MAPLEWOOD, NJ — The Maplewood Library’s Ideas Festival, celebrating the talent and creativity of the SOMA community, is now in its seventh year and will include the following events, all to be held at the Main Library, 51 Baker St., unless otherwise noted:
- “An Evening with Barry Sonnenfeld,” Wednesday, March 11, at 8 p.m. Sonnenfeld is an award-winning producer, director and actor, and author of “Barry Sonnenfeld, Call Your Mother.” He was the cinematographer for the Coen brothers’ first three films and director of photography on “Throw Momma from the Train,” “Big,” “When Harry Met Sally” and “Misery.” He directed the Addams Family movies, “Get Shorty” and the first three “Men in Black” films. His television credits include “Pushing Daisies,” for which he won an Emmy, and most recently Netflix’s “A Series of Unfortunate Events.” At this event, he will be in conversation with documentary filmmaker Matthew Galkin. Words Bookstore will be at the event to sell copies of Sonnenfeld’s book.
- New Jersey Makers Day, Saturday, March 21, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Hilton Branch, 1688 Springfield Ave. Makers Day is an annual statewide celebration of making and maker culture. This year’s theme is “A Day of Vocational Ed” for children, teens and adults. Activities will include soldering, stencil duplicator machine art, felt emoji keychains, building with Maplewoodshop, soup mix in a jar and air-powered rockets. The Columbia High School Robotics Team will present a robot demonstration.
- Art and music reception, Saturday, March 21, from 3 to 4 p.m. The Ideas Festival art exhibit features the work of Congolese artist Muyambo Marcel Chishimba. His bold, dynamic strokes and his unique combination of earthy tones and richly hued colors are inspired by the culture and people of his African homeland. The reception will include live music with VMusic and an artist’s talk at 3:20 p.m.
- An evening with Andrea Bernstein, Monday, March 23, at 7 p.m. Bernstein is the Peabody Award–winning cohost of the acclaimed WNYC/ProPublica podcast “Trump, Inc.” In addition to broadcast appearances on outlets including PBS NewsHour, CNN and Fresh Air, her work has appeared in The New Yorker, the New York Times, the Washington Post and on NPR. She is the author of “American Oligarchs: The Kushners, the Trumps, and the Marriage of Money and Power.” She’ll be in conversation with Nancy Solomon, the managing editor of New Jersey Public Radio. Words Bookstore will be at the event to sell copies of the book.
- An evening with Mary Mann and Carolyn Parisi, Wednesday, March 25, at 7 p.m. Mann and Parisi are the co-founders of the local news site VillageGreenNJ.com and the statewide calendar site NJNext. They will discuss local news in the age of the internet. They will be receiving the Carol Buchanan Award for Outstanding Contributions to Civic and Intellectual Life. They will also be in conversation with Nancy Solomon.
- An evening with Marta Tellado, Thursday, March 26, at 7 p.m. Tellado is the president and CEO of Consumer Reports and a graduate of Columbia High School. She is known as a transformational leader with a talent for innovation, a passion for public service and a distinguished portfolio of accomplishments in mission-driven organizations. She’ll be in conversation with David Brancaccio, host and senior editor of public radio’s “Marketplace Morning Report.”
- An evening with Ibi Zoboi, Saturday, March 28, at 2 p.m. Zoboi is the New York Times bestselling author of “My Life as an Ice Cream Sandwich,” her middle grade debut, and the young adult novels “Pride” and “American Street.” She is also the editor of “Black Enough: Stories of Being Young & Black in America.” Words Bookstore will be at the event to sell copies of the books.
- An evening with Jenifer Hixson, Monday, March 30, at 7 p.m. Hixson is a senior director and one of the hosts of “The Moth Radio Hour.” Each year she asks hundreds of people to identify significant turning points in their lives — fumbles and triumphs, leaps of faith, darkest hours — and then helps them shape those experiences into story form for the stage.
- An evening with Jill Carr, Wednesday, April 1, at 7 p.m. Jill Carr is the wife of the late David Carr and editor of his book “Final Draft,” a career-spanning selection of the legendary reporter’s writing for the New York Times, Washington City Paper, New York Magazine, The Atlantic and more. She’ll be in conversation with John Schwartz, reporter at the New York Times, where he is part of the paper’s climate change team. Words Bookstore will be at the event to sell copies of the book.
- An evening with Juda Bennett, Winnifred Brown-Glaude, Cassandra Jackson and Piper Kendrix Williams, Thursday, April 2, at 7 p.m. In their group memoir, “The Toni Morrison Book Club,” these four authors use Morrison’s novels as a springboard for intimate and revealing conversations about the problems of everyday racism. They discuss what it means to read challenging literature collaboratively and to learn in public as an act of individual reckoning and social resistance. Words Bookstore will be at the event to sell copies of the book.
- Writing a New Story Campaign Launch, Saturday, April 4, at 1 p.m. This community reception hosted by the Maplewood Library Foundation will kick off the fundraising campaign for the new Maplewood Library building.
- Abby Sher will receive the 2020 Maplewood Literary Award, Saturday, April 4, at 2 p.m. Sher is an award-winning writer and performer whose work has appeared in The New York Times, The New Yorker, The Washington Post, The Los Angeles Times, Self, Jane, Elle and more. She is the author of “Miss You Love You Hate You Bye,” “All the Ways the World Can End,” “Breaking Free: True Stories of Girls Who Escaped Modern Slavery,” “Amen, Amen, Amen: Memoir of a Girl Who Couldn’t Stop Praying” and “Kissing Snowflakes.” One of her essays was optioned by Amazon for the “Modern Love” television series. Shere has written and performed for The Second City, Upright Citizen’s Brigade, HBO and NPR. She is currently a co-producer of the Chucklepatch Comedy Show. Words Bookstore will be at the event to sell copies of the books.
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