Lecture and Book Event Venues

THE FRIENDS OF THE HENNEPIN COUNTY LIBRARY
300 Nicollet Mall
Minneapolis, MN 55401
952-847-8100 main
www.supporthclib.org

PenPals Author Lecture Series
Webpage 
Contact: Lynn C. DeVore, Director of Sponsor Relations
ldevore@hclib.org
952-847-8104 direct
Venue - Hopkins Center for the Arts Theater
www.hopkinsmn.com/_hca/lectures.html

The Pen Pals series, which premiered in 1997, is the longest running author lecture series in the Twin Cities, and among the most highly regarded literary series nationally. PenPals features two presentations by each author and boasts over 850 loyal subscribers. All PenPals series proceeds benefit the Hennepin County Library system. Around Town Agency is proud to have provided speaker management and production consulting for PenPals for the entire 14 year life of the series.

2011-2012 Season
October 27-28, 2011
JHUMPA LAHIRI

December 1-2, 2011
MICHAEL ONDAATJE

March 15-16, 2012
WALLACE SHAWN

April 19-20, 2011
DR. BRIAN GREENE

May 10-11, 2012
ARTHUR PHILLIPS

Talk of the Stacks
Webpage
Contact: Rachel Fulkerson, Public Awareness and Communications Director
952-847-8107 direct
rfulkerson@hclib.org

Talk of the Stacks is a reading series exploring contemporary literature and culture. Programs are held in Pohlad Hall at the Central Library in downtown Minneapolis. The series is free to the public with open seating.

Winter 2012 Schedule
January 31, 2012   7PM
GABRIELLE HAMILTON
Blood, Bones & Butter

February 21, 2012   7PM
DAVID TREUER
Rez Life

March 27, 2012   7PM
BENJAMIN BUSCH
Dust to Dust

Club Book
Webpage
Club Book brings nationally recognized authors to library communities throughout the seven county Minneapolis/St. Paul metropolitan area. From Stillwater to Chanhassen and Minnetonka to St. Paul, Club Book establishes area libraries as vital, vibrant centers of cultural programming and exchange. A collaboration of public libraries in the 7 county metro area, this exciting new series presents best-selling and award-winning national and regional writers, proving that libraries may be the coolest club in town. Club Book, a program of the Metropolitan Library Services Agency and coordinated by the the Friends of the Hennepin County Library, is funded by Minnesota’s Legacy Amendment Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund. The funding was made possible by the vote of the people of Minnesota on November 4, 2008 which dedicated funding to preserve Minnesota's arts and cultural heritage. For more information on the series, link to clubbook.org or call 952-847-8107.

THE LOFT LITERARY CENTER
www.loft.org
1011 Washington Avenue South
Minneapolis, MN 55415
612-215-2575 main
612-215-2576 fax
Contact: Jerod Santek, Program Director
jsantek@loft.org
612-215-2586 direct

The Loft is a nonprofit arts organization offering services for readers and writers at every level. From novels to children's literature, playwriting to poetry, spoken word to memoir, there's something for everyone at the Loft. Programs include readings by acclaimed local and national authors, classes, weekend genre festivals, competitions and grants, writer's studios, and more. The list of acclaimed authors who have appeared at the Loft over the years reads like a Who's Who of American letters. The Loft is located in the award-winning Open Book literary arts building in Downtown Minneapolis.

Loft Reading Series
The Loft hosts a huge array of literary readings for the community. Watch the calendar for these events at Open Book. Often a reception will follow the readings.

Publication Events
The Loft frequently sponsors publication readings in the Target Performance Hall. At any given time you may find A-list literary authors, local poets, celebrated spoken word artists, or regional mystery writers. Publication readings are free.

Equilibrium
EQ for short, is the Loft's ground-breaking and wildly successful series devoted to spoken word artists and audiences of color. Acclaimed as one of the Nation's top spoken word venues, EQ combines an intimate, engaging atmosphere with energetic, packed houses. EQ has created a space where national talent shares the stage with local emerging artists. 

Raking Through Books
Raking Through Books consists of two signature events: the Literary Love Fest in February and the Dead Writers’ Party in October. The Loft and Kieran’s Irish Pub cosponsor the events with help from the U of M Bookstores. Events take place at Kieran's Irish Pub, 601 N. 1st Ave., Minneapolis.

MINNESOTA PUBLIC RADIO
480 Cedar Street 
St. Paul, MN 55101
651-290-1500 main
www.mpr.org

Talking Volumes
Webpage
Contact: Stephanie Curtis
Senior Producer, News and Culture Live Events
651-290-1265 direct
scurtis@mpr.org
Interviewer: Kerri Miller
Host of MPR's "Midmorning" program.
Venue: The Fitzgerald Theater
www.fitzgeraldtheater.publicradio.org

Talking Volumes is a region-wide book club and multi-media author series sponsored by MPR and the Minneapolis Star Tribune, in collaboration with The Loft Literary Center. Featuring 5-6 authors each season (Fall through Spring). Talking Volumes includes feature articles in the Star Tribune and "A View From the Loft," the Loft's newsletter, and culminates with a MPR produced on-stage interview at the Fitzgerald Theater with MPR Midmorning host, Kerri Miller. The Talking Volumes broadcast typically airs 2-3 times through-out the upper Midwest. Talking Volumes typically presents fiction writers but have featured issue-oriented and memoir nonfiction authors. The series premiered in 2000.

Fall 2011 Season
 
September 14, 2011   
JENNIFER EGAN
"A Visit from thre Goon Squad"

October 5, 2011   
STACY SCHIFF
"Cleopatra: A Life"

November 2, 2011   
COLSON WHITEHEAD
"Zone One"

November 17, 2011   
CHUCK PALAHNIUK
"Damned"

FRIENDS OF THE ST. PAUL PUBLIC LIBRARY
Webpage
325 Cedar Street, Suite 555
Saint Paul, MN 55101-1055
Alayne Hopkins, Programming Coordinator
alayne@thefriends.org
651-222-3242 direct
651-222-1988 fax

RAIN TAXI READING SERIES | TWIN CITIES BOOK FESTIVAL
Webpage
Rain Taxi
PO Box 3840
Minneapolis, MN 55403
Contact: Eric Lorberer
612-825-1528

The Rain Taxi Reading Series, which premiered in 1998, presents eight to ten literary authors in the Twin Cities each year. Reading venues vary from the intimate (40-50 seats) to the very large (250-400). A subset of the series titled "Free Verse" is curated by Rain Taxi and held at the prestigious Walker Art Center.

The Twin Cities Book Festival is a one-day gala held every October, and draws over 6000 people. The Festival includes readings, lectures, panels, workshops, and an enormous book fair featuring publishers, authors, booksellers and arts organizations. All Rain Taxi events are free, with rare exceptions.

Venues
Twin Cities Book Festival: Mpls. Community and Technical College in downtown Mpls. 
Reading Series: theater, gallery and community locations around the Twin Cities.

WESTMINSTER TOWN HALL FORUM
Webpage
Contact: Susan McKenna
smckenna@wpc-mpls.org
612.332.3421 direct
Venue: Westminster Presbyterian Church, Downtown Minneapolis

The 28-year old Forum traces its roots to an informal public affairs lecture series held at Westminster Presbyterian Church in Minneapolis. In 1980, Westminster recognized the need for a broader understanding of the complex issues confronting our society, and they developed the concept of a noontime forum where leading thinkers, innovators, and activists could provide thoughtful insight into pressing contemporary issues. An overall theme for the Forum was established which continues today: Voices of Conscience: Key Issues in Ethical Perspective. More than 180 speakers have addressed the Forum during its 27-year history, including Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Elie Wiesel, Shirley Chisholm, Arthur Schlesinger, Marian Wright Edelman, Thomas Friedman, Salman Rushdie, and David Halberstam. The Forum hosts 10-12 speakers each year during its Fall and Spring seasons. Forums take place at Noon and are broadcast live (and typically rebroadcast) by Minnesota Public Radio to an audience of 60,000+ listeners.