.

44th Annual Author-Illustrator: Salina Yoon

Mark your calendar now! Join us virtually for the FREE 44th Annual Author-Illustrator Program featuring award-winning children’s author and illustrator Salina Yoon! A Geisel Honor-winner, Yoon is author and illustrator of a dozen picture books and early readers, and nearly 200 innovative novelty books, with more than 4.5 million books sold worldwide. Kiki & Jax: The Life-Changing Magic of Friendship, which was released in November 2019, is a picture book she co-authored and illustrated with international tidying superstar and bestselling author, Marie Kondo. Yoon’s other awards include the Award for Excellence in a Picture Book for Found, the New York State Reading Association Charlotte Award for Penguin and Pinecone, Maryland Blue Crab Young Reader Award for Duck, Duck, Porcupine!, and many more.

Everyone is invited to join us via Zoom at 9 a.m. Thursday, October 7, for a FREE program suitable for children and anyone who is interested in Yoon’s work. Pre-registration is required. Visit the Events Calendar at www.ebrpl.com to register. A Zoom link will be sent to registrants before
the program.

Teachers, librarians, writers, artists and children’s literature enthusiasts are invited to reconnect with the Library via Zoom at 10 a.m. Friday, October 8, for a special FREE virtual workshop presented by Yoon. In this workshop, “Creating a Culture of READERS!”, Yoon will highlight how to inspire students to find those books that they can connect to, and show educators/librarians how to create their own concept book using their creative thinking skills, which is an activity they can recreate in their classroom and use with their students. Yoon will also share the many different ways to create a culture of readers, for today, tomorrow, and the future. To register for the Friday, October 8 virtual workshop, call the Main Library Children’s Room at (225) 231-3760, or sign up on the Events Calendar. The workshop will be archived and freely accessible to all registered participants for two weeks.

Selected books by Yoon will be available for purchase throughout October. For more information, contact Children’s Services at (225)231-3760. Pre-autographed book plates will be included with book sales. This program is sponsored by Children’s Services of the East Baton Rouge Parish Library and the Patrons of the Public Library. For more information about author and illustrator Salina Yoon and her books, visit her website.

Mid City Micro-Con Presents: Milton Davis

Looking for more opportunities to celebrate inclusive and diverse comics this year? Look no further than your local library! The Mid City Micro-Con crew will be highlighting comics, topics, and creators throughout 2021, leading up to the big event this summer…

Join us as we chat virtually with Atlanta-based indie author and publisher Milton Davis at 2:30 p.m. Saturday, February 27. Author of Amber and the Enchanted Sword, Milton Davis owns MVmedia, a publishing company that provides exciting science fiction and fantasy stories based on African/African Diaspora culture, history, and tradition. He’s also one of the hand-picked authors who contributed to this year’s new Marvel anthology, Black Panther: Tales of Wakanda, featuring original stories by authors from across the African Diaspora. To explore more of his work, visit mvmediaatl.com.

Missed out on the 2020 Mid City Micro-Con? View the recordings and more at EBRPL.com/MCMC

Authors After Hours: Sarah M. Broom and Margaret Wilkerson Sexton

Adults can come to the Main Library at Goodwood at 7 p.m. Saturday, March 21, for a special Authors After Hours event featuring New York Times Best-Selling author Sarah M. Broom, and celebrated author Margaret Wilkerson Sexton.

Sarah M. Broom is the author of the 2019 National Book Award Winner and instant New York Times bestseller The Yellow House, a brilliant, haunting and unforgettable memoir about the relentless pull of home and family, set in a shotgun house in New Orleans East.

Sexton’s The Revisioners is set in 1925 and follows Josephine who is the proud owner of a thriving farm after freeing herself from slavery. Her uneasy friendship with her white female neighbor Charlotte is jeopardized by Charlotte’s connection with the Ku Klux Klan.

For more information, call (225) 231-3750.

Things That Go Bump in the Night: Magic and Monsters in the Deep South

As part of the One Book One Community celebration of The Hound of the Baskervilles by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, authors Diana Rowland, Em Shotwell, Eden Butler and Cherie Claire will be at the Main Library at Goodwood at 3 p.m. Sunday, April 14, to present a panel for adults on how they’ve used the south’s rich storytelling history to craft books involving magic, monsters and more! From folklore, to local legend, to modern creations, we celebrate a history that is ripe for creating tales to give readers chills. Be sure to bring all your burning questions!

Learn more about the participating authors here:

Don’t forget to check out all the One Book, One Community events still happening this year!

2018 Author-Illustrator: Brian Floca

The East Baton Rouge Parish Library is proud to present author and illustrator Brian Floca as the featured speaker for the 41st Annual Author-Illustrator Program, which will be held Thursday and Friday, October 11 and 12, at the Main Library at Goodwood, located at 7711 Goodwood Blvd.

Brian Floca is the author/illustrator and illustrator of numerous award-winning books for children, including Locomotive, winner of the 2014 Caldecott Medal, a Robert F. Sibert Honor Book, an Orbis Pictus Honor Book, a New York Times 10 Best Illustrated Books of the Year selection and a New York Times bestseller; Moonshot: The Flight of Apollo 11, a Sibert Honor Book, New York Times 10 Best Illustrated Books of the Year selection and Society of Illustrators silver medal winner; Lightship, a Sibert Honor Book and a Booklist “Top of the List” picture book; and The Racecar Alphabet, an ALA Notable Children’s Book and a Kirkus Reviews Editor’s Choice.

Adults, teens and children are invited to attend the FREE Thursday evening program on October 11. Then on Friday, October 12, Floca will present a program for teachers, librarians, writers, parents and lovers of children’s and young adult literature. The registration fee for this event is $25 for adults and $10 for students with a valid school I.D. Both events will include a book sale and autograph session. You can find registration information online, or by calling the Children’s Department at (225) 231-3760.

The Author-Illustrator Program affords an excellent opportunity to hear “the story behind the story” from prominent writers and illustrators of literature for children and young adults. Some notable names in the field of literature who have been featured during these annual programs have included: Rosemary Wells, Gene Yang, David Adler, Katherine Paterson, Linda Sue Park, Avi, Jack Gantos, Patricia and Fred McKissack, and Richard Peck.

Author Focus: Anthony Bourdain

Anthony Bourdain’s love of Louisiana cuisine and culture was well-documented. In honor of the time he spent here, we have collected his works, both in print and on film, so that those who wish to do so can more easily find them.

Data from Bourdain, Anthony – East Baton Rouge Parish Library

If you or a loved one are struggling with mental illness, please make note of the library’s collection of local resources for mental health.

Author’s Row 2018

Come and meet local Louisiana published authors. Writers will be in attendance to discuss their works and sign their books. Many new authors participate in this program; these new talents may be tomorrow’s best-selling authors!

This program is held at the Jones Creek Library on Saturday, April 21st, from 2-5 PM. It is free, and registration is not required. For more information please call the Jones Creek Branch at (225) 756-1140.

Author Talk: Randall Ladnier with The Brides of La Baleine

Author Randall Ladnier will be at the Main Library at Goodwood, 7711 Goodwood Blvd., at 7 p.m. Wednesday, February 21, to discuss his book The Brides of La Baleine. The book covers the history of 88 young French women who volunteered to come to the Louisiana colony in 1720 to become brides for the soldiers and settlers here.

The young women were transported on a ship named La Baleine, and they arrived in Biloxi in January 1721. Many of them married and had large families, with thousands of their descendants still living in the Gulf Coast states (including Louisiana!). For instance, one young woman named Catherine Melier married Pierre Prudhomme in 1724, and now their family line consists of more than 700 different surnames! Ladnier himself is a direct descendant of a bride named Marie Angelique Girard.

Adults are invited to this free event hosted by the East Baton Rouge Parish Library Special Collections Department. Copies of the book will be available for purchase.