Events of the Library Foundation of Hennepin County

Jasper Fforde is the New York Times bestselling author of the Thursday Next series, the Nursery Crimes series, and the Shades of Grey series. Noted for their literary allusions, wordplay and tight plots, his books are a mixture of fantasy, crime thriller, and humorous fiction. Born in London, Fforde’s early career was spent in the film industry, where he worked on a number of films including Quills, GoldenEye, and Entrapment. Set in an alternate England circa 1985 where airships rule the skies and people can read themselves into books, One of Our Thursdays is Missing is an exuberant return to the fantastical "BookWorld" and the beloved heroine Thursday Next. Recorded live on March 16, 2011 at the Minneapolis Central Library. The Talk of the Stacks is presented by the Library Foundation of Hennepin County and the Private Client Reserve at US Bank.

The National Book Critics Circle (NBCC), consisting of over 600 book reviewers, presents annual awards for the best books in different genres. This special edition of Talk of the Stacks will feature three diverse and talented authors, all of whom were recognized this year by the prestigious NBCC awards committee. Eula Biss won the NBCC Award for criticism for No Man's Land: American Essays; Stephen Burt was a finalist in the criticism category for Close Calls with Nonsense: Reading New Poetry; and Marlon James was a finalist in the fiction category for The Book of Night Women. Jeffrey Shotts, senior editor at Graywolf Press and editor of Biss and Burt’s respective books, will moderate. Recorded live on November 3, 2010 at the Minneapolis Central Library. The Talk of the Stacks is presented by the Library Foundation of Hennepin County and the Private Client Reserve at US Bank.

Antonya Nelson is the award-winning author of nine books of fiction, including Nothing Right, Talking in Bed, Nobody’s Girl, and Living to Tell. Nelson’s work has appeared in the New Yorker, Esquire, Harper’s, Redbook, The Best American Short Stories, and elsewhere. She has received a Guggenheim Fellowship, an NEA Grant, and recently, the United States Artists Simon Fellowship. Nelson is known for her razor-sharp depictions of contemporary family life in all of its sometimes sad, sometimes hilarious complexity. Bound, her much anticipated first novel in over a decade, tells the story of tangled lives, set in a Wichita, riveted by the reemergence of the city’s real-world “BTK” serial killer. She is married to the writer Robert Boswell and holds the Cullen Chair in Creative Writing at the University of Houston. Recorded live on September 30, 2010 at the Minneapolis Central Library. The Talk of the Stacks is presented by the Library Foundation of Hennepin County and the Private Client Reserve at US Bank.

Frequent contributor to O: The Oprah Magazine, playwright and journalist Barbara Graham’s new anthology, Eye of My Heart, is a collection of twenty-seven essays by acclaimed women writers that explodes the myths and stereotypes about being a grandmother in today's world. In celebration of Mother’s Day, Graham will be joined by local contributing authors, Sandra Benitez and Judith Guest, to discuss this fascinating collection and life as a writer and grandmother. "This is a special book: enlightening, engaging, and deeply moving." - Julia Alvarez, author of How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accent Recorded live on May 6, 2010 at the Minneapolis Central Library. The Talk of the Stacks is presented by the Library Foundation of Hennepin County and the Private Client Reserve at US Bank.

Born in Shanghai, Anchee Min grew up during Mao's Cultural Revolution. As a teenager she was sent to a labor collective, where a talent scout for Madame Mao recruited her to work in propaganda films as an actress. In 1984, at the age of twenty-seven, she moved to the United States and learned to speak English. In 1992, Anchee published her first book, Red Azalea, which was chosen as a New York Times Notable Book of the Year and translated into 32 languages. Author of five other best-selling books (including Becoming Madame Mao and Empress Orchid), Anchee's newest work, Pearl of China is the powerful story of the friendship of a lifetime, based on the life of Pearl S. Buck.

"Although Of Course You End Up Becoming Yourself" is a fascinating new book about the legendary author David Foster Wallace, who committed suicide in 2008. Based on the largely unedited road trip interviews by David Lipsky, contributing editor at Rolling Stone magazine, this work offers an intimate portrait of Wallace during his 1996 book tour for Infinite Jest. From struggles with fame and mental illness, to getting high and getting laid, to the nature of art itself. Lipsky allows Wallace to speak for himself. Winner of a National Magazine Award for his commemorative article on Wallace in Rolling Stone, Lipsky is a frequent commentator for NPR's All Things Considered and the author of several works including the best-selling nonfiction book Absolutely American. Lipsky has appeared on the Today show, Charlie Rose, and elsewhere. Recorded live on April 15, 2010 at the Minneapolis Central Library. The Talk of the Stacks is presented by the Library Foundation of Hennepin County and the Private Client Reserve at US Bank.

Four literary organizations in the Twin Cities are celebrating significant anniversaries this year: Coffee House Press (25 years), Graywolf Press (35 years), The Loft Literary Center (35 years), and Milkweed Editions (30 years). In this special edition of Talk of the Stacks moderated by MPR's Marianne Combs, executive directors from the four organizations will discuss why so many nationally-recognized literary organizations have thrived here, tell tales of the literary life, and share their vision of what readers and writers can expect in the days ahead. Recorded live on January 26, 2010 from the Minneapolis Central Library. The Talk of the Stacks is presented by the Library Foundation of Hennepin County and the Private Client Reserve at US Bank.

Kevin Kling is a storyteller, playwright, and regular contributor to NPR’s All Things Considered. His plays have been seen at the Guthrie Theater, Second Stage, Seattle Rep, the Goodman Theatre, the Spoleto Festival, and the HBO Comedy Arts Festival. Kling's first book, The Dog Says How, brought readers into his wonderful world of the skewed and significant mundane. His second book, Holiday Inn, is a romp through a year of holidays. Recorded live on November 12, 2009 from the Central Library in downtown Minneapolis. The Talk of the Stacks is presented by the Library Foundation of Hennepin County and the Private Client Reserve at US Bank.

Once touted as one of "the best American writers of the younger generation” by Saul Bellow, Padgett Powell’s newest work, The Interrogative Mood, is a wildly inventive, jazzy meditation on life and language in which every sentence is a question. Often compared to David Foster Wallace or George Saunders, Powell’s new book explores what it feels like to hear the swing and snap of American talk. Powell is the author of two collections of short stories and four novels, including Edisto, which was nominated for the American Book Award. His writing has appeared in The New Yorker, Harper’s, The Paris Review, and elsewhere. Recorded live on October 28, 2009 from the Minneapolis Central Library's Pohlad Hall. The Talk of the Stacks is presented by the Library Foundation of Hennepin County and the Private Client Reserve at US Bank.

Andrew Zimmern is a food columnist, culinary expert, dining critic, radio talk show host, TV personality and chef. Writing for many national magazines and publications, Zimmern has received the Society of Professional Journalists Page One Award. Host of a weekly travel and food program on the Travel Channel called Bizarre Foods, Zimmern travels the world, exploring the food. His new show, Bizarre World's with Andrew Zimmern, is set to debut on Travel Channel in 2009.

Saïd Sayrafiezadeh is a writer and dramatist, whose writing has appeared in Granta, the Paris Review, and numerous anthologies. He was born in Brooklyn, New York in 1968 to an Iranian father and a Jewish-American mother, both of whom were members of the Socialist Workers Party. When Skateboards Will Be Free tells the story of a brilliant young writer struggling to break away from the powerful mythologies of his upbringing and create a life and a voice of his own. Chosen as one of the 7 Best Books by Amazon, this acclaimed debut memoir was described in the New York Times as "exacting and finely made,[written] with extraordinary power and restraint." Recorded live on September 17, 2009 from the Minneapolis Central Library's Pohlad Hall. The Talk of the Stacks is presented by the Library Foundation of Hennepin County and the Private Client Reserve at US Bank.

Smith's groundbreaking book, 'Blood Dazzler,' chronicles the human, emotional and physical toll exacted by Hurricane Katrina. It was a finalist for the 2008 National Book Award and one of NPR’s Top Books of 2008. A poet, spoken word performer, playwright, author, writing teacher, and former journalist, Smith was inducted into the International Literary Hall of Fame for Writers of African Descent in 2006 and has performed at Carnegie Hall, on tour with Lollapalooza, in the film Slamnation, and on HBO’s Def Poetry Jam. Presented by the Library Foundation of Hennepin County and US Trust on July 30, 2009.

Art has rarely respected international borders, but globalization's pace and pervasiveness is changing the business of art museums in new ways. What challenges and opportunities are museums experiencing? How are these trends affecting artists and patrons? Is the art business a barometer of globalization? Or is art part of the process of globalization? Kaywin Feldman, Director of the Minneapolis Institute of Arts, and Olga Viso, Director of the Walker Art Center, will explore these questions and others as they contemplate the world of art in this new age of interconnectedness. Moderated by Tad Simons, the arts and entertainment editor for Mpls.St.Paul Magazine. Presented by the Library Foundation of Hennepin County on July 28, 2009.

The future of foreign relations may rely on the future of global journalism. If a wise foreign policy relies on an informed and engaged public, it is essential to understand how the consolidation of media ownership, celebrity journalism, increasing access to foreign media via the web, and the perceived disinterest of the American public all impact awareness and policy. Join us for a conversation among media leaders exploring how media consolidation is affecting the news consumption and how this shift allows for new voices, perspectives and news media to emerge. Panelists include: Tom Gitaa, President & Publisher of Mshale; Nghi Huynh, Publisher & Editor of Asian American Press; and Melinda Ward, Senior Vice President for Content, Public Radio International.

The United Nations announced last year that the number of undernourished people in the world had increased by 75 million reaching to more than 963 million worldwide. Demand at U.S. food banks increased by 30% last year. How did we get here? Jim Harkness will discuss the causes of the global food crisis and chart a course for how the U.S. and the world can build a stronger, healthier global food system. Harkness is the president of the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy. Former adviser for the World Bank and the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, Harkness has written and spoken frequently about sustainable development. Presented by the Library Foundation of Hennepin County in partnership with the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy and the Minnesota International Center. Recorded live on July 14, 2009 at the Central Library in downtown Minneapolis.