The inaugural New Orleans Book Festival at Tulane University was, indeed, one for the books. Thousands of readers flocked to campus March 10-12 to enjoy the words, wit and wisdom of bestselling local and national authors as well as scholars from across the widest spectrum of genres. The festival, which was free and open to the public, featured panel discussions, book signings and a Family Day along with culinary and musical symposia.
Annette Gordon-Reed, the Carl M. Loeb University Professor at Harvard University, and Peter S. Onuf, the Thomas Jefferson Foundation Professor Emeritus at the University of Virginia and senior research fellow at the Robert H. Smith International Center for Jefferson Studies, discuss Thomas Jefferson on the opening day of the festival.
Bestselling author John Grisham sits down for an interview with Jenna Bush Hager at Dixon Hall on opening day of The New Orleans Book Festival at Tulane University.
Imani Perry and Eddie Glaude Jr., both professors at Princeton University, discuss "Race and the American Soul" at Dixon Hall.
Day two of The New Orleans Book Festival at Tulane University included: (top row) Authors Emma Straub and Rumaan Alam in conversation with Jenna Bush Hager; (second row) Qian Julie Wang and Lee Cole; (third row, left) Cappy McGarr; (fourth row) Walter Isaacson, Jon Meacham, John Barry and David Rubenstein at the Tulane-Aspen Values in America Speaker Series; (sixth row, right) Eddie Glaude Jr. and Jon Meacham.
Joshua Rothman, Freddi Evans Williams, Charles Blow and Marc Morial explore “Original Sin: Writing on the Legacy of Slavery.”
Bakari Sellers, Clint Smith, Jarvis DeBerry, and Mitch Landrieu discuss “Where Do We Go from Here? A Roadmap for the South.”
Charles Blow, Michelle Miller, Jarvis DeBerry and Robert Mann are seen at “Journalism, Race and Social Justice in the South.”
Below: An enthusiastic audience gathered to listen to chefs speak and to sample New Orleans cuisine at the New Orleans Cooking Symposium. (Second row, from left) Edgar Chase IV; Poppy Tooker and Melissa Martin. (Third row) David Brooks. (Fourth row, right) Walter Isaacson. (Sixth row) Amy Banks, Isaac Knapper, Sister Helen Prejean and Katherine Mattes.
Below: (First row) Thomas Chatterton Williams and Eddie Glaude Jr. (Second row, left) John Barry, Susan Hassig, Jennifer Avegno and Dean Thomas LaVeist. (Third row) Malcolm Gladwell and Michael Lewis.
Below: On Saturday, Family Day at the Fest took place inside the Lavin-Bernick Center for University Life, with offerings for young readers of all levels. (First row, from left) Jonathan Fenske, Johnette Downing. (Third row) New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell. (Fourth row, from left) Jared “The Dreamer” Green; President Mike Fitts. (Fourth row) Kevin Sherry. (Sixth row) students from the Trombone Shorty Academy.
Below: (First row) Don Lemon. (Third row) Tania Tetlow, Katherine Gehl, Donna Brazile, Mary Matalin and Betsy Fischer Martin. (Fourth row) Raymond Arroyo.
The symposium included musical performances by the New Orleans Jazz Orchestra and Charlie Gabriel and Friends with Ben Jaffe, Josh Starkman and Walter Harris.
