Posts tagged Authors Tent

Third Time The Charm City at the Baltimore Book Festival

The Baltimore Book Festival is held during the last weekend of September each year. The annual event draws thousands of book lovers to Charm City for three days of appearances by local, celebrity, and nationally known authors, book signings, and more than 100 exhibitors and booksellers. In previous years it was held in Baltimore’s Mount Vernon neighborhood, just north of downtown in the area surrounding the city’s famed Washington Monument. In 2012 and 2013, I had the pleasure of selling books at that location.

Authors Tent at Bicentennial Plaza, Baltimore Book Festival

Authors Tent at Bicentennial Plaza, Baltimore Book Festival

This year the festival was held at the Inner Harbor and featured not one, but two Author’s Tents. My table in the Author’s Tent at Bicentennial Plaza was just a few feet away from stone markers honoring the 200th anniversary of the founding of Baltimore in 1797.

Bicentennial Plaza Marker, Baltimore Inner Harbor

Bicentennial Plaza Marker, Baltimore Inner Harbor

Underneath one of the markers is a time capsule placed in 1997 and scheduled to be opened in 2097. As much as I would like to, it is doubtful that I will be able to attend that event.

Baltimore Book Festival Table Mates  Raleigh Mann, David Stinson, and Seth Adam Kallick

Baltimore Book Festival Table Mates Raleigh Mann, David Stinson, and Seth Adam Kallick

On Saturday September 27th, I had the pleasure of sharing a table with Seth Adam Kallick, author of American Nightmare, A Tale of the Dead West, and Raleigh Mann, author of Jumping with Mixed Feelings, A Family Memoir. Raleigh’s daughter Beth accompanied him as well and offered free knitting lessons to anyone interested.

Authors Stage at Bicentennial Plaza, with Baltimore's Inner Harbor in Background

Authors Stage at Bicentennial Plaza, with Baltimore’s Inner Harbor in Background

At 6 pm Saturday evening I took to the Authors Stage at Bicentennial Plaza to give a brief history of the lost ballparks of Baltimore and talk a little about my book. The view of the Inner Harbor from the podium was spectacular. Thanks to Beth for agreeing to listen to my talk and thereby increase by 100 percent the number of people waiting in the audience when I arrived.

Day Two - Baltimore Book Festival

Day Two – Baltimore Book Festival – And, NO, the orange sign to my left did not fall and hit my head

On Sunday September 28th, my table mates were Barbara Mathias-Riegel, author of Curtain Calls, and Bill Fortin, author of RedEye Fulda Cold: A War in the Cold Novel. The Ravens played the Carolina Panthers that afternoon, providing the festival with an extra jolt of potential customers passing through the Authors Tent to and from the game. At one point in the morning there were so many fans walking by, the Authors Tent had the appearance of a second Ravens Walk.

Thanks to everyone who stopped to chat with me about Deadball and the lost ballparks of Baltimore, and especially those who were kind enough to buy the book. Thanks also to my table mates whose good conversations helped pass the time between customers.

Baltimore Book Festival Saturday September 27 and Sunday September 28

 

baltimorebookfestivalThe Baltimore Book Festival is back this weekend and I am excited to be appearing alongside fellow authors in the Authors Tent, selling and signing copies of Deadball, A Metaphysical Baseball Novel.

This year I will be appearing both Saturday and Sunday, September 27-28th in the Authors Tent located at Bicentennial Plaza.

On Saturday at 6 pm I will give a short presentation on my book at the Authors Tent.

This year the Festival will be held at Inner Harbor. The Authors Tent at Bicentennial Plaza is located southwest of the U.S.S. Constellation and south of the Harborplace Light Street Pavilion.

The Festival on Saturday runs from noon to 8 pm and Sunday from noon to 6 pm.

Here is a map of the festival. bbfmap

Baltimore Book Festival Revisited

Baltimore Book Festival Authors Steve Bradshaw, David Stinson, and Pavarti Tyler

Thanks to those who stopped by the Baltimore Book Festival’s Authors Tent on Friday September 27th. I certainly enjoyed the opportunity to talk Deadball and baseball with you. I was fortunate also to have two outstanding table mates on either side of me who helped make the day both enjoyable and  memorable. Memphis author Steve Bradshaw brought with him copies of his books Bluff City Butcher and The Skies Roared (the first two in a trilogy), and word on the street is he pretty much sold out all his copies by the end of Saturday. Local Baltimore writer Pavarti Tyler was there selling copies of her books Two Moons of Sera – Omnibus,  Shadow on the Wall, and White Chalk (with free lollipops seemingly torn from the cover of the book). For Pav, a self-described “cross genre” author, the festival was a family affair, with her husband and two effervescent daughters helping to drive away the mid afternoon doldrums.

Me and the Berenstain Bears, the Berenstain Bears!

The festival was also a time for me to meet and mingle with some of our country’s most notable literary characters. Readers of my blog already may be aware of my encounter with Captain Underpants at a Frederick Keys Game two years ago.

Once again, I jumped at the chance to pose for pictures with the festival’s roving literary icons. Berenstain Bears Ma and Pa were there, although given how talkative they are in their books, I was surprised how quiet they were when I met them. No “gosh darn this” or “gosh darn that.” In fact, they just nodded and used their hands to communicate, no words at all.

Me and a Rather Subdued Wild Thing

The same was true for Wild Thing. He was anything but wild. No wild rumpus, nothing. Maybe it was just too early for him, or maybe he needed Max to get him going. I also had a chance to “meet” Curious George (no sign of the man in the yellow hat). He too seemed quite calm, not the least bit curious or mischievous. I’ll spare you the picture of me and the monkey.

Meeting BBF Man - A Highlight of the Festival

 

 

 

 

I also had a pleasant encounter with BBF Man, who did use words to communicate and seemed genuinely delighted to check out a copy of my book Deadball. I’ll spare you the picture of me and the man in tights as well.

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