Thank you for joining us on February 12.
The event was a huge success.
If you weren’t able to join us for the live event, click below to watch the recording. Don’t forget to register for the Brandon Taylor event on March 12.
A CONVERSATION WITH BRIT BENNETT
Moderated by Allyson Loomis, M.F.A.
Join us virtually on Friday, February 12, at 7:00 p.m. CST
Curl up in the comfort of your own home for a conversation with award-winning and New York Times bestselling author, Brit Bennett as she discusses her blockbuster novel, The Vanishing Half.
Winner of the 2020 Goodreads Historical Fiction Award, #1 New York Times Best Seller, and one of Barack Obama’s favorite reads of 2020, The Vanishing Half is an emotional family story about African American identical twin sisters in the 1950s and ‘60s. One passes for white and moves to California while the other returns to her tiny southern community to raise her dark-skinned daughter.
One of the most talked-about books of 2020, The Vanishing Half touches on themes of race, class, family, gender, community, love, and the cost of secrets. The program will include an author Q&A.
Books with signed bookplates can be purchased from Dotters Books. See links below.
Have a question for Brit Bennett? Submit it below and you might hear it asked during the event.
The Author
Born and raised in Southern California, Brit Bennett graduated from Stanford University and later earned her MFA in fiction at the University of Michigan, where she won a Hopwood Award in Graduate Short Fiction. In 2014, she received the Hurston/Wright Award for College Writers. She is a National Book Foundation 5 Under 35 honoree, and her debut novel The Mothers was a New York Times bestseller. Her second novel The Vanishing Half was an instant #1 New York Times bestseller. Her essays have been featured in The New Yorker, the New York Times Magazine, The Paris Review, and Jezebel.
The Books
THE VANISHING HALF
From The New York Times-bestselling author of The Mothers, a stunning new novel about twin sisters, inseparable as children, who ultimately choose to live in two very different worlds, one black and one white.
Weaving together multiple strands and generations of this family, from the Deep South to California, from the 1950s to the 1990s, Brit Bennett produces a story that is at once a riveting, emotional family story and a brilliant exploration of the American history of passing. Looking well beyond issues of race, The Vanishing Half considers the lasting influence of the past as it shapes a person's decisions, desires, and expectations, and explores some of the multiple reasons and realms in which people sometimes feel pulled to live as something other than their origins.
THE MOTHERS
A dazzling debut novel from an exciting new voice, The Mothers is a surprising story about young love, a big secret in a small community—and the things that ultimately haunt us most.
Set within a contemporary black community in Southern California, Brit Bennett's mesmerizing first novel is an emotionally perceptive story about community, love, and ambition. It begins with a secret.
In entrancing, lyrical prose, The Mothers asks whether a "what if" can be more powerful than an experience itself. If, as time passes, we must always live in servitude to the decisions of our younger selves, to the communities that have parented us, and to the decisions we make that shape our lives forever.
Event FAQs
Do I need to register in advance?
Yes, click here to register for the Bennett event on February 12. Click here to register for Brandon Taylor's event on March 12.
Is there a cost to participate?
No, the programs are free of charge. Thanks to some great partners and sponsors, we're able to bring both authors [virtually] to the Chippewa Valley without charging.
What platform will you be using?
The book festival will be using the Perigon platform for both events. There's no special app you need to download in advance, as everything works in your computer or mobile device’s web browser. Just follow the link you'll receive via email after registering, and you'll be all set.
Do I need to read the book in advance?
You're welcome to grab the book ahead of time or wait to be inspired after hearing the author. There's no pressure at all to read the book before the presentation.
However, if you want to grab Bennett's book, consider supporting our local independent bookstore, and event sponsor, Dotters Books. The Mothers and The Vanishing Half are both available now and will come with signed bookplates.
Will you be hosting more virtual events?
At this point, we have the Brit Bennett event scheduled for February 12, and the Brandon Taylor event scheduled for March 12. We plan on evaluating the response to both of these presentations after the fact and will then decide if there's an interest in future virtual offerings.
Will the event be recorded and available for viewing after the 12th?
Yes. We are planning on recording the conversation with Brit Bennett and will be posting it on our website as soon as possible following the event. Follow us on Facebook or Instagram to be the first to know when it's available.
A special thank you to our partners and sponsors.
