It's Thursday 10:46 AM — The Main Library is currently open
This year marks the 10th anniversary of Open Book / Open Mind, our popular author conversation series. Over the years we’ve hosted Colson Whitehead, Matthew Desmond, Michelle Zauner, Ann Patchett, Nicholas Kristof, Isabel Wilkerson, Maggie Haberman, Jhumpa Lahiri, Charles Blow, Christina Baker Kline, Sandra Cisneros, Alice Hoffman, Isabel Allende, Mary Roach, Toluse Olorunnipa, Elizabeth Kolbert, Michael Schmidt, Jonathan Alter, Rachel Swarns and so many more. We’re proud that attending our events has become a Montclair tradition.
Use the blue navigation buttons above to learn more about the origins of Open Book / Open Mind and to view yearly lists of programs with YouTube links. Scroll down to find out more about the generous sponsors and our advisory committee of outstanding volunteers who make this series possible, year after year.
For more information, contact MPL librarian Ariel Zeitlin.
Thursday, November 13, 6:30 p.m. Cleyvis Natera, “The Grand Paloma Resort.” In conversation with Caroline Palmer (“Workhorse”).
A literary thriller set in the Dominican Republic with echoes of White Lotus. “This is…the beauty of Natera’s novel: It’s one of those entertaining beach reads that also make you think. ‘Grand Paloma’ will transport you, and it will insist that you take note not only of your surroundings but also of the people who made them the way they are — beautiful or not, real or manufactured, sturdy or at risk of annihilation.”—The New York Times
Co-presented by Latinos of Montclair as part of their VOCES series
Wednesday, December 3, 6:30 p.m. Angela Flournoy, “The Wilderness.” In conversation with Cleyvis Natera (“The Grand Paloma Resort”).
Longlisted for the National Book Award. The acclaimed author of “The Turner House” has written a second novel, about five Black women over twenty years of friendship. “Angela Flournoy’s vivid second novel, “The Wilderness,” treats friendship with the dignity and fascination it deserves…as the four [women] share love in all its contradictions and complexities, its capacity to be both uneven and steadfast. — The Washington Post
Tuesday, October 28, 6:30 p.m. Jacob Silverman, “Gilded Rage: Elon Musk and the Radicalization of Silicon Valley.” In conversation with Jon Fortt of CNBC.
A New York Times bestselling author talks with a leading tech journalist about his investigation into the billionaires that increasingly run our lives, shape the global economy, and support right-wing causes. “In Gilded Rage, Jacob Silverman delivers a clear-eyed anatomy of tech-addled delusion that has stubbornly eluded our media and political establishment for more than thirty years. Along the way, he recounts how the libertarian ethos of Silicon Valley has curdled into a frontal assault on our democracy.” ―Chris Lehmann of The Nation
Media sponsor: The Jersey Bee
Thursday, October 9, 6:30 p.m. Amanda Hess, “Second Life: Having a Child in the Digital Age.” In conversation with Sasha Weiss of The New York Times magazine.
When New York Times writer at large Hess discovered her unborn child had a rare birth anomaly, she found herself fixated on the many sources of information on the Internet, both credible and dubious. Amanda Hess “…trains her critic’s eye on her own life, probing both the effect of the internet on maternal guilt and anxiety (a nearly universal condition) and the more specific challenges of her own motherhood journey.…Smart, funny, and filled with love.”—The Boston Globe
Co-presented by 1 in 6 Support.
ONLINE: Monday, September 29, 7 p.m. Mary Roach, “Replaceable You: Adventures in Human Anatomy.” In conversation with Kate Tuttle, books editor of The Boston Globe. Roach, the New York Times best-selling author of “Stiff,” “Grunt,” “Fuzz,” has been called “America’s funniest science writer.” (The Washington Post) Join her on a rollicking exploration of regenerative medicine, from pigs’ bladders to prosthetic limbs.“This approachable and humorous explainer will delight the scientifically curious while removing stigma, fear, or embarrassment around biomedical adaptive technologies and body enhancements…A treat for Roach admirers, this book also serves as an excellent introduction to her body of work.” ― Library Journal
This is a free Zoom conversation.
Wednesday, September 10, 7 p.m. Richard Rothstein and Leah Rothstein, “Just Action,” How to Challenge Segregation Enacted Under the Color of Law.” In conversation with Ryan P. Haygood of the New Jersey Institute for Social Justice. Co-sponsored by Partners for Health Foundation. At the First Congregational Church of Montclair.
Richard, a civil rights attorney and the author of the landmark bestseller, “The Color of Law,” teamed up with his daughter, Leah, a fair housing expert, to write “Just Action,” a handbook for challenging outdated laws and policies that support segregation: “‘[Just Action’ is an] impassioned guide to ending residential segregation in America . . . Throughout, inspiring stories of people uniting to preserve their communities and redress segregation are interwoven with nitty-gritty policy details. It’s a comprehensive and inspiring guide to solving a pressing social problem.”―Publishers Weekly
NO VIDEO AVAILABLE
Tuesday, June 3, 6:30 p.m. New Ways to View Marriage: A Panel with Ada Calhoun (“Crush: A Novel”), Molly Roden Winter (More: A Memoir of Open Marriage) and Jaclyn Geller (“Moving Past Marriage”). Moderated by Kate Tuttle, books editor of The Boston Globe. Love may still be a many-splendored thing but many have questions about matrimony. Join a bestselling novelist-journalist, musician, professor and book critic to discuss open marriage, the merits and deficits of matrimony, and the possibility of wedded bliss.
NEW TIME Saturday, May 3, 12:30 p.m. Edwin Frank, “Stranger Than Fiction: Lives of the Twentieth-Century Novel.” In conversation with Alexandra Jacobs of The New York Times Book Review. The editorial director of New York Review Books and the founder of the NYRB Classics series engages deeply with the twentieth-century novel. “‘Stranger Than Fiction’ is a rare thing: a volume of criticism that is a thrilling read….It not only illuminates unexpected connections but also suggests that there are many, many other links out there still waiting to be discovered.”—Los Angeles Review of Books
Co-sponsored by Succeed2gether’s Montclair Literary Festival
NO VIDEO AVAILABLE
Tuesday, April 29, 6:30 p.m. Anne Berest and Claire Berest, “Gabriële.” In conversation with Violaine Huisman (The Book of Mother”). An atmospheric, exuberant novel from the best-selling author of “The Postcard,” and her sister about their great-grandmother’s foray into love and sex, art and revolution, experimentation and creativity. “Among the luminaries that populate the novel are Marcel Duchamp, whom Gabriële meets and introduces to Francis. They add the poet Guillaume Apollinaire to their circle, and the four lead the burgeoning Dada movement….With lyrical prose, the Berests blend historical context with more intimate insights.”—Publishers Weekly
Co-sponsored by Succeed2gether’s Montclair Literary Festival and The Montclair Campus of L’Alliance New York
NO VIDEO AVAILABLE
Saturday, April 26, 1:45 p.m. Benjamin Wallace, “The Mysterious Mr. Nakomoto: A Fifteen-Year Quest to Unmask the Secret Genius Behind Crypto.” In conversation with David Enrich (“Murder the Truth: Threats, Intimidation and a Secret Campaign to Protect the Powerful”) and Ray Brescia (“The Private is Political: Identity and Democracy in the Age of Surveillance Capitalism”). By the New York Times bestselling author of “The Billionaire’s Vinegar.” “‘This unexpectedly gripping page-turner attempts to get to the bottom of who, exactly, is behind the online identity who invented Bitcoin….takes [the author] on a global odyssey filled with online puzzles, shadowy figures, near-death escapades, and much more.”—LitHub
Co-sponsored by Succeed2gether’s Montclair Literary Festival
Thursday, April 3, 7 p.m. Chris Bohjalian, “The Jackal’s Mistress.“ In conversation with Christina Baker Kline (“The Exiles,” “Orphan Train”). Two #1 New York Times bestselling historical novelists discuss Bohjalian’s latest, which is based on a true Civil War story about the growing friendship between the wife of a missing Confederate soldier and a wounded Union officer. “This page-turner from bestselling Bohjalian…will not disappoint fans of American Civil War narratives. The vividly drawn characters and historical details make for a compelling read.”—Library Journal
Saturday, March 15, 4 p.m. Anna Quindlen, “After Annie.” In conversation with Elisabeth Egan of The New York Times Book Review. At The First Congregational Church of Montclair. The Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist’s latest New York Times bestseller. When Annie, the pillar of her family and community, dies unexpectedly, everyone in her life must find a way to mourn, heal, and, ultimately, move on. “Part of Quindlen’s gift is that you don’t just read about these characters, you inhabit them. . . . Luminous with life, hope and the power of love.”—People magazine
NO VIDEO AVAILABLE
Tuesday, February 25, 7 p.m. Curtis Sittenfeld, “Show Don’t Tell.” In conversation with Jennifer Hershey, editor at large of Random House and publisher of Ballantine Books, Bantam and Delacorte/Dell. At The First Congregational Church of Montclair. The New York Times bestselling author of “Eligible” and “Romantic Comedy” will be talking with her longtime editor about her newest book of short stories. “Witty . . . In one sparkling comedy of manners after another, [Sittenfeld] documents with a clear and affectionate eye how tiny prejudices and blind spots lead her protagonists astray. These stories entertain and unsettle in equal measure.”—Publishers Weekly
VIEW THE VIDEO
Tuesday, February 18, 6:30 p.m. Jennifer Jones, “Becoming Spectacular : The Rhythm of Resilience from the First African American Rockette.“ In conversation with Sharron Miller. The program includes a slideshow of Jones in her heyday. “Being a pioneer involves breaking down stubborn barriers, challenging closed-minded people and navigating through instances of racism and prejudice….It’s believing in your dream—that you can be and do whatever it is that you love.”—Jennifer Jones
Co-presented by Sharron Miller’s Academy for the Performing Arts
Saturday, January 25, 4 p.m. Rumaan Alam, “Entitlement.“ In conversation with Alice Elliott Dark (“Fellowship Point”). A novel of money and morality from the New York Times bestselling author of “Leave the World Behind.” “A brilliant exploration of extreme wealth and how it bends the lives of those close to it… Alam keeps things crystal clear and speedway fast.”—The Boston Globe
Co-presented by AAPI Montclair
We are grateful to all of the wonderful authors, conversation partners, library staffers, and, of course, attendees who make Open Book / Open Mind Online such a success.
Special thanks to the Open Book / Open Mind Advisory Committee: Co-chairs Alice Elliott Dark and Kate Tuttle; Jonathan Alter, Reagan Arthur, Marina Budhos, Neal Carruth, Catherine Chung, Alice Elliott Dark, Jennifer Dorr, Elisabeth Egan, David Folkenflik, Dionne Ford, Jon Fortt, Gabrielle Glaser, David Jones, DT Max, Dale Russakoff, Juan Milà, Sara Mosle, Margot Sage-EL, Rachel Swarns, Susan Weinberg, and Kate Zernike.
Open Book / Open Mind is presented by the Montclair Public Library through the unstinting financial support of The Montclair Public Library Foundation, Watchung Booksellers, First Congregational Church of Montclair, The George Montclair, and Amanti Vino. Many thanks to our generous donors, Dr. Alex and Doris Malaspina, Anonymous, David and Mary Lee Jones, and our new individual Underwriters.
