Literature lovers unite

Maine authors to be featured at 3rd annual book festival

By Kyle Kernan

Posted on Oct. 01, 2009, at 1:03 a.m.

The Bangor Book Festival promises to offer a smorgasbord of literary delights. The event opens Friday at the Penobscot Theatre in Bangor at 7:30 p.m. with keynote speaker Douglas Preston. It moves into the Bangor Public Library on Saturday and Sunday.

Event curator Barbara McDade promises the event will celebrate Maine authors. “This year, 25 authors will be sharing their adventures, passions and stories,” McDade said. All events are free.

There will be 24 authors who will present readings and presentations.

“We are trying to showcase Maine authors,” McDade said. “We want to connect authors to new audiences and readers to new authors. We want to celebrate reading.”

The festival’s third year assures to cover history, nature and books for children. The eclectic mix of authors cover topics ranging from Bangor history to backyard birding, Maine landscaping to writing poetry.

“There are authors for children and even a program about how to tell the value of old books,” McDade said. “The spine of a book does more than display its title. It binds the words and ideas that last through changing times and swirling fads. Books speak to the seven ages of our lives and comfort us in times of distress. Pages of answers ease our confusion when we need to make sense of a changing world. In turbulent times, books transport us to tranquil lands and engage us in adventures and passion when apathy takes hold.”

Preston writes both fiction and nonfiction. His latest nonfiction work is “The Monster of Florence.” Preston worked as a writer for the American Museum of Natural History and taught writing at Princeton University. His works of journalism have been published in The New Yorker, Natural History Magazine, National Geographic, Harper’s Bazaar, Smithsonian and The Atlantic. The author of several acclaimed nonfiction books, Preston also co-wrote with Lincoln Child one of the best-selling series of novels featuring FBI Special Agent Aloysius Pendergast.

The festival is honored to have support from the Stephen and Tabitha King Foundation, the City of Bangor, Bangor Public Library, The Maine Humanities Council and Fogler Library, among others.

“Join us as we listen to the words of celebrated Maine authors who write to bring comfort and spark enthusiasm — who tell stories to remember and bring ideas to inspire and delight at the Bangor Book Festival on Oct. 2 and 3,” McDade said.

For more information on the Bangor Book Festival visit: bangorbookfest.org.

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