This week, literature lovers in the Twin Cities have plenty of exciting events to look forward to.
First up, a Very French Evening is being hosted by American Association of Teachers of French, featuring a conversation between French teachers Scott Dominic Carpenter and Nathalie Gaillot at Next Chapter Booksellers on Friday. The evening will delve into the world of French literature, providing an opportunity for attendees to engage with the culture and discuss its significance.
On Saturday, Red Balloon Bookshop will be hosting a discussion about the graphic novel "Wake Now in the Fire," which tells the true story of a group of Chicago teenagers fighting against the school system's ban on Marjane Satrapi's "Persepolis." The author of young adult novels "Unscripted" and "The Roof Over Our Heads," Nicole Kronzer, will be joining Chicago-area librarian Jarrett Dapier for an engaging conversation about book censorship.
Former Twin Cities DJ Mary Lucia will also share her story in a memoir reading event at the University Club on Tuesday. Her book "What Doesn’t Kill Me Makes Me Weider and Harder to Relate To" offers a candid look into the horrors of being stalked while living a public life.
A panel discussion featuring memoir authors Renee Gilmore, Kelly Foster, Tracy Youngblom, Michael Kleber-Diggs, will take place at Magers & Quinn on Monday. The event is open to registration and promises to be an insightful exploration of various themes in the world of memoir writing.
Additionally, a book-themed event "American Birkebeiner: The Nation’s Greatest Ski Marathon" by Jerome P. Poling will be presented at Magers & Quinn on Tuesday. Fans of skiing and adventure will surely enjoy this inspiring story.
To complement these literary events, Minnesota Center for Book Arts is hosting its annual open house, Press Play, which invites attendees to experience letterpress printing and book arts through hands-on activities. The event will take place from noon to 3 p.m. at MCBA in the Open Book building.
Lastly, Books for All St. Paul initiative aims to raise $62,000 this year to support the increasing demand for books, eBooks, movies, music, and more at the St. Paul Public Library. The library is now accepting donations of varying amounts, with options starting from $30 per book, $70 for eBooks, or $150 for creating a collection.
Throughout the week, literature enthusiasts can immerse themselves in diverse topics, learn about new releases, and explore various genres.
First up, a Very French Evening is being hosted by American Association of Teachers of French, featuring a conversation between French teachers Scott Dominic Carpenter and Nathalie Gaillot at Next Chapter Booksellers on Friday. The evening will delve into the world of French literature, providing an opportunity for attendees to engage with the culture and discuss its significance.
On Saturday, Red Balloon Bookshop will be hosting a discussion about the graphic novel "Wake Now in the Fire," which tells the true story of a group of Chicago teenagers fighting against the school system's ban on Marjane Satrapi's "Persepolis." The author of young adult novels "Unscripted" and "The Roof Over Our Heads," Nicole Kronzer, will be joining Chicago-area librarian Jarrett Dapier for an engaging conversation about book censorship.
Former Twin Cities DJ Mary Lucia will also share her story in a memoir reading event at the University Club on Tuesday. Her book "What Doesn’t Kill Me Makes Me Weider and Harder to Relate To" offers a candid look into the horrors of being stalked while living a public life.
A panel discussion featuring memoir authors Renee Gilmore, Kelly Foster, Tracy Youngblom, Michael Kleber-Diggs, will take place at Magers & Quinn on Monday. The event is open to registration and promises to be an insightful exploration of various themes in the world of memoir writing.
Additionally, a book-themed event "American Birkebeiner: The Nation’s Greatest Ski Marathon" by Jerome P. Poling will be presented at Magers & Quinn on Tuesday. Fans of skiing and adventure will surely enjoy this inspiring story.
To complement these literary events, Minnesota Center for Book Arts is hosting its annual open house, Press Play, which invites attendees to experience letterpress printing and book arts through hands-on activities. The event will take place from noon to 3 p.m. at MCBA in the Open Book building.
Lastly, Books for All St. Paul initiative aims to raise $62,000 this year to support the increasing demand for books, eBooks, movies, music, and more at the St. Paul Public Library. The library is now accepting donations of varying amounts, with options starting from $30 per book, $70 for eBooks, or $150 for creating a collection.
Throughout the week, literature enthusiasts can immerse themselves in diverse topics, learn about new releases, and explore various genres.
. It's awesome that we have so many opportunities to engage with French culture, discuss book censorship, and meet amazing authors like Nicole Kronzer 
. I also think it's great that Mary Lucia is sharing her story about being stalked – it's really brave of her 
. And, can't wait to check out the book-themed events at Magers & Quinn, especially "American Birkebeiner" - sounds so inspiring! 
. And, Press Play sounds like an amazing event too, getting to try letterpress printing and book arts is something I'd love to do 
.
Like, seriously though, have you seen the lineup for this week's literary events? I'm hyped about the French evening at Next Chapter Booksellers, but also kinda curious to see how that conversation between Scott Dominic Carpenter and Nathalie Gaillot will go. Will it be, like, super intellectual or just a bunch of fancy talk? 
On the other hand, I'm down for Mary Lucia's memoir reading event – her story is actually pretty wild, so fingers crossed it'll be entertaining. And omg, that panel discussion on memoir writing sounds soooo interesting... if you're into that sorta thing, which I kinda am, but also not entirely. 
. Like, who's gonna attend a French conversation one day and then another book discussion on the next? It's awesome that there's so much going on but can't we space it out a bit more?
. I also wanna go to that book-themed event about the ski marathon - sounds like an epic adventure! 
I need to get my hands on some printed books ASAP. And, omg, a discussion about book censorship? So important! We should all be talking about this more 
. And, of course, supporting Books for All St. Paul is a must - libraries are like, the heart of our community 
. Can't wait to see what else this week has in store! 
. Apparently, 2025 is shaping up to be one of the hottest years on record globally 
. The past few weeks have seen a massive surge in wildfires and heatwaves across the world, with many areas experiencing unprecedented temperatures 
.
. It's estimated that over 8 million tons of plastic waste are entering our oceans every year, which is just devastating 
. i love that there's something for everyone - from french literature to memoirs and even skiing 
. it's great that the minnesota center for book arts is hosting an open house too, looks like a fun hands-on experience 
. and yay for books for all, supporting the st paul public library is awesome 
its always dope 2 see ppl comin 2gthr 2 discuss books & share their passion 4 liturature 
i think its so cool dat theres evrything 4 every1 - from french lit 2 book arts, & even a ski marathon 
!! & can u beleev dat MN CBA is havin an open house w/ letterpress printing activities? 
I'm loving this lineup of events! It's great to see the Twin Cities community coming together to celebrate literature and support local authors. 
And supporting Books for All St. Paul initiative is a great way to give back to the community. Let's see how the donations go, maybe we'll get some new titles at our local library soon! 
. We stopped at this quirky little beach town and found this adorable vintage shop that sold the cutest board shorts, I swear they're going to be all over Instagram soon! 
Anyway, back to the events... have you read any good books lately? I'm in desperate need of some new recs 
. We're so caught up in the hype of book festivals and author readings that we forget to have nuanced conversations about what makes a great story 
Let's just say I'm skeptical of the whole 'write about your personal struggles' trend... maybe we should focus on crafting some compelling fictions instead 
.
As a parent, I'm interested in seeing how these events can engage kids in reading and writing 
It's no surprise with events like the panel discussion at Magers & Quinn featuring memoir authors who've sold over a million copies each! 
The average age of attendees at literary events is now around 35, which is a significant jump from 25 in 2015! 
). With the growing demand for books and resources at St. Paul Public Library, it's awesome that Books for All initiative aims to raise $62k this year! 
By the way, did you know that reading a single book can increase your IQ by 2 points? 