2011

Kentucky Author Forums are taped live by KET and shown on public television as “Great Conversations.” This television series began its third season in November 2010. Season Three includes, among others, Arianna Huffington; Sister Helen Prejean; former Poet Laureate Billy Collins; and Dr. Susan Love. Check your local listings for times. Seasons One & Two aired in over 50 markets across the U.S. and Canada. If your PBS member station doesn’t carry Great Conversations, we hope you’ll ask them to!

Stage set designed by Bittners.

A Great Conversation on KET

For a listing of KET scheduled airings of past Kentucky Author Forums: www.ket.org

July 2011

Shnayerson nominates Bingham and Kennedy to Vanity Fair Hall of Fame

Michael Shnayerson, who interviewed Michael Pollan at Kentucky Author Forum in January, 2008, nominates Clara Bingham and Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. to Vanity Fair Hall of Fame, for their work defending America's mountains. Read more at: www.VanityFair.com

April 2011

Siddhartha Mukherjee wins Pulitzer

Siddhartha Mukherjee, author of The Emperor of All Maladies: A Biography of Cancer and scheduled as a Forum guest on October 13, 2011, wins Pulitzer Prize for non-fiction: www.latimes.com

February 2011

Pollan praises Kessler

Issues surrounding food, and the American diet, are routinely in the news these days. Dr. David Kessler, former FDA Commissioner and Author Forum guest in 2001 to discuss his book on the tobacco industry, A Question of Intent, has more recently had an impact on the current discussion of another crucial American public health issue, the obesity epidemic. His book, The End of Overeating: Taking Control of the Insatiable American Appetite has been praised by Michael Pollan (also a Forum guest, in 2008):
"A fascinating account of the science of human appetite, as well as its exploitation by the food industry. The End of Overeating is an invaluable contribution to the national conversation about the catastrophe that is the modern American diet."

January 2011

Gene Sperling appointed director of the National Economic Council

President Obama has appointed Gene Sperling, Author Forum guest in 2006, as director of the National Economic Council.
Read more details here: latimesblogs.latimes.com

December 2010

Jonah Lehrer covers fascinating subjects

Jonah Lehrer, 29 years old, who will be interviewing Nobel Laureate Dr. Eric Kandel on February 15, covers fascinating subjects in his own recent writings:
He writes about the scientific method in the December 13 issue of The New Yorker.
Lehrer wrote earlier this month about the "Heroic Imagination Project" in The Wall Street Journal.
In the December 19 New York times Magazine, Lehrer writes about theoretical physicist Geoffrey West, whose current work is focused on "solving the city."

October 2010

Publishers Weekly

Dr. Susan Love, guest of the Author Forum in 1997, discusses her new edition of The Breast Book with The Courier-Journal.

August 2010

Publishers Weekly

The Kentucky Author Forum was highlighted for its 16th season by Publishers Weekly.

July 2010

Okrent's book discussed in Washington Post

Columnist George Will looks at the political lessons of Prohibition – through the lens of Dan Okrent's recent book, Last Call: The Rise and Fall of Prohibition. Okrent was a Kentucky Author Forum featured guest in May, 2010.
www.washingtonpost.com

June 2010

Rick Atkinson earns Pritzker Award for Lifetime Achievement

Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and historian, Rick Atkinson awarded the Pritzker Award for Lifetime Achievement. Atkinson interviewed Tom Brokaw at Kentucky Author Forum in November, 2007.
www.pritzkermilitarylibrary.org

Lawrence Wright speaks to NPR's Terry Gross about Israel and Gaza

New Yorker writer Lawrence Wright spent three weeks in Gaza late last year and spoke to NPR's Terry Gross recently about his upcoming article for that magazine — www.npr.org
Wright, author of the Pulitzer Prize-winning The Looming Tower: Al-Qaeda and the Road to 9/11 was featured at Kentucky Author Forum, in conversation with CNN's terrorism analyst, Peter Bergen, in October 2006. A filmed version of his one-man show, "My Trip to Al-Qaeda," will be shown on HBO September 7th and 11th.

ZZ Packer in The New Yorker's "20 Under 40 Fiction Issue"

ZZ Packer, who interviewed Elizabeth Gilbert at Kentucky Author Forum in 2009, is featured in The New Yorker's "20 Under 40 Fiction Issue". Her story "Dayward" appears in the June 14 & 21, 2010 issue. For a brief interview with ZZ Packer, click here: www.newyorker.com

May 2010

National Cancer Institute's New Director

Dr. Harold Varmus, Forum guest in November, 2009, will become director of the National Cancer Institute.
Read more at www.nytimes.com

April 2010

Larry Wright in the Tribeca Film Festival

The Tribeca Film Festival, running in New York through May 2, is featuring the documentary "My Trip to Al-Qaeda" adapted from the one-man play by the same name, written and performed by Larry Wright, Forum guest in 2006. Read more at: www.nytimes.com

Richard Ellis to Release New Book

Richard Ellis — Forum guest in April 2010 — will have a new book on the sperm whale published in 2011 by University Press of Kansas.

March 2010

Malcolm Gladwell selects Dan Pink

Malcolm Gladwell selects Dan Pink's Drive for the online New Yorker Book Club.
Gladwell and Pink met at Kentucky Author Forum in January, 2009.

January 2010

Jacki Lyden Discusses Movie Version of Her Memoir

Journalist Jacki Lyden, Independent Contributing Correspondent and Host on National Public Radio, has discussions underway for a movie version of her memoir, Daughter of the Queen of Sheba (Penguin Books). The book recounts her life with her bi-polar mother: a captivating read, filled with pathos, humor, and excellent writing. Her beat for NPR has ranged from the Midwest to countries throughout the Middle East, and she was the first NPR reporter on the air on 9/11. She has won multiple journalism awards, including a Gracie Award from The American Women in Radio and Television for best foreign documentary, and contributed to NPR’s wins for Gulf War Coverage (Alfred I. duPont-Columbia University Award) and coverage of 9/11 (Peabody, duPont-Columbia awards).
Jackie Lyden has twice been a guest of Kentucky Author Forum. In Nov. 2004, she interviewed Ambassador Dennis Ross, former US Envoy to the Middle East; in April 2008, she interviewed Greg Mortenson about his work building schools and promoting peace through education in Pakistan and Afghanistan.

Elizabeth Gilbert Releases New Book

Writer Elizabeth Gilbert, who was the featured author at the February 2009 Author Forum, has followed up the journey she undertook in Eat, Pray, Love with a new chapter in her life and a new book, Committed: A Skeptic Makes Peace with Marriage (Viking). Read a review at www.nytimes.com.

Jane Bryant Quinn updates book. Interview in the Courier-Journal.

Jane Bryant Quinn has updated her classic Making the Most of Your Money, with the timely release of Making the Most of Your Money NOW.
Read an interview with Jane Bryant Quinn at www.courier-journal.com
Ms. Quinn was an early featured author at the Forum in Dec. 1997. She returned in Nov. 2002 to interview Author Levitt, former Chairman of the American Stock Exchange.

Daniel Pink to Release New Book

Daniel Pink who interviewed Malcolm Gladwell at the Author Forum in January 2009, has a new book coming out, sure to be filled with the witty and intriguing explorations of "what makes us tick" that Pink is known for. For details, visit www.danpink.com

For our friends in Louisville, we encourage you to ask for the book at our wonderful indie bookstore - Carmichael's: 896-6950 on Frankfort Ave. and 456-6950 at Bardstown Road and Longest Ave.

November 2009

Greg Mortenson publishes new book

Greg Mortenson, author of Three Cups of Tea and a Forum guest in 2008, has just published a new book about his efforts to promote peace by building schools in Pakistan and Afghanistan. Find out more at: www.stonesintoschools.com

Karen Armstrong and The Charter for Compassion

In 2008 Karen Armstrong, Forum guest in 2004, won the TED Prize
and she made a wish: for help creating, launching and propagating a Charter for Compassion. Since that day, thousands of people have contributed to the process

THE CHARTER FOR COMPASSION

Issued Nov. 12, 2009
The principle of compassion lies at the heart of all religious, ethical and spiritual traditions, calling us always to treat all others as we wish to be treated ourselves. Compassion impels us to work tirelessly to alleviate the suffering of our fellow creatures, to dethrone ourselves from the centre of our world and put another there, and to honour the inviolable sanctity of every single human being, treating everybody, without exception, with absolute justice, equity and respect.
It is also necessary in both public and private life to refrain consistently and empathically from inflicting pain. To act or speak violently out of spite, chauvinism, or self-interest, to impoverish, exploit or deny basic rights to anybody, and to incite hatred by denigrating others - even our enemies - is a denial of our common humanity. We acknowledge that we have failed to live compassionately and that some have even increased the sum of human misery in the name of religion.
We therefore call upon all men and women ~ to restore compassion to the centre of morality and religion ~ to return to the ancient principle that any interpretation of scripture that breeds violence, hatred or disdain is illegitimate ~ to ensure that youth are given accurate and respectful information about other traditions, religions and cultures ~ to encourage a positive appreciation of cultural and religious diversity ~ to cultivate an informed empathy with the suffering of all human beings, even those regarded as enemies.
We urgently need to make compassion a clear, luminous and dynamic force in our polarized world. Rooted in a principled determination to transcend selfishness, compassion can break down political, dogmatic, ideological and religious boundaries. Born of our deep interdependence, compassion is essential to human relationships and to a fulfilled humanity. It is the path to enlightenment, and indispensible to the creation of a just economy and a peaceful global community.

Michal Sandel in The New York Times

Forum guest, Harvard political theorist Michael Sandel talks about "national renewal" with Thomas Friedman, author of The World is Flat — www.nytimes.com

October 2009

Michael Sandel talks with Diane Rehm on NPR

On October 7, Kentucky Author Forum guest, Michael Sandel, talked with Diane Rehm on National Public Radio about his new book Justice: What's The Right Thing To Do?
for archives of "The Diane Rehm Show" go to http://wamu.org/programs/dr/
for more on Sandel's visit to Kentucky Author Forum - click here

August 2009

George Soros annouces $35 million gift

George Soros- financier and philanthropist, and guest of Kentucky Author Forum in 2006,  has announced a $35 million gift that will allow for a $200 back-to-school bonus for each of more than 850,000 low-income children in New York State this fall. Read the full article at: www.nytimes.com

Michael Pollan in The New York Times

Michael Pollan - Forum guest in 2008- explains "What Takeout and 'Top Chef' are doing to our Lifestyles, Our Health and Maybe Our Essence." Read the full article: www.nytimes.com

July 2009

We're Going National

Kentucky Author Forum has recently completed a very exciting project, with the help of our long-standing partner, KET. We built on our already established national outreach by creating a packaged series of 13 past Forum interviews, offering PBS member stations a full tv season of “Great Conversations,” originating from Kentucky Author Forum at The Kentucky Center.

Early tracking indicates this series of 13 will air in cities as widespread as Philadelphia, San Francisco, Boise, Salt Lake City, St. Paul, Nashville, and Orlando.

We encourage you and your family and friends to check your local public tv listings for these programs. Included in this “Great Conversations” series: Malcolm Gladwell, Elizabeth Gilbert, Michael Kinsley, John Updike, George Soros, Dr. Jane Goodall, Wynton Marsalis, Michael Pollan, Greg Mortenson, Justice Sandra Day O’Connor, Karen Armstrong, “Johnny” Apple, and Elie Wiesel.

June 2009

Kentucky Author Forum heads to Book Expo America 2009 in New York

Michael Boggs and Carol Besse of Carmichael's Bookstore accepting the 2009 Publisher's Weekly Bookseller of the Year Award

Carol Besse of Carmichael's Bookstore and Melissa Bernstrom, Associate Producer of Kentucky Author Forum, at Book Expo

Past Author Forum guest, Greg Mortenson, signing copies of the audiobook, Three Cups of Tea at Book Expo

Carmichael's Bookstore receives National Award at Booksellers Convention

Carmichael's has recently received the National Bookseller's of the Year Award at the 2009 Book Expo America. See the acceptance speech at www.booktv.org (04:00—10:05).

May 2009

Michael Pollan earns award from the American Institute of Biological Sciences

Michael Pollan, Forum guest in January, 2008- and author of In Defense of Food and The Omnivore's Dilemma - receives recognition for his contribution to biological science. Each year the American Institute of Biological Sciences (AIBS) recognizes eminent individuals or groups for outstanding contributions in this field. Pollan earned The 2009 President's Citation Award. Read the full article on www.eurekalert.org

Malcolm Gladwell & Rick Pitino

Malcolm Gladwell spent some time interviewing as well as being interviewed when he came to Kentucky Author Forum in January. He spoke with U of L Basketball Coach Rick Pitino and now you can read Gladwell's article on full court press - just published in The New Yorker

April 2009

Greg Mortenson receives the Star of Pakistan

American Greg Mortenson recently received Pakistan's highest civilian honour, the Sitara-e-Pakistan (Star of Pakistan), for his efforts in promoting peace in its rural regions. Mortenson was the featured Author Forum guest in April 2008.
To read the article, visit www.pakistanchristianpost.com

Dr. Jane Goodall interview with Salon

Fresh from winning the Leakey Prize, for scientists who have “transcended their disciplines", the legendary Dr. Jane Goodall spoke with Salon about her life, her philosophy, and about the great apes with which she spent so much of her life. www.womensvoicesforchange.org
Dr. Jane Goodall was the featured Kentucky Author Forum guest in October, 1999.

John Updike

March 18, 1932 – January 27, 2009
We are sad to have received the news that John Updike has died after a battle with lung cancer. Mr. Updike, revered as one of America's greatest writers, was a guest of the University of Louisville Kentucky Author Forum on February 25, 1997 - in it's very first season along with Hillary Rodham Clinton, Neil Simons and Katharine Graham.
Mr. Updike was interviewed by Robert Siegel, NPR host of "All Things Considered".
According to Producer Mary Moss Greenebaum, one of the most poignant moments in the interview was Mr. Updike's description of how, when out of the country, he would sneak into public libraries, go to the section where his own writings were carefully shelved "...and check the edges of the pages to see how tattered they were." He will be sorely missed.

Garrison Keillor, a Kentucky Author Forum guest in November 2002, shared his "Appreciation for a Great Appreciator" in the Forum of the Feb. 8 Courier-Journal. This essay appeared earlier in Salon.com

ZZ Packer, who will be at Kentucky Author Forum on February 26 to interview Elizabeth Gilbert, remembers John Updike as a generous champion of young writers. Soon after its 2003 publication, ZZ Packer's story collection, Drinking Coffee Elsewhere, was personally recommended by John Updike for the "Today Show" Book Club. She remembers Mr. Updike in a January 28 online piece for The New Yorker.