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Omar El Akkad (author of American War) at the FYE® Conference 2018

Omar El Akkad, author of AMERICAN WAR: A NOVEL (Vintage), speaks about his book at the First-Year Experience® (FYE) Conference in San Antonio, TX.

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Ottessa Moshfegh | My Year of Rest and Relaxation
Ottessa Moshfesh sits down with Lena Dunham to discuss her novel.

Our narrator should be happy, right? She's young, beautiful,has a job at a happening art gallery,and lives in the upper east side in an apartment she pays for out of her inheritance. However, there are storm clouds hanging over her head, and not only because of the loss of her parents, or her toxic friendship with her friend Reva, or the way her investor boyfriend treats her. What else could be going on in her head? My Year of Rest and Relaxation gives us a view into this young woman's journey attempting to heal her alienated self through psychotherapy and pharmaceuticals, and the revelations she has about said alienation. This story is bold, compassionate and darkly humorous in a way that we have come to anticipate from Ottessa Moshfegh.
Crashing the Party: From the Bernie Sanders Campaign to a Progressive Movement
A conversation with Heather Gautney, Adolph Reed, and Cornel West.

Book launch for Heather Gautney’s “Crashing the Party: From the Bernie Sanders Campaign to a Progressive Movement,” available from Verso Books.

Bernie Sanders shocked the political establishment by winning 13 million votes and a majority of young voters in the 2016 Democratic primary. Since that upset, repeated polls have judged this democratic socialist to be the most popular politician in the United States. What lessons can be drawn from his surprising insurgent campaign?
Hadley Freeman: "The Lessons We Learned from Eighties Movies"
If you think Ferris Bueller's Day Off is just a lighthearted comedy, author and journalist Hadley Freeman would like to have a word with you. Her encyclopedic knowledge of 80s films combines with a keen eye for cultural and political zeitgeist, to put a new perspective on much-loved classics. In this discussion about her book, "Life Moves Pretty Fast: The Lessons We Learned From 80s Movies", she explores the social commentary contained in these films, and compares that with the state of cinema (and TV) today. Oh, and you might want to block off time to rewatch some classic movies afterwards.
Appel Salon | Kim Thuy
"When I write, in a way, I'm not doing reality justice. Reality is way beyond what we can imagine." —Kim Thuy

Kim Thuy discusses her latest novel, Vi, with Jessica Allen at the Toronto Reference Library.
Libraries: The Architecture of Community
Kenneth Breisch discussed his book "American Libraries 1730-1950," which celebrates the history of library architecture in America, from ultra-modern buildings to classical temples of knowledge such as the Library's Jefferson Building, considered one of the most beautiful buildings in the United States.
Pen Out Loud: Freedom, Power, and Rage
Join Black feminist, academic, author, and co-founder of the Crunk Feminist Collective Dr. Brittney Cooper, along with writer, activist, and editor Darnell L. Moore, as they break down the ways their work informs, challenges, and shapes our understanding of the current political situation. Following the tradition of black literary salons, our guests will interrogate each other’s work and engage in a lively discussion on the intersection of race and gender in their activism; the importance of translating theory into accessible ideas that inspire collective change; and how we can use our freedom, power, and rage to change the world.

Dr. Brittney Cooper writes a popular monthly column on race, gender and politics for Cosmopolitan, and is the author of Eloquent Rage: A Black Feminist Discovers Her Superpower. A professor of Women’s and Gender Studies and Africana Studies at Rutgers University, she co-founded the Crunk Feminist Collective. Her work has appeared in the New York Times, the Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times, Salon, Ebony.com, and The Root.com, among others.

Darnell L. Moore is an editor-at-large at CASSIUS (Urban One), a columnist at LogoTV.com and NewNextNow.com, and a contributor at Mic. He writes regularly for Ebony, Advocate, Vice, and Guardian. Moore is a writer-in-residence at the Center of African American Religion, Sexual Politics, and Social Justice at Columbia University, has taught at NYU, Rutgers, Fordham, and Vassar, and was trained at the Princeton Theological Seminary. He divides his time between Brooklyn and Atlanta.
Ian McEwan on adapting On Chesil Beach
t's seldom the case that an author adapts their own work for the screen so we wanted to ask Ian McEwan about the technical challenges of a novella with no dialogue in its first half, whether the story could have been set in another era, and how single moments can change a lifetime.
YA author panel: Social Justice Warriors – Redefining Youthful Rebellion
Each and every day is an opportunity for change. In this panel, YA authors Jacqueline Woodson (Brown Girl Dreaming), Jason Reynolds (Long Way Down), and Angie Thomas (The Hate U Give) join activist DeRay Mckesson (On the Other Side of Freedom: The Case for Hope) to explore social justice and positive representation in young adult lit, and how their work redefines our ideas about youth in the resistance. Moderated by author Kwame Alexander. Filmed at BookCon 2018.
Michele Rigby Assad: "My Secret Life in the CIA" | Talks at Google
Michele Rigby Assad is a former undercover officer in the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency’s Directorate of Operations. Trained as a counterterrorism specialist, Michele spent over a decade in the agency, leading some of the most highly skilled operatives on the planet, secretly serving in some of the most treacherous areas of the Middle East, and at risk as a target for ISIS.

She discusses how she stood out from many of the older white men who excelled at the CIA, and how she used her differences to her advantage. Michele also covers a range of other topics including misconceptions about Middle East, her experience dealing with terrorists, recent shootings in the U.S., and what civilians can do to stay safe.

Moderated by Jasmine Jaksic.
Jesmyn Ward: Sing, Unburied, Sing
Two-time National Book Award-winner Jesmyn Ward joins us for a discussion of her most recent novel, Sing, Unburied, Sing, a profound Southern odyssey and searing chronicle of twenty-first-century America. Drawing on Morrison and Faulkner, The Odyssey and the Old Testament, Ward shows us life on the gulf coast of Mississippi for one American family, as they travel through the South. Ward is the author of the critically acclaimed titles Salvage the Bones and Men We Reaped, and editor of The Fire This Time. She will be joined in conversation with Lisa Lucas, Executive Director of the National Book Foundation.
Rex Sorgatz: The Encyclopedia of Misinformation
Wading through propaganda and subterfuge in eclectic contexts, from science and religion, to comedy and law, Rex Sorgatz has explored it all. He has sifted through various conspiracy theories, the complex construct of internet and popular culture, and perplexing psychological phenomena, gathering them together in one humorous collection. His book covers deliriously diverse subjects including auto-tune, Chilean sea bass, false flag operations, kayfabe, laugh tracks, Rachel Dolezal, and more.

Rex Sorgatz is a writer and technologist based in NYC whose reflections on the intersection of media, technology and culture have appeared in New York Magazine, Wired, and Backchannel.
TimesTalks: Glenn Close and Meg Wolitzer
Join six-time Academy Award nominee Glenn Close and best-selling author Meg Wolitzer for a spirited conversation about the new film, “The Wife,” opening Aug. 17 and based on Wolitzer’s critically acclaimed novel of the same name. In it, Close plays a highly intelligent and striking beauty — the perfect wife — who has spent 40 years sacrificing her own identity, dreams and ambitions to fan the flames of her husband’s skyrocketing career, ignoring his excuses along the way. The duo will discuss womanhood, self-discovery, liberation and our attempts to make meaning of our lives with Parul Sehgal, book critic at The New York Times.
A Celebration of Muriel Spark
A Celebration of Muriel Spark with Rivka Galhen, Joseph O'Neill, Gerald Howard and Joseph Kanon. A tribute reading to celebrate the centenary of Muriel Spark, "whose wit produced effects and insights only matched in contemporary fiction by the glittering jests of Nabokov," wrote Shirley Hazzard.
Life of a Poet: Matthew Zapruder
Washington Post Book World editor Ron Charles spoke with poet Matthew Zapruder about his career and the major events that have shaped his work.
Ibtihaj Muhammad | Proud: My Fight for an Unlikely American Dream
From young outsider to national hero, a timeless, uniquely American tale of hard work, determination, and resilience. Olympic medalist, advocate, and first Muslim woman to compete while wearing a hijab, Ibtihaj Muhammad talks about her memoir Proud with beloved author Jacqueline Woodson.

Growing up in New Jersey as the only African American Muslim in hijab in town, at school, and on the playing fields, Ibtihaj Muhammad always had to find her own way. When she discovered fencing, a sport traditionally reserved for the wealthy and white, once again she had to defy expectations and make a place for herself in a sport she grew to love. Even though Ibtihaj would start fencing later than most, at 13 years old her talent was undeniable. From winning state championships with her high school team to three-time All-America selections at Duke University, Ibtihaj was poised for success, but the fencing community wasn’t ready to welcome her with open arms.

Ibtihaj Muhammad’s path to Olympic greatness has been marked with opposition and near-debilitating challenges because of her race, religion, and gender. As the only woman of color and the only religious minority on the U.S. women’s saber team, once again Ibtihaj had to push past stereotypes, misconceptions, and negativity to find her own path to success and Olympic glory.

Proud is the inspiring story of how Ibtihaj rose above it all with grace and compassion. She provides an unflinching and honest portrayal of how she managed to stay true to herself and still play by the rules. A coming-of-age story, a hero’s journey, and a moving memoir from one of the nation’s most influential athletes, Proud will leave you cheering. It's also available in a Young Readers edition, inspiring new generations to stay true to themselves on their way to greatness.

Jacqueline Woodson is an Newbery Honor-winning writer of books for children and young adults. She is best known for Miracle's Boys, about three young brothers of African-American and Puerto Rican descent growing up without parents in Harlem.

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