by stacy brown (staff writer)
Published: September 27, 2010
With just one year under their belt, organizers of Pages & Places are amazed that the event’s popularity grew so quickly.
Interest in the second Scranton book festival has come from such distant places as Arizona and Canada with the addition of controversial author Christopher Hitchens, according to co-director Liz Randol, Ph.D.
“We started selling tickets about a month and a half ago, which is unusual for an event like this,” Dr. Randol said. “But, the vast majority of our sales were out of state. We have people from Ontario, Canada; Ohio, Arizona, Northern Virginia, Maryland, New York and New Jersey who have purchased tickets.”
The festival opens at 9 a.m. Saturday and this year’s theme is “A Celebration of Books and the City,” said Bill Black, the festival’s co-director.
“The festival will bring writers, intellectuals and history-shapers from Iceland, Rwanda and Venezuela, as well as from across the United States to downtown Scranton,” Mr. Black said.
Venues for the festival include the ArtWorks and MAC galleries, the Banshee, Farley’s Pub & Eatery, the Vintage and Electric theaters, the Scranton Cultural Center and Courthouse Square.
“We want to create a platform and a stage for broad-based conversation and an exchange of ideas,” Dr. Randol said. “We set the festival up so that we could celebrate the city and brag about what’s going on here.”
The festival was also scheduled for the first Saturday of the month because it is preceded by First Friday, Dr. Randol said. “That way those who are coming from out of town and arrive on Friday will have lots to do,” she said.
A reception to welcome the 2010 panelists is scheduled for Friday from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at The Colonnade on Jefferson Avenue. Tickets for that event are $100 and include drinks, light fare, and an opportunity to meet with festival participants.
Tickets for the festival are $12 in advance and $15 at the door. Full-day passes, which are good for entry to all of the panel discussions, are available for $50.
In addition to Mr. Hitchens, authors scheduled to appear are Kelly Askin, Margaret Carson, Sergio Chejfec, Ed Connor, Steve Dolph, Jonathan Gottschall, Tamera Gugelmeyer, Ed Kashi, Suzanne Braun Levine, Robin Morgan, Bragi Olafsson, Jay Parini, Adina Roskies, Joseph Sebarenzi and Andi Zeisler.
Moderators include Chad Post, the publisher of Open Letter Books, a nonprofit publisher of literature in translation affiliated with the University of Rochester; Marcia G. Yerman, a contributing writer for EmpowHer, Women Make News, and Women’s Radio; Dr. William Rowe, a Clarks Summit resident, director of the Center for Ethics Studies at the University of Scranton, and a member of the Judaic Studies Committee, Faculty Development Board and Schemel Forum Board; Morey Myers, of the law firm Myers, Brier and Kelly; and Amy Ferris, an author, screenwriter, editor and playwright.
Organizers concede that getting Mr. Hitchens was a major coup.
Despite having recently undergone treatment for cancer and canceling several other scheduled appearances, Mr. Hitchens has assured festival organizers that he would attend the Scranton event.
Mr. Hitchens, a self-proclaimed atheist who has criticized organized religion and who has otherwise been a magnet for controversy, has authored and edited more than 20 books, including “Thomas Jefferson: Author of America,” “The Rights of Man,” “Unacknowledged Legislation: Writers in the Public Sphere,” and his memoir, “Hitch-22,” which was released this summer.
Mr. Hitchens has also served as a columnist for Vanity Fair, The Nation and Slate.
“Mr. Hitchens has always had a strong following,” Dr. Randol said. “The people who follow him both like and dislike him. He pushes boundaries.”
The festival revolves around five panels that explore some of the most timely and time-honored questions, Dr. Randol said. The panels include “Authors of Argument: The People, Books, and Debates that Shape American Civic Life.” In collaboration with the University of Scranton’s Schemel Forum, this discussion also will double as the culminating event of the forum’s third annual “University for a Day” program, Dr. Randol said.
If you go
What: Pages & Places Book Festival
When and where: Saturday, Oct. 2, 9 a.m. to 6:15 p.m. at various locations in downtown Scranton.
Details: The second Pages & Places Book Festival will feature a book expo at Lackawanna County Courthouse Square and consists of several panel discussions at various locations, including ArtWorks and MAC galleries, The Banshee, Farley’s and the Vintage and Electric theaters. Christopher Hitchens is scheduled to be a part of the panel, “Authors of Argument: The People, Books, and Debates that Shape American Civic Life,” which will be held at the Scranton Cultural Center at the Masonic Temple from 3 to 4:15 p.m. Tickets for the festival are $12 per panel in advance of the festival and $15 the day of the event. Full-day passes, which are good for each panel, are available at $50. To purchase tickets or for more information, visit www.pagesandplaces.org.
Opening reception: A reception to welcome the 2010 panelists is scheduled for Friday, Oct. 1, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at The Colonnade on Jefferson Avenue. Tickets for that event are $100 and include drinks, light fare and an opportunity to meet with festival participants.