Adam Nemett in conversation with Jocelyn Nicole Johnson, local Charlottesville author of the much-acclaimed MY MONTICELLO. The in-person/simulcast event will feature a short reading and interview, along with audience Q&A (contact Adam to receive Zoom link). Sponsored by the Social Action Committee of Charlottesville’s Congregation Beth Israel.

MY MONTICELLO has been named

A New York Times Notable Book of the Year
One of The Washington Post's 50 notable works of fiction
A Bookforum Best Book of the Year
Kirkus Best Books of 2021: Best Debut and Best Short Fiction
One of New York Public Library's Best Books for Adults

Jocelyn Nicole Johnson’s writing has appeared in Guernica, The Guardian, Kweli, Joyland, phoebe, Prime Number Magazine, and elsewhere. Her short story “Control Negro” was anthologized in Best American Short Stories 2018, guest edited by Roxane Gay, and read live by LeVar Burton as part of PRI’s Selected Shorts series. Johnson has been a fellow at Hedgebrook, Tin House Summer Workshops, and VCCA. A veteran public school art teacher, Johnson lives and writes in Charlottesville, Virginia.

Bill Clegg (The End of the Day), Zeyn Joukhadar (The Thirty Names of Night), and Zak Salih (Let’s Get Back to the Party) discuss their new novels exploring the mysteries of self and community, from the bonds and breaking points of friendship across generations, to a closeted Syrian-American trans boy’s search for family, and childhood friends’ attempts to navigate queer culture in contemporary Washington, D.C. Moderated by Adam Nemett (We Can Save Us All).

As part of the all-virtual 2021 Virginia Festival of the Book, this event is FREE to attend and open to the public. To attend, please register below or simply make plans to watch on Facebook.com/VaBookFest. The video recording from this event will also be available to watch after the event concludes, on VaBook.org/Watch.

This event will include live-captioning.

Megan Angelo (Followers), Anita Felicelli (Chimerica), and Rachael Sparks (Resistant) discuss their speculative fiction, set in near futures full of delightfully dystopian details. Book sales and signing will follow. FREE to attend and open to the public.

OPEN TO THE PUBLIC

Co-sponsored by the Visual Arts Department, English Department and American Studies Program. FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC.

Another Earth will explore the design of imaginary (or constructed) worlds. We will study examples of worlds built in literature and visual art and our creative work will span and combine these mediums. The class will be composed of readings, screenings, discussions, studio work, and writing workshops. The primary focus for each student will be creating written and visual art to flesh out a world of their own design.

What does a climate change disaster novel, a bloody prison riot satire, and an apocalyptic but redemptive collection of poetry have in common? Adam Nemett‘s We Can Save Us All, Ryan Chapman’s Riots I Have Known, and Jason Gray’s Radiation King use unusual (and sometimes extreme) settings to investigate the human condition in exciting, new, and even comical ways.

The inaugural festival is a free, daylong event in and around Brambleton Library, featuring talks with bestselling and up-and-coming authors, interactive displays with local artists, live music and a book sale courtesy of Second Chapter Books.

The festival morning kicks off with Adam Nemett, author of the novel We Can Save Us All. Comic book artist and illustrator Orion Zangara will give away an original piece of art inspired by the book.

TICKETS REQUIRED

Unnamed Press authors Rheea Mukherjee reads from The Body Myth and Adam Nemett reads from We Can Save Us All

Cody D. Todd Memorial Stage, Sponsored by USC, Exhibit Hall, Oregon Convention Center, Level 1

California College of the Arts, San Francisco, MFA Faculty Panel: Tom Barbash, Jasmin Darznik, Adam Nemett, Leslie Carol Roberts

Abigail DeWitt (News of Our Loved Ones) and Ed Pavlić (Another Kind of Madness) discuss their far-reaching fiction, featuring characters faced with global and personal turbulence. Moderated by Adam Nemett. Book sales and signing will follow. FREE to attend and open to the public.

Adam Nemett (We Can Save Us All) talks about his work with students at Elk Hill School. Open only to students and staff of Elk Hill School.

Authors Christina Dalcher (Vox) and Adam Nemett (We Can Save Us All) share their acclaimed debut novels that touch on issues of power, sexuality and technology.