Upcoming Events
2024 marks Left Bank Books 20th year! In celebration, we have a terrific line-up author talks and signings. If you'd like to get advance notice of those events, make sure you subscribe to our newsletter.
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Free Event
J. Courtney Sullivan and Ann Packer
WHEN: Friday, July 26 at 6pm
Join two internationally acclaimed writers to celebrate Courtney’s newest novel (release date July 16), The Cliffs, a story of family, secrets, ghosts, and homecoming set in Maine. Courtney is the New York Times best-selling author of several novels including Commencement, Maine, The Engagements, Saints for All Occasions, and Friends and Strangers. Her work has been translated into seventeen languages and has appeared in The New York Times Book Review, The Washington Post, Elle, Glamour, Real Simple, and O, The Oprah Magazine among other publications. In 2017 Courtney wrote the forwards to new editions of two of her favorite classic novels—Anne of Green Gables and Little Women.
Ann is a graduate of the Iowa Writers’ Workshop and the author of two collections of short fiction, Swim Back to Me and Mendocino and Other Stories, and three bestselling novels—The Children’s Crusade, Songs Without Words, and The Dive from Clausen’s Pier, which received the Kate Chopin Literary Award. Her writing has appeared in The New Yorker and in the O.Henry Prize Stories anthologies, and her novels have been published around the world. With her husband, novelist and screenwriter Rafael Yglesias, Ann also writes for film and television.
Reviews for The Cliffs:
A stunning achievement, and Sullivan’s best book yet. [She] writes a narrative that’s fascinating and thought-provoking. I could not put this book down.
—Ann Napolitano, best-selling author of Hello Beautiful.Sullivan is so skilled at multi-threaded narratives, and this is her most ambitious book yet. Weaving together the stories of women in Maine over centuries, this novel is about maternal loss and trauma, the idea of home, and most affecting, the stories that remain untold.
—Emma Straub, New York Times best-selling author of This Time Tomorrow
Free Event
Richard Blanco
WHEN: Tuesday, July 30, 2024 at 6pm
We are so pleased to welcome Richard back to Belfast. Selected by President Obama as the fifth Presidential Inaugural Poet in U.S. history, Richard was the youngest, the first Latinx, immigrant, and gay person to serve in that role. In 2023, he was awarded the National Humanities Medal by President Biden from the National Endowment for the Humanities.
Born in Madrid to Cuban exile parents and raised in Miami in a working-class family, Richard’s personal negotiation of cultural identity and the universal themes of place and belonging characterize much of his work. His most recent collection, Homeland of My Body, reassesses traditional notions of home as strictly a geographical, tangible place that merely exists outside us, but rather, within us. Homeland is a rich, intensely intimate collection with two sections of new poems bookending Richard’s selections from his five previous volumes.
Richard has received numerous national and international awards and honorary degrees. Currently, he serves as Education Ambassador for The Academy of American Poets and is an Associate Professor at Florida International University. In 2022, he was appointed the first-ever Poet Laureate of Miami-Dade County.
An engineer, poet, Cuban American . . . his poetry bridges cultures and languages—a mosaic of our past, our present, and our future—reflecting a nation that is hectic, colorful, and still becoming. — President Joe Biden, conferring the National Humanities Medal on Richard Blanco, 2023
Free Event
Bill Roorbach
WHEN: Thursday, August 1 at 6:30pm
We are eagerly counting the days until Bill joins us to talk about his new novel, Beep, a masterpiece of imaginative writing. The star of Beep is a plucky Costa Rican squirrel monkey who is “three rainy seasons” old and about to venture forth from the land of his current troupe and “spread his genetic material” among “you-mens.” Don’t worry if your squirrel monkey language is a bit rusty; Bill’s writing is so clever that you’ll quickly be conversant in all things Beep-ish.
Booklist has this to say about Beep: “Roorbach expertly balances the whimsical with the philosophical as Beep describes the world with a sense of wonder, alternating between baby talk such as "I wubboo" to giving thanks after eating a slug off the sidewalk in "appreciation of the gastropodic sacrifice." An inspiring quest tale and imaginative bildungsroman that celebrates the natural world.”
In Beep, a young girl and Beep forge a life-altering friendship that takes them from Costa Rica to Manhattan where their adventures at the Central Park Zoo are hilarious and uplifting.
This promises to be one of the most delightful and entertaining talks of the season. Join us!
Free Event
Ann Hood
WHEN: Thursday, August 8 at 6:30pm
We’re so looking forward to welcoming Ann to our shop for the first time and celebrating her latest novel, The Stolen Child, which we love. Of course, what’s not to love about a beautifully written story that spans generations, takes place (mostly) in Italy and France, and chronicles three memorable characters?
Ann is an immensely talented and prolific writer. The Stolen Child is her thirteenth novel; previous works include Somewhere Off the Coast of Maine (her first published book), The Obituary Writer, An Italian Wife, and The Book that Matters Most. She’s also written several memoirs including Fly Girl, an account of her life as a flight attendant with TWA; Comfort: A Journal Through Grief; and Knitting Yarns: Writers on Knitting. She has recently edited a nonfiction book that will be released this November: Life’s Short, Talk Fast: Fifteen Writers on Why We Can’t Stop Watching Gilmore Girls.
Ann is also much in demand as a writing teacher and coach. She is a faculty member in the MFA program at The New School in New York City and has been a guest instructor at Writers in Paradise conference (Florida), Bay Path University (Ireland), and the Iota Conference (Maine) among many others.
This will be a very special event for Nancy, our shop’s publicist. Comfort, Ann’s memoir about losing her five-year-old daughter to a virulent form of strep, was a pivotal work for Nancy when she was recently in grad school. She’s thrilled to finally be able to thank Ann in person for writing that seminal book.
Recently at LBB
Tuesday, July 16, 2024
Sam Sifton & A.O. (Tony) Scott
Sam and Tony, two long-time colleagues at The New York Times, held a conversation that informed, entertained, and captivated the 150 audience members lucky enough to be in attendance. By evening’s end, fans were asking the two critics to “please return” for an encore.
Their wide-ranging conversation covered topics as diverse as the role of critics in the media, writing on deadline, how they came to write for the Times, differences between cooking professionally and cooking for family and friends, their shared love affair with the state of Maine, and a hilarious discourse on zucchinis and “quotidian carrots.”
Sam is the assistant managing editor of The New York Times, responsible for culture and lifestyle coverage, and the founding editor of New York Times Cooking. For two years he was the paper’s restaurant critic and shared some behind-the-scenes stories about that experience. Sam has also written three cookbooks: See You on Sunday: A Cookbook for Family and Friends, The New York Times Cooking No-Recipe Recipes, and Thanksgiving: How to Cook it Well.
Tony was the long-time (2000-2023) film critic for The New York Times before joining the Book review where he now writes essays that explore the intersection of culture, history, technology, and myth. In 2010 Tony was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize for Criticism. He is the author of Better Living Through Criticism: How to Think about Art, Pleasure, Beauty, and Truth.
Recently at LBB
Friday, July 12, 2024
Chris Van Dusen
Smiles, laughter, and enchanting conversations reigned at the bookshop for two hours while the wildly popular children’s author and illustrator Chris Van Dusen welcomed his young fans—this was an event for the pre-K to eight-year-olds! Chris’s books are perennial best-sellers at our shop and include the “If I Built” series, the “Mr. Magee” series, and the stand-alone classics Circus Ship and Little Truck Big Island, among others.
Chris cites Dr. Seuss and Robert McCloskey as his heroes and says he loved the rhythm of Dr. Seuss’ words and was fascinated by the meticulous detail of Robert McCloskey’s illustrations. When asked why he illustrates his books in the style of the 1950s and 60s, with bold and bright colors and shapes, he says that’s “the stuff I grew up with and I love the way things looked then.”
And maybe a little-known fact about Chris? He’s the designer-illustrator of the iconic Maine lobster license plate!
Recently at LBB
Thursday, July 11, 2024
Laura McNeal & Lily King
Two long-time friends, who also happen to be world-class authors, joined us to celebrate the release of Laura’s stunning new novel, The Swan’s Nest, her fictionalized account of the literary love of poets Elizabeth Barrett and Robert Browning.
Guided by Lily’s probing and insightful questions, Laura shared interesting stories about the seven years she researched the lives of the Brownings, including her travels from the British Museum to Florence to Wellesley College and beyond. Her story about being able to hold a childhood glove that belonged to Browning and a pair of Barrett’s slippers was especially moving.
In response to a question from the audience, she explained the story behind her book’s title, which comes from Elizabeth’s poem “The Romance of the Swan’s Nest.” In doing so, she further illuminated the extremely deep love affair between Barrett and Browning.
We have signed copies of the gorgeously written, luscious novel available at the bookshop.
Recently at LBB
Tuesday July 9, 2024
Anna Monardo
The lucky audience members who came to Anna’s talk about her new memoir, After Italy, were treated to an intimate and moving evening. After Italy is a page-turner in which Anna has written about her southern Italian family.
Anna read several excerpts from her memoir, including sections on her grandparents’ and parents’ arranged marriages, life in a small Italian village in the 1930s and ‘40s, her family’s immigration experiences as they made their way to Pittsburgh, and Anna’s own life as a first-generation American, all of which captivated the audience.
Anna’s love affair with the state of Maine, and a highly personal “small world” story she shared—a story that took place here in a small coastal village—brought many in the audience to tears.
We have a few signed copies of After Italy still available at the shop.
Recently at LBB
Tuesday, June 25, 2024
Paul Doiron
A fabulous time was had by all who stopped by the shop for a “Meet and Greet” with Paul Doiron on Tuesday, June 25, which was also the launch day for his latest novel, Pitch Dark. Roughly seventy-five people chatted with Paul over the course of two hours, many of whom shared how eagerly they await each annual installment in the mystery series featuring Maine Game Warden Investigator Mike Bowditch. Pitch Dark is the fifteenth book in the series that is set in Maine.
We have signed copies of Pitch Dark, as well as a limited number of signed copies of Paul’s earlier books. Let us know if we can set any aside for you. We’re also happy to mail them to you!
Recently at LBB
Thursday, June 13, 2024
Morgan Talty with Gregory Brown
Approximately eighty people enjoyed a far-reaching conversation between Morgan and Greg on Thursday evening, June 13, at the historic First Church of Belfast. They touched on topics as diverse as fatherhood, father-son relationships, story inspiration, the excruciating process of writing “one bad draft after another,” and finding the right title for a book.
The event was held to celebrate the recent release of Morgan’s debut novel Fire Exit, following the publication of his first collection of short stories, Night of the Living Rez. Tommy Orange calls Fire Exit “utterly consuming” and possessing “Talty’s subtle charm and crystalline prose.” It is a masterful and unforgettable story of family, legacy, bloodlines, culture, and inheritance.
We have signed copies of both of Morgan’s books at the bookshop.
Recently at LBB
Wednesday, June 5, 2024
Margot Anne Kelley
On June 6, an enthusiastic audience of gardeners, seed-savers, historians, and writers gathered—despite a hellacious thunderstorm, complete with lightning—to hear Margot Anne Kelley talk about her latest book, A Gardener At the End of the World. In this beautifully written book, seeds and viruses serve as the narrative arcs for a wide-ranging series of reflections about what we can preserve of history, culture, biodiversity, language, and what we can’t. Questions from the audience prompted Margot to discuss how she conducted research for her book, why some varieties of fruits and vegetables are in danger of becoming extinct, and the effects climate change is having, and will continue to have, on gardening at all levels.
Recently at LBB
Monday, May 13, 2024
Leaf Seligman
An enthusiastic crowd gathered on May 13th to listen as Leaf Seligman read from her newest book, Being Restorative. The reading was followed by a thoughtful discussion of what it means to embrace a restorative approach to justice and to relationships.
Being Restorative comprises a collection of testimonies and queries, and invites readers to identify ways in which they can expand the practice of being restorative to influence how they move through the world. Leaf discussed the idea that everyone has a spark of goodness and wisdom, and that "people move and walk in the light they have." Attendees then shared their own questions and experiences of restorative justice and being restorative.
Recently at LBB
Thursday, May 9, 2024
Monica Wood
From her opening remark—”Please excuse the way I look. I’m having a bad hair day”—Monica enchanted and delighted a rapt and enthusiastic audience.
Monica’s talk and book signing was part of a whirlwind series of weeklong events to celebrate her long-awaited new novel, How to Read a Book (published May 7), which has received widespread glowing reviews. The New York Times wrote “This novel is a reminder that goodness, and books, can still win in this world,” and People magazine, which chose it as one of the “Best Books to Read in May,” called How to Read ”An utter gem; funny, sweet and moving.”
We couldn’t agree more and predict that How to Read a Book will be one of our shop’s best sellers this year. The story of how three disparate and lonely people form an unlikely friendship inspires laughter, tears, and love. This is a book to read more than once, and to give as a gift again and again. It’s that good.
Recently at LBB
Thursday, April 18, 2024
Heather Cox Richardson
Applause rang throughout the First Church of Belfast when internationally acclaimed historian, educator, and author Heather Cox Richardson entered the room. For the next hour and 15 minutes, she informed, educated, enlightened, and captivated the minds and hearts of the 250 lucky audience members. (The free event reached capacity enrollment three hours after it was announced.)
In addition to her wildly popular books—Democracy Awakening: Notes on the State of America and How the South Won the Civil War, among others—Heather writes a daily Substack newsletter, Letters from an American, that has some one-and-a-half million subscribers.
Through her self-deprecating humor, vast knowledge base, and passion for the lessons history teaches us, Heather explained why, despite the current political climate, she has hope for the future. At the end of an extensive question-and-answer period, this brilliant, warm, and funny woman was given a prolonged standing ovation. Brava, Heather. Brava!
Wall of Fame
We are deeply grateful to the hundreds of authors — of local, national and international acclaim — who have taken time to visit our bookshop, meet our faithful customers, speak about their work, and sign their books.
Thank you!
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