Annual Book Festival highlights local talents

By: L. Rachel Greenberg

Posted: 10/2/08

In the middle of Saturday's series of rainstorms, groups of Hopkins students and Baltimore natives trekked in raincoats and boots to the 2008 Baltimore Book Festival at Mount Vernon Place in the 600 block of N. Charles Street. The 13th annual production of the Book Festival went on from Friday through Sunday despite the weather, presenting public readings and performances from over 200 nationally and locally renowned authors and performers along with all the culture and fun that Baltimore street fairs are known for.

Tents filled with book vendors, local store representatives and publishers lined Charles Street, offering a variety of special interest books. One of the most popular attractions for this year included the Radical Bookfair Pavilion which featured stands from well-known Baltimore names like Atomic Books and Red Emma's Bookstore Coffeehouse as well as independent groups. Tables of independently produced magazines, literature and artwork were displayed by such groups as Justseeds: Radical Artists' Cooperative and Industrial Workers of the World Baltimore division. Author Hanne Blank was present to discuss her new book, Virgin: The Untouched History. The idea to write this book, Blank says, comes from her strongly feminist viewpoints and her idea of the double standard for virginity between men and women. Blank's book is available from and was presented by Atomic Books.

Free magazines with names like Hot Pants: Do-It-Yourself Gynecology, Dropping Out for Students and Young People, Zapatistas in their Own Words and White Shark Tales: Vanarchy in the USA were offered.

Artists who can honestly and genuinely define themselves as punk, many of them from the original generation, sported a range of hair and dress styles at their tables sponsored by independent groups. They presented independently produced art as well as literature. The Radical Printmakers Cooperative offered a presentation of their projects as well as a lecture.

The CityLit Project presented one of the most popular and frequented showcases at the fair. The group, which focuses on producing cultural and literary events throughout Baltimore, presented readings and questionnaires with local writers and academics including professors from most of Baltimore's colleges. Mary Jo Salter represented Hopkins with Brad Leithauser at the "Married, with Writer" panel in which professors from Hopkins and Loyola, as well as freelance writers, answered questions about their work in literature as well as their teaching experiences. Authors offered insight into the teaching experience and their exchanges with students, as well as advice for aspiring authors and journalists.

The CityLit's School of Lit stage presented all-day readings from students at many of Baltimore's colleges including Hopkins, Loyola, Goucher, Towson and UMBC. Writing Seminars students Gabrielle Ponce, Joanna Pearson and Rachel Monroe represented the talent of writers at Hopkins with readings of their poetry and prose.

The Little Patuxent Review, a literary magazine presenting local authors and artists, gave readings of their work, and the Festival Stage demonstrated Baltimore's talent in the performing arts with small productions of independent plays, as well as numerous groups of singers and vocalists who performed a wide variety of music including soul and showtunes.

Popular vendors included McSweeney's presenting their 28th installment of their quarterly review. McSweeney's quarterly review is well-known for its selection of artistic and literary works that range from the absurdly funny to bitingly satirical. This edition is presented as four individual short story volumes tied together by a painting formed from the collected covers. The group also presented a selection of new, less known publications including Lemony Snicket's 2007 children's book, The Latke Who Couldn't Stop Screaming.

The Johns Hopkins University Press was also present, offering a selection of books ranging in category from science to history to literary review. Titles included Seductive Delusions: How Everyday People Catch STDs by Jill Grimes, M.D., a book that explores the subject of the spread of STDs in middle America by discussing true accounts of women with STDs. Another popular title is Becoming Batman: The Possibility of a Superhero by E. Paul Zehr, which discusses the possibilities of a human ever achieving the physical feats of Batman and whether or not such an event could ever be possible. Zehr explores the subject with emphasis on athletic skill, no surprise considering that he holds two black belts. Books were also featured on such subjects as Maryland history and ecology.

Major draws for the Book Festival included names like Naomi Wolf, author of The Beauty Myth and Promiscuities and chef Mark McEwen, as well as congresswomen Loretta and Linda Sanchez. Michael Ian Black, comedian famous for appearances in VH1's I Love the '80s, NBC's Ed and Wet Hot American Summer, gave readings from his book, My Custom Van: and 50 Other Mind Blowing Essays that Will Blow Your Mind All Over Your Face.

The Festival also included smaller venues: Musicians and bands performed all day and historical and literary tours were given by actors in period clothing. Workshops were also offered on developing writing skills in prose, graphic novels and children's literature, as well as on developing a market and attention for aspiring writers. A display was also presented on the Modern Library's 100 Best English-Language Novels of the 20th Century, a popular attraction for the crowds of literature fans.

The 2008 Baltimore Book Festival delivered despite the weather, an exciting artistic and literary experience that reflected the influence of Baltimore culture on the literary world and brought attention to the many talented writers living in the city.