The third annual Boston Book Festival, which took place in Copley Square this past Saturday, showed once again that if you put free stuff, live music, raffles, star power, and, more importantly, free and open to anyone, bookworms will come. Far from being a somber affair, the festival was an apt celebration of the written word, in all its manisfestations.
There were too many engaging events and talks for a spongy mind to bear witness to without a Time-Turner, so this reporter had to pick and choose from among numerous panels, workshops, and other events. The most important takeways from this attendee's experience were: plan what you want to do ahead of time, and get there early--or late, if you don't mind watching and listening from the back. Because there will be crowds.
The most unique aspect of the Boston Book Festival (henceforth BBF) was its open-air, multi-facility orientation. Convention centers with high ceilings and fluorescent lighting can feel claustrophobic when crowded. Though the distance between buildings can be annoying for those who're hitting panels in different buildings, it's literally a breath of fresh air to take a short walk under the October sun. And though the narrow pathways between the booths grew cramped when the hour passed noon, this attendee hopes that the BBF continues to be held in the open air, making it easier for claustrophobes to take part in the festivities.
Of the panels with relative star power, this attendee managed to attend two (though they all drew big crowds). Though the graphic-novel panel drew out a significant number of attendees, the Far-Out Fiction panel, in which Gregory Maguire, Karen Russell, Chuck Klosterman, and Kate Beaton were speaking and reading excerpts from their new novels, and took place in the same building, brought in a significantly higher turnout: the balconies were empty during the former event, but half-full during the latter. Beaton and Klosterman were clearly the most popular presenters, drawing long lines of fans clutching crisp copies of their latest books at the author signing afterwards. Maybe it was the enthusiasm, but they engaged the audience more successfully. Not to say the other presenters didn't do an adequate job--not everyone's a comic. During the graphic novels panel, the attention was more or less evenly distributed, the presenters more or less being equally well-known to the audience.
Another great aspect of the BBF was the diversity of the booths: here this reporter discovered small presses such as Melville House Publishing and Small Beer Press, as well as several other organizations, literary journals, and independent bookstores. And, of course, it was hard to resist the impulse to buy every book that looked the least bit interesting. Impulsive book buyers on a budget should probably avoid taking too close a look at the bookstore booths.
With a beautiful sunny day that warmed Copley Square in the afternoon, cooling with that crisp fall chill, great music, good food (though htis reporter would have preferred ice cream over yogurt), and excellently presented booths, this year's BBF was once again a success. If you're in Boston this time next year, check it out!
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