All-star lineup for PLA 2010
NEWS
For Immediate Release
October 13, 2009
The lineup of speakers for the Public Library Association’s (PLA) 13th National Conference, PLA 2010, will include several acclaimed authors. Nicholas D. Kristof, Scott Turow, Sue Grafton and Sarah Vowell are among the speakers who will keynote author events and luncheons during the conference, held March 23 -27, 2010 in Portland Ore. Tickets for these events can be purchased at
www.placonference.org.
Nancy Pearl presents "Book Buzz"
Wednesday, March 24, 2010 10:30 a.m. - noon
Join Nancy Pearl and assorted friends from the world of publishing as they talk about some of the best upcoming books. Pearl recommends books regularly on NPR's "Morning Edition," as well as local public radio stations in Milwaukee, Seattle and Tulsa. Her books include “
Book Crush: For Kids and Teens: Recommended Reading for Every Mood, Moment, and Interest” and “
Book Lust: Recommended Reading for Every Mood, Moment, and Reason.” This session is open to all registered conference attendees.
Nicholas D. Kristof to Keynote PLA Conference Opening Session
Wednesday, March 24, 2010 2:30 - 4 p.m.
For more than 20 years,
New York Times journalist and Pulitzer Prize-winner Nicholas D. Kristof has been at the forefront of world issues, from his coverage of the pro-democracy movement in Tiananmen Square to his recent reportage of the genocide in Darfur. His recent book (which he co-wrote with wife Sheryl WuDunn) “
Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide” charts the oppression of women in developing countries and serves as a call to action to combat these issues. This session is open to all registered conference attendees.
Thursday's Adult Author Luncheon to feature Scott Turow
Thursday, March 25, 2010 Noon - 1:45 p.m.
Scott Turow made a huge splash in the book world with his debut novel “
Presumed Innocent” and has continued his streak of acclaimed best-selling books ever since. He has won a number of literary awards, including the Heartland Prize in 2003 for “
Reversible Errors” and
Time Magazine's Best Work of Fiction 1999 for “
Personal Injuries.” His latest novel, “Innocent,” will be published in Mary 2010.
This event requires an additional fee.
Thursday’s Young Adult Author Luncheon to feature Virginia Euwer Wolff
Thursday, March 25, 2010 Noon – 1:45 p.m.
Virginia Euwer Wolff has made an indelible impression on the YA landscape over the past 20 years, all the more notable considering she spent the first half of her career as an English teacher. Her books include the
Make Lemonade trilogy, “
Bat 6,” “
Probably Still Nick Swansen,” and “
The Mozart Season.” Each of her books has been named either an ALA Notable Book or ALA Best Book, and she received the National Book Award for “
True Believer.”
This event requires an additional fee.
Audio Publisher's Dinner
Thursday, March 25th, 2010 6 - 8:30 p.m.
Some of the best mystery authors writing today will converge at the Audio Publisher’s Dinner. This year's speakers include Chelsea Cain, who has gained prominence with her Archie Sheridan and Gretchen Lowell series; Sue Grafton, author of the Kinsey Milhone mysteries; Tony Award-winning actress Judy Kaye, who voices Kinsey Milhone on the audiobooks; and Marcia Muller, recently named a Grand Master by the Mystery Writers of America.
This event requires an additional fee.
Friday’s Adult Author Luncheon to feature Luis Urrea
Friday, March 26, 2010 Noon – 1:45 p.m.
Author, poet and essayist Luis Alberto Urrea was a 2005 Pulitzer Prize finalist and was recently inducted into the Latino Literature Hall of Fame. Powerful and evocative, Urrea’s writing has concentrated largely on the Tijuana border culture and sheds light on a too-often forgotten people. He has written 11 books, including “
The Devil's Highway,” “
The Hummingbird's Daughter” (based on the life of his great-aunt Teresita, often labeled “The Mexican Joan of Arc”), and, most recently, “
Into the Beautiful North.”
This event requires an additional fee.
Children's Author Luncheon to feature Kadir Nelson
Friday, March 26, 2010 Noon - 1:45 p.m.
Kadir Nelson began his career as an award-winning illustrator of many children's books, including “
Thunder Rose and
Moses: When Harriet Tubman Led Her People to Freedom.” His authorial debut, “
We Are the Ship: The Story of Negro League Baseball,” was a
New York Times bestseller and won the Sibert Medal among many other awards. He has recently created a book called “
Change Has Come: An Artist Celebrates Our American Spirit” about the historic election of Barack Obama.
This event requires an additional fee.
Sarah Vowell to Keynote Closing Session
Saturday, March 27, 2010 11:45 a.m. - 1 p.m.
Sarah Vowell is the author of four bestselling books and has been a contributing editor for NPR’s "This American Life" since 1996. Vowell's “
Assassination Vacation” is a hilarious and haunting road trip to tourist sites devoted to the murders of presidents Lincoln, Garfield and McKinley. Her latest book, “
The Wordy Shipmates,” a history of American Puritans, was published in 2008 and she is currently at work on a history of 19th century Hawaii. This session is open to all registered conference attendees.
Offered biennially, the PLA National Conference is the premier event for public libraries, drawing librarians, library support staff, trustees, Friends and library vendors from across the country and around the world. The conference includes nearly 200 top-quality continuing education programs, preconferences and talk tables, plus several social events and networking opportunities and a bustling exhibits hall. PLA 2010, the PLA 13th National Conference, will be held March 23-27 in Portland.
For more information about PLA 2010, visit the National Conference Web site, www.placonference.org. For more information about other PLA events and programs, contact the PLA office at
pla@ala.org or (800) 545-2433, ext. 5PLA, or visit PLA's Web site at
www.pla.org.
