Two days after the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington, the AJC Decatur Book Festival will kick off its annual event with a keynote address by U.S. Rep. John Lewis, the civil rights leader who helped organize that historic event in 1963.
The former Freedom Rider is reaching out to a new generation of readers with "March: Book One," the first of a three-part memoir co-authored with Andrew Aydin and illustrated by Nate Powell in the style of a comic book.
“It is the first time we’ve had a keynote that had a graphic novel, and the great thing here is that it tells the story of the civil rights movement for all generations,” said program director Philip Rafshoon. “He is not only a living piece of history, but he is a symbol of Atlanta and this is an unprecedented kind of book.”
Civil and Human Rights is not only the name of a new track of programming at the eighth annual festival, taking place Aug. 30-Sept. 1, it is an overarching theme.
As a result, “our festival is incredibly diverse,” Rafshoon said. “I think you’ll see it’s the most diverse one we’ve had.”
Rafshoon is particularly excited to have Richard Blanco read "One Today," the poem he read at President Barack Obama's second inauguration.
“He is the first openly gay and Hispanic poet to read at the inauguration,” Rafshoon said. “When I saw him on the stage there, I said, ‘We have to get him here.’ It’s going to be a standout for him to be on our poetry track.”
This year also marks the 50th anniversary of Betty Friedan's "The Feminine Mystique," a book credited with launching the modern women's movement. "We really wanted someone to talk about feminism," Rafshoon said, and he found that someone in Naomi Wolf, author of "Vagina."
“Her new book is an astonishing work of cutting-edge science and cultural history on women,” he said.
The AJC Decatur Book Festival debuted in 2006, attracting 50,000 people, and it quickly became one of the largest independent book festivals in the country. Rafshoon participated in the festival that first year as a bookseller representing Outwrite Book Store and Coffee House, which he owned in Midtown for 18 years before it closed in 2012. This year marks his first as program director. He expects 85,000 to attend.
The festival boasts 17 programming tracks this year, six more than last year. In addition to Civil and Human Rights, new tracks include Beach Reads; Sports; Humanities Council; Arts/Photography; and Family, Education and Parenting. And there are scores of authors who fall outside those 17 tracks, who will be promoting works of popular and literary fiction and nonfiction.
There are also three new stages this year — two in the newly renovated Decatur Recreation Center and the auditorium in the Decatur High School.
A major new addition to the festival this year is Art|dbf, a multifaceted showcase of local arts organizations. Pop-up performances, formal productions, exhibitions and information booths representing a variety of performing and visual arts groups will take place at locations throughout the festival grounds.
“It seemed like a natural fit,” said executive director Daren Wang. “And it’s a way for us to reinvigorate the street fair. We love all our vendors and exhibitors, but this is bringing a different kind of playfulness to the festival.”
Participating organizations so far include Atlanta Celebrates Photography, Flux Projects, gloATL, the High Museum, Museum of Contemporary Art of Georgia, Theatrical Outfit and WonderRoot.
Other highlights this year include:
- Robert Morgan, author of the Oprah-sanctioned "Gap Creek," about newlyweds Julie and Hank Richards of Appalachia. "The Road From Gap Creek" is his highly anticipated follow-up to the Richards family saga.
- Lily Koppel, a journalist who's written for The New York Times and Huffington Post and author of "The Astronaut Wives Club," a nonfiction account of our space pioneers' wives.
- Marcia Clark, the defense attorney who handled the O.J. Simpson murder trial and crime novelist whose latest is "Killer Ambition."
- Dr. Richard Besser, former Centers for Disease Control and Prevention director and chief health and medical editor for ABC News, offering advice for a long and healthy life in "Tell Me the Truth, Doctor."
- Tomie dePaola, the "Strega Nona" children's book author and illustrator who will deliver the kidnote address.
- Lev and Austin Grossman, twin brothers and novelists; Lev also writes about books and technology for Time magazine, and Austin is a video game developer.
- Two children's parades, one Saturday morning and on Sunday morning.
More events and authors will be announced as the festival draws near. For up-to-date information, visit www.decaturbookfestival.com.
