Finding yourself a bit strapped for time these days? Not surprising. It gets like this every fall, doesn't it? Between the football and the arts seasons getting under way, and the weather still inviting enough to try and squeeze in some of those summer activities, there are more ways to spend time than there is time to spend. But, fortunately for you, Isthmus is here to help.
Here's a for-instance: The 2007 Wisconsin Book Festival. This sixth annual literary orgy takes place October 10 through 14, less than two weeks from now. But we have the program for you with this week's Isthmus, allowing you to plan your festival participation.
And it will take some planning. The Wisconsin Humanities Council, an independent affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities and the producer of the festival, has jam-packed the five days with book-related activities. There will be a bevy of author appearances (over 200, they say) and over 170 presenters putting on a flock of seminars, discussions, readings and some public participation.
This year's theme is "Domestic Tranquility," a phrase that can be, and is, interpreted in a multitude of ways. It's good that the theme is so liberally interpretable because there are a wide range of interests included - children and young adult activities, spoken word and, important to fledgling writers, advice on the business of books, like how to get published.
If the printed program is not enough information for you, visit the festival website, wisconsinbookfestival.org, for more detail. (The Wisconsin Book Festival is designed to be a statewide event. Look for information regarding Milwaukee and Edgerton activities.)
While you're on the web, you might want to head to thedailypage.com, the Isthmus website, for more book festival-related material. Staffer Dave Medaris has already begun a series of author interviews. They will be appearing on the arts page and eventually a dedicated festival page. At this point authors Ana Castillo, Luis Alberto Urrea and Logan Ward are represented.
So get organized. We want you to be able to get in your Isthmus reading while all this is going on. This week we investigate where State rep and UW basher Steve Nass is coming from and what's going on behind the closed, but soon to be opened, doors of the Majestic Theater. You don't want to lose track of the immediate domestic tranquility.
