Concord, Massachusetts
Two weeks of talks, readings, and discussions celebrating the written and the spoken word.
Randall Kennedy
Ha Jin
Anita Hill
Stephen Greenblatt
How You Can Participate
- Attend: Most events are free. All events are open to the public. Events that require a ticket are so indicated and include information about how and where to obtain tickets.
- Donate: The festival is produced by a non-profit foundation and depends greatly on individual support. Tax deductible donations in any amount are encouraged and can be made online.
- Sponsor: Corporate sponsorship is welcomed and is available. For information please .
Concord Festival of Authors is funded in part by the Massachusetts Cultural Council,
a stage agency
Major Sponsors:
Events - 2010
Opening Night - Andrew J. Bacevich 
In his new book, Washington Rules: America's Path to Permanent War, Andrew J. Bacevich, professor of history and international relations at Boston University and retired colonel from the U.S. Army, critically examines the Washington consensus on national security and challenges the fundamental assumptions of our military policy.
WHO: Andrew J. Bacevich
WHEN: Wednesday, October 20 at 7:30pm
WHERE: Trinitarian Congregational Church
In 1795, a nineteen-year-old lawyer's apprentice handed his father a heavily worn and creased sheet of paper purportedly written by Shakespeare himself. In the early 1800s, Andrew Dexter, Jr. used bogus banknotes to finance the construction of Boston's Exchange Coffee House, setting in motion America's first bank failure. Towards the end of the 20th century, a struggling artist and a flamboyant con man pulled off one of the most elaborate scams in the history of art forgery. Hoaxes, frauds, and forgeries will be the topic of this panel discussion.
WHO: Jane Kamensky, Laney Salisbury, Doug Stewart - Rob Mitchell, Moderator
WHEN: Friday, October 22 at 7:30pm
WHERE: Harvey Wheeler Community Center
The 2010 Ruth Ratner Miller Award (Tickets: Adults $15, Students Free) 
The annual Ruth Ratner Miller Award for Excellence in American History will be presented by the Friends of the Concord Free Public Library to Bernard Bailyn, Professor of Early American History, emeritus, at Harvard University. Tickets are available at the Concord Library, 129 Main Street, and the Concord Bookshop, 65 Main Street.
WHO: Bernard Bailyn
WHEN: Saturday, October 23 at 7:30pm
WHERE: Concord Free Public Library
Carolyn Curtis, author of I Took the Moon for a Walk, sings songs, reads from her book, and talks about how books are created by an author and illustrator.
WHO: Carolyn Curtis
WHEN: Sunday, October 24 at 1:00pm
WHERE: Barefoot Books
Four emerging fiction writers discuss and read from their work.
WHO: Iris Gomez, Cynthia Morrison Phoel, Adam Haslett, Mary E. Mitchell - Jim Leahy, Moderator
WHEN: Sunday, October 24 at 3:00pm
WHERE: Kerem Shalom
Historic Concord, a Panel Discussion 
A panel discussion celebrating the rewriting and republication of Allen French's classic 1942 guidebook Historic Concord and the Lexington Fight. Panelists: Jayne Gordon—Director of Education and Public Programs at the Massachusetts Historical Society, Stephanie Stillman—Executive Director of the Concord Chamber of Commerce and the Concord Visitor Center, David Wood—Curator of the Concord Museum.
WHO: - Leslie Perrin Wilson, Moderator
WHEN: Sunday, October 24 at 3:00pm
WHERE: Concord Free Public Library
The question most often being asked these days in the literary world is, "What is flash fiction?" What makes a piece of prose "flash"? What is the word count? The structure? Where can I publish it? Come hear some of the nation's top experts in the genre discuss, debate, and illuminate. They are groundbreaking teachers, editors, and award-winning writers from the acclaimed Rose Metal Press Field Guide to Writing Flash Fiction, a 2009 ForeWord Book of the Year. Bring your questions for the Q&A to follow. This promises to be a lively, passionate discussion.
WHO: Rusty Barnes, Stace Budzko, Pamela Painter, Tara Masih - Tara Masih, Moderator
WHEN: Monday, October 25 at 7:30pm
WHERE: Kerem Shalom
Family Life in Major League Baseball 
Kathleen Lockwood, the wife of former Red Sox pitcher Skip Lockwood, describes the triumphs and tribulations of family life within Major League Baseball, exposing the pervasive pressure that accompanies the privilege of competing in America's National Pastime and spotlighting the inner strength of the major league wives who support each other during the long season.
WHO: Kathleen Lockwood
WHEN: Tuesday, October 26 at 7:30pm
WHERE: Harvey Wheeler Community Center
A Book by You? Publishing a Book in the Digital Age
How about YOUR book? Are you unsure where to begin? What does it take to win a publisher's heart? Do you need an agent, a book proposal, a finished manuscript? Should you SELF-publish? In this digital age when Kindles and e-books are on the rise, is the traditional printed book dead? Join a panel of authors who have recently confronted these questions and more.
WHO: Jay W. Vogt, Stephanie Bennett Vogt, Suzanne C. Lowe, Doug Hardy - Ken Lizotte, Moderator
WHEN: Wednesday, October 27 at 7:30pm
WHERE: Trinitarian Congregational Church
What happens to a woman's body from ages 35 to 65 and beyond? What lifestyle choices, alternative remedies, and medical approaches will help you sleep better, lower your risk of heart disease, lower your risk of certain types of cancer, and improve your sex life? What can you do to get more out of your doctor visits? Dr. Julia Schlam Edelman, author of Menopause Matters: Your Guide to a Long and Healthy Life, addresses these concerns.
WHO: Julia Schlam Edelman
WHEN: Thursday, October 28 at 6:00pm
WHERE: Lyn Evans Potpourri Designs
Since the conclusion of the Human Genome Project in 2003, scientists have been racing toward a grand goal—offering individuals a decoding of their complete genetic makeup for just $1,000. As Kevin Davies reveals, the $1,000 genome will be a reality by 2011, and it will usher in a whole new era of personalized, genomic medicine.
WHO: Kevin Davies
WHEN: Thursday, October 28 at 7:30pm
WHERE: Emerson Hospital, Cheney Conference Room
The Concord Poetry Center (http://www.concordpoetry.org) hosts three poets reading from their latest work.
WHO: Joan Houlihan, Cammy Thomas, Sharon Bryan
WHEN: Friday, October 29 at 7:00pm
WHERE: Concord Academy Chapel
Three mystery writers discuss and read from their latest novels.
WHO: Rosemary Herbert, Raffi Yessayan, Elyssa East - Kate Flora, Moderator
WHEN: Friday, October 29 at 7:30pm
WHERE: Concord Free Public Library
Multi-instrumentalist Susan Reed uses original songs and stories to work magic with families.
WHO: Susan Reed
WHEN: Saturday, October 30 at 11:00am
WHERE: Barefoot Books
The Leslie Riedel Memorial Lecture for Young Readers 
Award winning author/illustrator David Macaulay will present his work. Perhaps best known for his book The Way Things Work, Macaulay has published more than 20 books for young people, and his detailed an humorous illustrations have earned him fans of all ages. This memorial lecture honors Leslie Riedel, librarian, bookseller, educator, and mother who imparted the love of reading to many. Reservations are required and can be made at http://www.concordlibrary.org after October 1st.
WHO: David Macaulay
WHEN: Saturday, October 30 at 7:00pm
WHERE: Concord Free Public Library
Our computers and mobile devices do wonderful things for us. But they also impose an enormous burden, making it harder for us to focus, do our best work, build strong relationships. and find the depth and fulfillment we crave. Drawing on such great thinkers as Plato, Shakespeare, and Thoreau, William Powers shows that digital connectedness serves us best when it's balanced by its opposite, disconnectedness.
WHO: William Powers
WHEN: Saturday, October 30 at 7:30pm
WHERE: The Thoreau Institute at Walden Woods
Come in costume and receive a fun treat! 1:00 Halloween storytime featuring The Tales of Mystery and Magic.
WHO:
WHEN: Sunday, October 31 at 12-5:00pm
WHERE: Barefoot Books
The Thoreau Farm Trust presents Dan Tobyne whose photography captures the essence of Maine that Thoreau discovered and described. The timeless words of Thoreau combine with the inspiring images to celebrate the enduring beauty and appeal of the Maine wilderness.
WHO: Dan Tobyne
WHEN: Sunday, October 31 at 2:00pm
WHERE: Thoreau Farm
The Concord Poetry Center (http://www.concordpoetry.org) hosts a poetry reading.
WHO: Ellen Dore Watson, Jim Schley
WHEN: Sunday, October 31 at 3:00pm
WHERE: Emerson Umbrella
History of the Fur Trade in America 
Eric Jay Dolin discusses the sweeping history of one of America's most remarkable industries. Today the mention of the fur trade evokes images of protestors and models wearing mink and chinchilla. But from the early 1600s through the late 1800s, the fur trade was a powerful force in shaping the course of American history, playing a major role in the settlement and evolution of the colonies, and in the growth of the United States. The fur trade is a seminal part of who we are as a nation, and how we came to be.
WHO: Eric Jay Dolin
WHEN: Monday, November 01 at 7:00pm
WHERE: Concord Free Public Library
Debating the Constitution, 1787-1788
Pauline Maier, distinguished historian of Revolutionary-era America, provides a fresh and surprising account of a pivotal moment in American history—the ratification of the Constitution. When the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia adjourned in the late summer of 1787, the delegates returned to their states to report on the new Constitution, which had to be ratified by specially elected conventions in at least nine states. Maier recounts the dramatic events of the ensuing debate in homes, taverns, and convention halls, drawing generously on the speeches and letters of the founding fathers, both familiar and forgotten, on all sides.
WHO: Pauline Maier
WHEN: Wednesday, November 03 at 7:30pm
WHERE: Concord Museum
The Battle of the Little Bighorn 
With Mayflower and In the Heart of the Sea, Nathaniel Philbrick redefined the way we understand the early history of America. In The Last Stand, he takes on the ultimate mythic story of the American West—the Battle of the Little Bighorn, burrowing into the psyches of George Armstrong Custer, Sitting Bull, and other key characters and gracefully evoking the history and geography of the Great Plains.
WHO: Nathaniel Philbrick
WHEN: Friday, November 05 at 7:30pm
WHERE: Concord Museum
Breakfast with the Authors 2010 (Tickets $20)
Three authors discuss and read from their latest work. Tickets $20, available at Concord Bookshop and Barrow Bookstore.
WHO: Brunonia Barry, Jon Katz, Gish Jen - Suzanne Koven, Moderator
WHEN: Saturday, November 06 at 8:00am
WHERE: Concord’s Colonial Inn
Laya Steinberg reads from her book Thesaurus Rex with games and activities to follow.
WHO: Laya Steinberg
WHEN: Saturday, November 06 at 11:00am
WHERE: Barefoot Books
Burleigh Muten reads from her books Goddess: A World of Myth and Magic, The Lady of Ten Thousand Names, and Grandmother Stories.
WHO: Burleigh Muten
WHEN: Sunday, November 07 at 1:00pm
WHERE: Barefoot Books
Philip and Erin Ackerman-Leist share some of his writing and her book illustrations on modern homesteading and the evolving American back-to-the-land tradition, including some questions about how "homesteading" might be more relevant and inclusive in an age filled with ecological and social challenges.
WHEN: Sunday, November 07 at 2:00pm
WHERE: Thoreau Farm
Discussing and reading from her heartwarming memoir, Ellen Rogers shares the remarkable and surprising story of how a mischievous capuchin monkey transformed her family, bringing hope, humor, and happiness as they faced their greatest challenge.
WHO: Ellen Rogers
WHEN: Sunday, November 07 at 3:00pm
WHERE: Concord Bookshop
Every Broom and Bridget—Emily Dickinson and Her Servants
The Concord Poetry Center (http://www.concordpoetry.org) presents a play by Boston-area poet and educator Tom Daley.
WHO: Tom Daley
WHEN: Sunday, November 07 at 3:00pm
WHERE: Emerson Umbrella