Arts & Entertainment

Your Guide to the Collingswood Book Festival

The festival is a huge, busy event. Here's some of the don't-miss details.

With four tents, dozens of exhibitors, and panelists galore, there's a lot going on at the Collingswood Book Festival on Saturday.

Not sure what to see? We've broken down the day's itinerary with tracks for adults, teens, and children.

For Adults

Tent One has a lineup of readings, signings and discussions for adults. Of special note is Larry Kane's discussion of his time covering The Beatles during the British Invasion (12 noon), followed by the 1 p.m. author-led discussion of the Collingswood town book, Will Schwalbe's End of Your Life Book Club.

(Did you miss the Tuesday discussion at the library? Patch blogger Jim Angehr of liberti church Collingswood offers up his take here.)

Sports fans will want to catch radio personality Glenn Macnow's baseball discussion panel at 2 p.m., which features authors of books about Lenny Dykstra, Jamie Moyer, Willie Mays and Mickey Mantle—or the 3 p.m. discussion about Philadelphia's treatment in the national media.

Here's the full breakdown of events at Tent One.

10:15 a.m. - Judy Wicks, Good Morning, Beautiful Business: The Unexpected Journey of an Activist Entrepreneur and Local Economy Pioneer

11 a.m. - Panel Discussion: This Writing Life
  • Lisa Zeidner, Love Bomb
  • Pam Jenoff, The Ambassador’s Daughter
  • Gerald Kolpan, Magic Words: The Tale of a Jewish Boy-Interpreter, the World’s Most Estimable Magician, a Murderous Harlot, and America’s Greatest Indian Chief
12 p.m. - Larry Kane, When They Were Boys: The True Story of the Beatles’ Rise to the Top

1 p.m. - Will Schwalbe, The End of Your Life Book Club (Town Book)

2 p.m. - Panel Discussion: “Take Me Out to the Ball Game” 
  • Christopher Frankie, Nailed! The Improbable Rise and Spectacular Fall of Lenny Dykstra
  • Allen Barra, Mickey and Willie: Mantle and Mays, the Parallel Lives of Baseball’s Golden Age
  • Larry Platt, Just Tell Me I Can't: How Jamie Moyer Defied the Radar Gun and Defeated Time
3 p.m. - Matthew Goldberg, Billy Vargus, Joe Vallee, Ryan Downs, A Snowball’s Chance: Philly Fires Back Against The National Media.

For Kids

The Loompaland Kids Zone is designed for children aged 2 to 9, and is located on Irvin Avenue, perpendicular to the Collingswood Farmer's Market.

There will be musical and theatrical performances, giveaways, story time, and loads of physical and arts-and-crafts activities.

Exhibitors include: the Fit Kids Tumblebus, The Turtle Man, Saddler’s Woods Conservation Center, First Baptist Church of Collingswood, Fairmont & Queen Village Art Center, the Paws for Reading program, the Garden State Discovery Museum, and The Bug Lady.

Local businesses participating include Yogawood, Kenkojuku Karate, Duck Duck Goose and ExtraordinaryED.

Collingswood Patch also will be there with giveaways for the whole family. Stop by and say hello!

Then at 1 p.m., children aged 8 and older will create their own hand-drawn comic books with Doug Slack at the Collingswood Cloud Lodge (790 Haddon Avenue). Sign up at the Cartoonist Classroom of Collingswood. Supplies provided.

Tent Three features a slew of children's authors and performers from 10 to 4 p.m.:
  • Danny and Kim Adlerman, Mommy’s Having a Watermelon
  • Artie Bennett, Poopendus; The Butt Book
  • Dar Hosta James, Animalization; Doggie Do!; If I Were A Tree
  • Jane Kirkland, Take A Walk series
  • David Lubar, Weenies series
  • Rock Doves - Kim West and Daniel Cole
  • Kathy O’Connell of WXPN Kids Corner
  • Nancy Viau, Storm Song; Look What I Can Do!
  • Alison Formento, These Bees Count!; These Seas Count!
  • Juliette Watts, Why Would Anyone Cut a Tree Down?
  • Judy Schachner, Skippyjon Jones and the Big Bones 
  • Ann Malaspina, Heart On Fire: Susan B. Anthony Votes for President
  • Robert Agnello, Glimmers; Eli the Snazzleraffer
  • Marcie Aboff, Healthy Eating series; Data Mania series; Two of a Kind, Family Album; So Many Ways to Be Smart
  • E.B. Lewis, I Love My Hair!; I Want To Be Free; Night Boat to Freedom
  • Dan Gutman, Roberto and Me; My Weird School; The Talent Show

For Teens

There's a bunch of young adult author signings and meet-ups in Tent 2 on Saturday, including Collingswood's own Evan Roskos, sometime Patch contributor and author of Dr. Bird's Advice for Sad Poets.

Roskos will also participate in a panel discussion at 2 p.m., entitled "Publishing Your First Novel." 

Here's the full list of authors appearing at the teens and tweens tent:
  • Nancy Viau, Samantha Hansen Has Rocks in Her Head 
  • Jordan Sonnenblick, After Ever After
  • Elissa Brent Weissman, Nerd Camp
  • Rose Kent, Rocky Road
  • Kathleen Benner Duble, Phantoms in the Snow
  • Alison Ashley Formento, Twigs
  • Kit Grindstaff, The Flame in the Mist
  • David Lubar, Extremities: Stories of Death, Murder, and Revenge
  • Evan Roskos, Dr. Bird’s Advice for Sad Poets
  • Ellen Jensen Abbott, Watersmeet; The Centaur’s Daughter
  • Ty Drago, The Undertakers: Rise of the Corpses
  • Elisa Ludwig, Pretty Crooked
  • James Mascia, High School Heroes

Poetry Tent

Only interested in verse? Here's your schedule of poets speaking at the Book Festival.
  • 10 a.m. - Young Poets - Putting Words to Peace.
  • 11:15 a.m. - How to Haiku - Life, War and Peace.
  • 12 p.m. - Dawn Leas and Joan Hanna
  • 12:30 p.m. - Lamont “Napalm” Dixon-Spoken Word Poetry Workshop.
  • 1:15 p.m. - Msgr. Michael Doyle - Poetry for Peace.
  • 1:45 p.m. - BJ Ward - The World of Ward.
  • 2:15 p.m. - Grand Poetry Slam hosted by Brother Daoud Bey
  • 3:15 p.m. - Special Open Mic

Exhibitors

There's a ton of book-related stuff to see at the festival beyond the performances, readings, and meetups. Check out this vendor list and look for your favorites on the blocks of Haddon Avenue that are shut down for the day.

Interested in having an old or rare book appraised? John Freas, member of the Antiquarian Booksellers’ Association of America, will take a look at up to five volumes for a $5 suggested donation form noon to 2 p.m. at the entrance to the library.


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