The sixth annual Palm Beach Book Festival features a stellar lineup of New York Times bestselling authors. The festival, sponsored by Florida Atlantic University’s Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters, begins 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. March 21 in FAU’s University Theatre, 777 Glades Road, Boca Raton. Tickets for the full day are $75, and individual panel tickets are $20 and $25, and can be purchased at fauevents.com or call 561-297-6124. Free parking is included with admission, and lunch will be for sale. For more information, visit palmbeachbookfestival.com or call 561-297-2595.
Events include “Twisted History,” Larry Loftis in conversation with Louis Bayard at 10 a.m.
“You Don’t Have to be Jewish (To Love This Panel)” with Patricia Marx, in conversation with Cathleen Schine (“The Grammarians”) at 11 a.m.
The ‘O’ Oprah Magazine Panel will address the social issues of immigration and the opioid epidemic with panelists Leigh Haber (O Magazine), Liz Moore (“Long Bright River”) and Kiley Reid (“Such a Fun Age”) at 12:10 p.m.
“Protest and Power: U.S., U.K. and #RealFakeNews” will feature Mark Thompson in conversation with political analysts Joy-Anne Reid and David Kogan at 2 p.m.
The Palm Beach Book Festival continues into Broward as it co-presents Mitch Albom in a conversation discussing his latest book “Finding Chika: A Little Girl, an Earthquake, & the Making of a Family” at 7 p.m. March 23 at the Amaturo Theater, Broward Center For The Performing Arts, 201 SW Fifth Ave., Fort Lauderdale. In “Finding Chika,” Albom recounts the story of Chika Jeune, who was born three days before the 2010 earthquake in Haiti. She spent her infancy in extreme poverty. After her mother died giving birth to a baby brother, Chika was brought to The Have Faith Haiti Orphanage that Albom operates in Port Au Prince. A copy of the book is included in the price. Cost is $40 for members, non-members or at the door, $50. Register at ollifll.fau.edu/wordpress. Proceeds from book sales will be donated to help children in Haiti.
Jewish Book Festival
The Diane & Barry Wilen Jewish Book Festival continues with three events at the David Posnack Jewish Community Center, 5850 S. Pine Island Road, Davie. For reservations, call 954-434-0499, ext. 336, or visit dpjcc.org/culturalarts.org.
Heather Morris’ novel “The Tattooist of Auschwitz” vividly re-creates the experiences of Lale Sokolov, who tattooed the arms of thousands of prisoners with what would become one of the most potent symbols of the Holocaust. Morris will discuss her novel during Books & Bites, 12:30 p.m. March 12. Tickets are $10, rsvp required.
Lionfish are an invasive species that threaten native sea life. Apparently, they also are delicious as James Beard award-winning chef Allen Susser shows in his cookbook “Green Fig and Lionfish.” Susser will show how to turn lionfish into delicious dishes beginning at 6:30 p.m. March 19. Prices range from $75 per person, including a four-course meal, to $175 per couple, including a four-course meal with wine and the book.
Harlan Coben discusses his latest New York Times best-seller “The Boy From the Woods” at 7:30 p.m. March 25. Coben’s newest thriller is about a man with a mysterious past must find a missing teenage girl. Cost is $36 for one ticket, one book or $50 for two tickets, one book; reserved seating is available for $10 a seat.
Literary Feast serves up authors
The Broward Public Library Foundation’s annual Literary Feast, one of South Florida’s biggest book events, kicks off April 3 and 4. Begun in 1984, the Literary Feast has grown to include free public panel discussions; Author Day for Students, during which writers speak at high school panel discussions at three different venues; and dinners where donors mingle alongside authors. Proceeds from the Literary Feast underwrite the Foundation’s literacy programs.
The author dinners begin with a cocktail party April 4 at Bahia Mar, 801 Seabreeze Blvd., Fort Lauderdale. For more information on any of the Literary Feast events visit bplfoundation.org/literary-feast or call 954-357-7382.
Free panel discussions with the authors occur from 6 to 8 p.m. April 3 at the following venues. Seating fills up quickly so reservations are a must. (A percentage of all sales at Barnes & Noble that night also is donated to the Library Foundation.)
“Fiction in Fort Lauderdale” with moderator Gail Bulfin, Barnes & Noble, 2051 N. Federal Highway, Fort Lauderdale, 954-561-3732. Authors are: Tasha Alexander, “In the Shadow of Vesuvius”; Bruce Holsinger, “The Gifted School”; Julia Phillips, “Disappearing Earth”; Laura van den Berg, “The Third Hotel.”
“Mystery in Plantation” with moderator Oline Cogdill, Barnes & Noble, (Broward Mall area), 591 S. University Drive, Plantation, 954-723-0489. Authors are: Jeff Abbott, “The Three Beths”; Carla Neggers, “Rival’s Break”; Peter Houlahan, “Norco ’80: The True Story of the Most Spectacular Bank Robbery in American History”; Kwei Quartey, “The Missing American”; Wendy Walker, “The Night Before.”
“Panel in the Pines” with moderator Mim Harrison, Barnes & Noble at Pembroke Crossings, 11820 Pines Blvd., Pembroke Pines, 954-441-0444. Authors are: Holly George-Warren, “Janis: Her Life and Music”; Adam Higginbotham, “Midnight in Chernobyl: The Untold Story of the World’s Greatest Nuclear Disaster”; Susie Levan, “Getting to Forgiveness: What a Near-Death Experience Can Teach Us About Life and Love”; Adam Platt, “The Book of Eating: Adventures in Professional Gluttony”; William C. Rempel. “The Gambler: How Penniless Dropout Kirk Kerkorian Became the Greatest Deal Maker in Capitalist History.”
Festival of the Arts Boca
In addition to its strong musical and other events, the 14th Annual Festival of the Arts Boca also has a strong books-related component. Events are at the Mizner Park Amphitheater and Mizner Park Cultural Arts Center in Boca Raton. Festival tickets range from $15 to $150 per person and are available at festivalboca.org, or call 561-300-4138.
The book events are at Mizner Park East Tent, 590 Plaza Real, near the Amphitheater and are $35 at the door:
March 2 at 7 p.m.: Jesmyn Ward is the first woman and the first person of color to win two National Book Awards for fiction, for her novels, “Salvage the Bones” and “Sing, Unburied, Sing.” Ward discusses her writing process and how her experiences growing up poor and black in the South influence her work. A ticket option for Ward is $45, which includes a copy of “Sing, Unburied, Sing. “
March 3 at 7 p.m.: Award-winning author and New Yorker cartoonist Roz Chast discusses her art, her family and her work, which she chronicles in “Can’t We Talk About Something More Pleasant?”
March 4 at 7 p.m.: Global TED talk speaker and professor of one of Yale University’s most popular courses, “Psychology and the Good Life,” Laurie Santos discusses tips on how to live your best life.
March 5 at 7 p.m.: Political analyst and national editor of “The Cook Political Report,” Amy Walter discusses “Where Are We Now?” Walter will give her insight on the 2020 elections and what to watch out for in the months ahead.
Sleuthfest is for writers
Sleuthfest, the annual writers’ conference featuring sessions on writing, marketing and forensics with an array of writers, editors and agents will be March 26-29 at the Doubletree by Hilton Deerfield Beach, 100 Fairway Drive, Deerfield Beach. Sponsored by the Florida chapter of Mystery Writers of America, Sleuthfest has grown into one of the most respected conferences for authors at all levels. Guest of honor is Catriona McPherson with authors Charles Todd, Con Lehane, Frankie Y. Bailey, Richie Narvaez, Chantelle Osman and Alex Segura. Agents and editors will take pitches and participate in round table discussions. More information is at sleuthfest.com.
Adjusting to widowhood
South Florida journalist Leslie Streeter and her husband had been married five years — together 6 1/2 years — when he died from a heart attack in 2015. Streeter was 44 at the time, and devastated from the loss. As a writer, Streeter began penning about her grief, turning her feelings into her memoir, “Black Widow: A Sad/Funny Journey Through Grief for People Who Normally Avoid Books with Words Like ‘Journey’ in the Title.” The memoir details her first year of widowhood with a raw, honest and at times funny look at her new life.
Streeter will discuss her story at the following venues:
March 2, Culture and Cocktails in an interview with James Patterson, presented by the Cultural Council of Palm Beach County, from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Colony Hotel, 155 Hammon Ave., 561-472-3330. Admission is $75 per person in advance, $85 at the door. March 11 at 6 p.m. at the Mandel Library, 411 Clematis St., West Palm Beach, 561-868-7700; at March 12 at 7 p.m. at Murder on the Beach, 104 W. Atlantic Ave., Delray Beach, 561-279-7790, www.murderonthebeach.com; March 16 at 8 p.m. at Books & Books, 265 Aragon Ave., Coral Gables, 305-442-4408; 6:30 p.m. April 4 during the West Palm Beach Library Foundation’s Food For Thought at the Mandel Library, www.wpblf.org.
Streeter also is scheduled to be on “The Today Show With Hoda and Jenna” on April 6.
Author luncheons
Alyssa Maxwell, author of “The Gilded Newport Mysteries” and “A Lady and Lady’s Maid Mysteries,” will be the guest during the annual scholarship luncheon sponsored by the American Association of University Women, Pompano Beach Branch, at 11:30 a.m. March 14 at the Lighthouse Point Yacht Club; 2701 NE 42nd St., Lighthouse Point. Tickets are $55. Reservations required; 312-316-6229 or email: pompanoscholar@yahoo.com.
Two Florida authors will speak during the Helen B. Hoffman Friends of the Library’s annual authors-fashion luncheon beginning at 11 a.m. March 21 at the Jacaranda Country Club, 9200 W. Broward Blvd., Plantation. Tickets are $45. Contact Pam Alexander at 954-424-9464 for reservations. Authors are Warren Richey, whose “Without a Paddle” describes his 1,200 mile race in a kayak around Florida, and Diane Stuckart, whose latest amateur sleuth mystery is “Peach Clobbered.”
Mystery writer and bestselling New York Times author Diane Stuckart is the guest speaker at the National League of American Pen Women, Fort Lauderdale Branch’s monthly luncheon at 11:30 a.m. March 12 at Prima Vera Restaurant, 2500 E. Commercial Blvd., Fort Lauderdale. Tickets are $30; contact 954-288-7972 or visit: www.lauderdalepenwomen.wixsite.com/nlapw.
Broward College Speaker Series
The seventh annual Broward College Speaker Series kicks off with Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales on March 12. Each lecture begins at 7:30 p.m., in the Amaturo Theater, at the Broward Center for the Performing Arts, 201 SW Fifth Ave., Fort Lauderdale. Tickets are $55 to $65. Visit BrowardCollegeSpeakerSeries.com. Wales will discuss “What’s Next in Tech?: Thrive in a ‘Wiki’ Future.” Other speakers include Abby Wambach, two-time U.S. Olympic gold medalist, World Cup Champion, April 29, and chef and humanitarian José Andrés, on May 18.
Author notes
Barbara Fox, mystery writer and producer/director of Mystery On the Menu Theater company, discusses her first children’s book, “Alphabet Rhymes,” at 11 a.m. March 14 at Barnes & Noble, 11820 Pines Blvd., Pembroke Pines, 954-441-0444; at 10 a.m. March 28 at Fairy Tales, 2000 Harrison St., Hollywood, 954-822-4699.
The following authors will be at Murder on the Beach Mystery Bookstore, 104 W. Atlantic Ave., Delray Beach, 561-279-7790, murderonthebeach.com:
Linda Rosen, “Disharmony of Silence” at 7 p.m. March 6; Charles Salzberg, “Swann’s Down,” at 7 p.m. March 19; Elaine Viets, “A Star is Dead,” at 6 p.m. March 21; Debra Goldstein, “Two Bites Too Many,” and Cheryl Hollon, “Down in Flames,” at 7 p.m. March 26; Deborah Goodrich Royce, “Finding Mrs. Ford,” at 4 p.m. March 28; Al Pessin, “Sand Blast,” at 7 p.m. April 3; Robert Watson, “George Washington’s Final Battle,” at 5 p.m. April 4.
Nancy J. Cohen leads the workshop “Self-Publishing Made Simple” at 2 p.m. March 14 at Nova Southeastern University, Conference Room 2053, Alvin Sherman Library, 3100 Ray Ferrero Jr. Blvd., Davie, FL 33314. 954-262-5466. Advance reservations recommended, https://sherman.library.nova.edu/
Deadline is March 20 for the April roundup. Email olinecog@aol.com.
