While the coronavirus pandemic has canceled all of 2020's gatherings, it can't disrupt solitary activities like reading. In fact, odds are good that you've gotten more reading done this year than you have in a long time.
This month, the (as yet) unstoppable force that is COVID-19 meets the (apparently) immovable object that is the Las Vegas Book Festival—and while the former prevents us from gathering in groups to talk about books, nothing can stop us from reading them, or from watching streaming video of authors talking about them. Put another way: This October, the Las Vegas Book Festival goes virtual.
From Monday, October 19 through Saturday, October 24, the Las Vegas Book Festival presents "Virtual Book Week," six days of book festival-style programming shared through the fest's Facebook and YouTube channels.
Featured authors will include 60 Minutes correspondent and CBS News Senior Political Analyst John Dickerson, who'll speak about his recently-released book The Hardest Job in the World: The American Presidency with Review-Journal politics editor Steve Sebelius; Stolen Lives co-writer Nissa Tzun, set to speak about victims of police violence; Juan F. Thompson, son of Hunter S. Thompson, who will discuss his book about his gonzo journalist dad with writers Timothy Denevi (Freak Kingdom) and Margaret Harrell (The Hells Angels Letters); and local food writer Al Mancini, who will moderate a panel of local restauranteurs speaking about the punishing challenges of the pandemic shutdown.
Other programming will include children's author readings, daily poetry sessions and more. For a complete schedule, visit the Las Vegas Book Festival website.
