FIU English professors speak on latest novels and poetry

Open to all bibliophiles, the Miami Book Fair International is a weeklong showcase of all things literature that takes place throughout a large portion of downtown Miami. The event attracts more than a hundred thousand visitors every year.

In its 28th year, the book fair is hosted by Miami Dade College and takes place in its Wolfson Campus. The author events take place throughout the week of November 13-20, while the street fair runs Friday through Sunday, November 18-20.

More than 250 publishers and book sellers from around the nation set up shop at the street fair to sell novels of all genres to the South Florida community.

David Wulf, owner of the used bookstores BookSmart, Bookwise and Murder on the Beach, in Boca Raton, has been selling books for five years at the fair.

The majority of his books cost only $1 each.

“Nobody goes into this business thinking they’re going to make a lot of money. They do it because they just love books,” said Wulf, who left his previous job as an attorney to become a bookseller. “What I like about an event like this is that it give people the chance to stumble upon things they wouldn’t normally find. They tend to surprise even themselves.

While considered MDC’s “flagship cultural event,” the fair goes beyond just hosting book merchants and offers a week of educational activities that seek to engage readers to look beyond the pages of their favorite works.  Many of these events include the “Evenings with…” series, IberoAmerican Authors program, Student Literary Encounters, Children’s Alley and the Weekend Festival of Authors.

“What is so great about the fair is that it has specialized areas for kids who really need to be shown the wonders of reading. I think the fair does a good job at presenting it as fun for children,” said Candace Sierra, a junior English major who attends the fair every year. “Also, for adults, you’re providing a venue to discover so many new authors they may not have otherwise discovered.

The Miami Book Fair is considered one of the largest literary festivals in the country. It began in 1984 as a cooperative effort among the Dade County Library, MDC, and independent bookstore owners. Today, it is responsible for attracting readers and writers from around the world while promoting the advancement and appreciation of literature for book lovers of all ages.

One session series called The Writer’s Voice, allows fair goers to listen to authors read the first pages of their newest novels. Many engage in discussions with their listeners about the art of storytelling.

“Don’t invest in books about writing,” said Pete Hamill, a journalist and author of the fiction book, “Tabloid City” who took part in one of the last readings on Sunday, Nov. 20. “If anything, get a book on acting because a craft like ours is about making emotion visible.”

Robert Olen Butler, who wrote the novel “A Small Hotel”, also shared advice to aspiring writers at the session.

“In creative writing, you get caught up in the technique. But art does not come from the mind, it comes from the unconscious, where you dream,” said Butler.

Many professors from the FIU English Department, who are published authors of poetry and fiction, served as speakers this year. Among them were Lynne Barrett, author of the short story collection called “Magpies”; John Dufresne, editor of a collection of poems by Jeffrey Knapp; Denise Duhamel, author of numerous poetry books; and Campbell McGrath, author of nine collections of poetry.

Les Standlford, the director of the Creative Writing Program at the University, held a session, on the last day of the fair, to discuss his newest book called “Last Train to Paradise: Henry Flagler and the Spectacular Rise and Fall of the Railroad that Crossed an Ocean”.

It is an account of the construction and demise of the Key West Railroad, known as “one of the greatest engineering feats ever undertaken.”

“I find it inspirational to see FIU professors speak at the book fair,” said Sierra. “While these professors work daily jobs on campus they also stay recognized within their actual field of study. It’s something any English major hopes for one day.”

Other confirmed authors included singer/songwriter Rosanne Cash, Chinese novelist Yu Hua, Senator Bob Graham, former U.S. Poet Laureate Robert Pinsky, NPR Radio host Bob Edwards, journalist Jim Lehrer, novelist Tea’ Obreht, novelist and essayist Colson Whitehead, novelist Michael Ondaatje, children’s author Megan McDonald, Native American writer Leslie Marmon Silko, and filmmaker John Sayles.

“Any city can benefit from a cultural event like this,” Sierra said. “It brings people together towards a common goal and reading is a pretty amazing goal.