New Boston Resident Rick Riordan Presents at Boston Book Festival 2014

The Boston Book Festival is taking place this weekend in and around Copley Square.  Thankfully the weather looks like the rain will finally be gone.  We love this now annual event which has so many wonderful session over the course of 3 days(mostly on Saturday).  Our 2 favorites this year are Rick Riordan and Doris Kearns Goodwin.

Did you know that Rick Riordan now lives in Boston?  He has been here for a while since he moved here for his son’s college choice and we hope he will stick around.  Back in January the Globe wrote about Mr. Riordan’s move to Boston and how he is also here to research his next series on Norse Mythology which will be based in Boston.  Hopefully plenty of updates on what he is working on and how he likes Boston will be included.  As the kids’ keynote speaker he will surely fill the room.

I have 2 middle school aged children and they are pained that they won’t be able to see him live.  The Saturday morning timing of the Kids’ Keynote does make it challenging for the kids that participate in not only athletics (soccer and basketball) in our town but also the music students with Saturday morning music school.  I have noticed this year that they have put the audio up for many of the presenters from last year’s festival.  I am going to let my daughter know she can listen to the Tomie dePaola keynote from last year.  As an aspiring author listening to the words of successful authors can be very inspiring.  The audios are a great opportunity for anyone who may have missed some of the sessions too.  The organizers have been nice enough to allow us to download them for convenience as well.

Of course, nothing beats catching the presentations live.  Due to the many different presentations and venues I always advise to do as much planning ahead as possible.  The Boston Book Festival website not only offers the schedule and venue maps online but give you the option of downloading them and printing them out.

Our famous Concord resident Doris Kearns Goodwin will also be presenting as the History keynote on Saturday afternoon.  Goodwin has a remarkable way of telling history in a way that both fascinates and entertains.  She has to have a remarkable amount of patience to research her chosen topics so well.  Her current book is “The Bully Pulpit:  Theodore Roosevelt, William Howard Taft, and the Golden Age of Journalism”.  I have not had the chance to read it yet but if it is anything like “Team of Rivals” I’m in.

The festival has many other presenters worthy of mention including jazz legend Herbie Hancock and novelist Susan Minot (Thirty Girls).

If you want to delve into Doris Kearns Goodwin’s thoughts on her latest book here is a good interview.  It is about an hour long so you can always play it in the background.  If you can get out and catch her live…