Here’s a public service announcement for any local bibliophiles who may be reading my humble blog: The Great Salt Lake Book Festival is now underway at the beautiful Salt Lake Main Library. The Festival’s director, Rebecca Batt, is an acquaintance of mine, and it looks like she’s done a fine job this year. The schedule for the next three days is packed with interesting speakers from the Western literary scene, including the novelist Ivan Doig, nature photographer and writer Stephen Trimble, graphic novelist Dave Sim and artist Gerhard (the creators of the monumental work Cerebus), and Steve Hendricks, a journalist who has just published what sounds like a very intriguing book on the way the FBI derailed the mid-70s movement for American Indian rights. Also on hand are Salt Lake’s favorite Jeopardy champ Ken Jennings and Betsy Burton, the outspoken advocate of independent booksellers and co-owner of The King’s English bookshop.
For those, like me, who probably won’t be able to attend in person, a number of the author lectures will be broadcast on KCPW, a radio station that’s headquartered at Library Square on 88.3 FM, 1010 AM, and, of course, over the Web. Should be some good stuff going on… check it out!