- 7:45 pm: Douglas Coupland & William Gibson: Why Is It Always Now?
John Hersey Memorial Conversation
THURSDAY, JANUARY 5
Reception to follow @ Audubon House, 205 Whitehead St.
- 9:30-9:45 am James Gleick: Introductions
- 9:45-9:50 am Billy Collins: “The City of Tomorrow”
- 9:50-10:20 am Jonathan Lethem: The True and the Real
- 10:20-11:15 am Margaret Atwood, China Miéville, & Joyce Carol Oates: Why Other Worlds? (Isn’t the “Real” One Enough?) Moderator: James Gleick
- 11:35–11:50 am Dexter Palmer: The Dream of Perpetual Motion
- 11:50–12:05 pm Charles Yu: The Bored Explorers
- 12:05–12:30 pm Dexter Palmer & Charles Yu: How to Construct a Universe
- 2:10–2:35 pm Jennifer Egan: The PowerPoint Narrative
- 2:35–2:45 pm James Tate: “Never Again the Same”
- 2:45–3:15 pm George Saunders: The Honorable Old Task
- 3:35–4:05 pm Douglas Coupland & Michael Cunningham: Looking for Planet X
- 4:05–5:00 pm Janna Levin, Jonathan Lethem, Rivka Galchen: Science & Story.
Moderator: Robert Krulwich - 7:00–8:00 pm Margaret Atwood in conversation with Valerie Martin
John Malcolm Brinnin Memorial Evening
FRIDAY, JANUARY 6
Book Signings: Margaret Atwood, Jonathan Lethem, Dexter Palmer, Joyce Carol Oates.
Book Signings: Michael Cunningham, Douglas Coupland, Jennifer Egan, James Tate
5:15–6:30 pm Exhibit & Reception @ Lucky Street Gallery, 540 Greene St.
6:00–7:00 pm Cocktail Reception @ San Carlos Institute
- 9:30–9:40 am Announcements
- 9:40–10:10 am Joyce Carol Oates:Close Encounters with the Other
- 10:10–11:10 am Jennifer Egan, Michael Cunningham, Charles Yu: The Elephant in the Room (Isn’t All This Really Just Sci Fi?) Moderator: James Gleick
- 11:30–11:50 am Janna Levin: Death by Black Hole
- 11:50–12:00 pm James Tate: “Shut Up and Eat Your Toad”
- 12:00–12:30 pm Colson Whitehead: Departing the Zone
- 2:15–2:40 pm Rivka Galchen: The Very Real Fantastic
- 2:40–3:10 pm Rivka Galchen & George Saunders: Narrating Thought: The Mind at Work
- 3:30–3:40 pm Billy Collins: The Past and the Future
- 3:40–4:40 pm William Gibson, China Miéville, Dexter Palmer: Here Come the Dirigibles
(Mixing Old & New to Make “Steampunk”) Moderator: Robert Krulwich
SATURDAY, JANUARY 7
Book Signings: James Gleick, Janna Levin, Charles Yu (pending), Colson Whitehead
1:00–2:00 pm Exhibit & Reception with Annie Dillard @ Gallery on Greene, 606 Greene St.
Book Signings: Billy Collins, Rivka Galchen, William Gibson, George Saunders
7:00–9:30 pm Dinner @ Key West Lighthouse, 938 Whitehead St.
- 9:30–9:40 am Announcements
- 9:40–9:50 am Billy Collins: “The End of the World”
- 9:50–10:20 am Gary Shteyngart: Apocalypse Soon
- 10:20–10:50 am China Miéville: Manifestos, Movements and Moments
- 11:10–12:10 pm Margaret Atwood, Jonathan Lethem, Colson Whitehead: After the Apocalypse (Are We Having Fun Yet?) Moderator: Valerie Martin
- 12:10–12:20 pm Billy Collins: Benediction: “The Future”
SUNDAY, JANUARY 8
Book Signings: China Miéville, Gary Shteyngart
12:20-2:15 pm Conch Chowder Lunch at the Oldest House, 322 Duval St.
- 2:15–2:25 pm Introduction
- 2:25–2:40 pm Billy Collins: Reading
- 2:40–3:10 pm George Saunders: “Ask the Optimist”
- 3:10–3:40 pm Johnson–Merrill–Russo Award Winners. Readings by Diana Khoi Nguyen, Christy Strick, Sabra Wineteer. Introduced by Robert D. Richardson.
- 4:00–4:10 pm James Tate: Reading
- 4:10–5:00 pm Margaret Atwood, Michael Cunningham, Dexter Palmer, Gary Shteyngart: Creating a Universe: When Writers Play God. Ringleader: Margaret Atwood
SUNDAY AFTERNOON
Free and Open to the Public – Doors open at 2:00 pm.
San Carlos Institute, 516 Duval Street
Book Signings: Margaret Atwood, Billy Collins, Michael Cunningham, Dexter Palmer, Gary Shteyngart