Sarah Vowell Envisions
“The Future of Libraries”
Acclaimed author to offer her unique take
on changing literary and information landscape on eve of National Library Week
PBS Books and U-M Penny Stamps Speaker Series present the live-stream Thursday, April 4, at 5:10 p.m.
Best-selling author, humorist and monologue artist, Sarah Vowell will bring her wisdom and brilliant social observations to bear on the “Future of Libraries,” in a special presentation of the University of Michigan’s Penny Stamps Distinguished Speakers Series on Thursday, April 4, at 5:10 p.m.
This not-to-be-missed event will take place at the historic Michigan Theater in Ann Arbor, and PBS Books is making it available through a livestream at pbsbooks.org
Vowell’s appearance is a prelude National Library Week, a celebration of one of America’s most treasured public institutions, which has seen its vitality and importance continue to evolve to meet the needs of its communities.
Sarah Vowell can be counted on for cogent and sometimes comic observations on the changing landscape in which libraries exist. In seven nonfiction books on American history and culture, she has examined the connections between the American past and present.
She offers personal, often humorous accounts of everything from presidents and their assassins to colonial religious fanatics. Her most recent book is “Lafayette in the Somewhat United States.”
Vowell is a contributing op-ed writer for the New York Times and a columnist for Salon.com, Time, and San Francisco Weekly, who also has produced a number of memorable monologues for “This American Life.” She is an active advisory board member of 826NYC, a nonprofit tutoring and writing center for students aged 6-18 in Brooklyn, along with its sister organization in Los Angeles, 826LA.
The University of Michigan Penny Stamps Distinguished Speaker Series each week presents national visionary leaders, who use their creative practice effectively. It celebrates those who transcend tradition and are progressive and influential with their work. More information can be found here.
Sarah Vowell’s appearance is being co-presented with the Ann Arbor District Library and the University of Michigan Library.