How to have a literary day out in Montclair tomorrow
I’ll be at the Montclair Literary Festival tomorrow, and I wanted to share some information about the event, my (and New Jersey Fan Club contributor) involvement, and some other literary goings-on around town.
The Festival
Readings and panels begin bright and early at 9:00 AM and culminate with an evening party. The lineup has something for everyone, whether you’re a reader or writer and regardless of what genres you enjoy. There are authors representing multiple fiction genres, non-fiction, poetry, and children’s books. The event is entirely FREE, with the exception of one special author event and the evening party.
There is also a special tent for local author tables, and you can find me there from 3:00-5:00 PM! There are three sets of authors that will be at the tables for two hours each, so be sure to pass through the tent more than once if you’re sticking around the festival all day!
I’ll have copies of New Jersey Fan Club, decks of New Jersey Go Fish!, and maybe a small selection of book and card-related stickers—the table space is small so I have to see how I can set everything up. Feel free to bring a copy of the book you already own and I’ll be happy to sign it!
At the 9:00 AM Poetry Cafe, come see New Jersey Fan Club contributor and early Jersey Collective takeover guest (in, like, our first few weeks, if I remember correctly!) Alicia Cook read alongside other poets.
And at the author tables from 10:30-12:30, you can meet New Jersey Fan Club contributor Dan Misdea and buy a copy of his amazing wordless picture book-slash-graphic novel, The Light Inside. He’ll also have stickers and pins and prints of his cartoons.
Some other festival panels that sound great to me include:
Dionne Ford and Rachel Khong discussing Khong’s newly-released novel Real Americans.
There’s a panel with Leslie Jamison, one of my very favorite writers, that directly conflicts with my table timeslot, so please go for me and then tell me all about it.
See all of the events listed here. I kept this list brief because otherwise I would just be sharing the entire thing. They have some amazing people coming through!
It’s also Free Comic Book Day!
The first Saturday in May is Free Comic Book Day, and Montclair’s own East Side Mags is participating! Stop by their shop anytime from open to close to grab a free comic, shop their store (mostly everything will be 20% off), enjoy food, and meet local artists who will be popping up at the store as well. Two years ago, East Side Mags hosted me and some of New Jersey Fan Club’s cartoon and comic contributors for a signing as part of my book tour, so I’ll always send people their way. The store is friendly and approachable to everyone, whether you’re a serious collector or new to comics. They sell a great mix of what you might picture when someone says comics—like superhero comics—plus indie stuff, zines, and a lot of books published by Drawn & Quarterly. There’s really something for everyone, and tomorrow is the perfect day to stop by!
Montclair Bookstores
They’re involved with the festival, but you can still visit their store(s) tomorrow! They recently opened a second location steps away from their first, so they have a separate children’s store and an expanded adult one. Watchung is expertly curated by a friendly staff of passionate readers, plus they have a great selection of cards and gifts.
MBC has been around in various iterations for over 40 years. They sell a mix of new and used books, and it is definitely the kind of store you can spend hours digging around in, getting lost in the dusty stacks. They also have records and magazines.
I can (and have!) spend hours in this store, which focuses on “small press and independently distributed books on the arts, design, poetry, children's, graphic novels, craft, nature, theory and more.” There’s also an amazing selection of cards, gift wrapping supplies, stationary, and art supplies. Perfect for treating yourself or buying unique gifts!
I hope to see you there!
That’s it for now!
-Kerri
See you on Instagram @jerseycollective & @ksulphoto!
I will be at the Leslie Jamison event and will take notes for you!