UNC’s Randall Kenan will discuss and sign copies of the new book he’s edited, The Cross of Redemption, a collection of James Baldwin’s writings which have never previously appeared in book form.  Baldwin’s topic can often be subsumed under race, but he most consistently wrestles with questions of moral integrity—in the language, in the artist’s work, in the assessment of history, and in one’s personal life.  Kenan is a professor in the department of English and comparative literature at UNC-CH and the author of several books, including Let the Dead Bury Their Dead.  

Hal Herzog will discuss and sign copies of his new book, Some We Love, Some We Hate, Some We Eat: Why It’s So Hard to Think Straight About Animals.  In this lively and deeply intelligent look inside our paradoxical relationships with other species, Herzog offers a refreshing new perspective, blending anthropology, history, brain science, behavioral economics, evolutionary psychology, and philosophy.  Herzog—a leading expert on human-animal relations—is a professor of psychology at Western Carolina University.

He’s back!  Musician and songwriter Peter Holsapple will share books, stories and songs “for children of all ages.” If you need a “young at heart” booster shot, Peter’s Pajama Party will fix you right up.  Holsapple, the father of two young children, is best known for his work with the dB’s, the Continental Drifters, R.E.M, and Hootie and the Blowfish. Wear your pajamas (or not) and enjoy the fun!

Join us for this storytelling series for adults on the second Monday of each month.  Why come?  Because storytelling reminds you of those delightful times when you were told stories as a kid.  Because tall tales or fairy tales excite your heart and imagination.  Because you recognize the power of words to arouse, motivate, and change.  Because you want to find great stories to tell to others.  Come to tell or to listen; come to enjoy the feelings of community that an evening of this age-old art inspires.  These evenings will be hosted by John Benedetto, a talented and experienced storyteller, mime, and workshop leader.

Journalist Gwynne Dyer will discuss and sign copies of his new book, Climate Wars, which addresses the political, military and strategic consequences of climate change.  “The multitude of sources and political perspective on global warming make the book scarier and more convincing than the usual predictions limited to climate and weather.  We can hope that Dyer’s sources are impressive enough to convince policy makers to take serious action,” writes Publishers Weekly.

Legal reporter Kim Eisler will discuss and sign copies of his new book, Masters of the Game: Inside the World’s Most Powerful Law Firm.  Eisler, who covered Williams & Connolly for more than two decades for The American Lawyer, Legal Times and Washingtonian magazine, calls the firm “the most powerful band of American lawyers in history.”

Bestselling author Kitty Rosati will talk about and sign copies of her new book, Rice Diet Renewal, and the duet Little Windows (Mark and Julee Glaub Weems) will perform some highlights from their new recording, Healing at the Roots/Songs of Renewal, the companion CD to the book.  Rosati is the author of The Rice Diet Solution, and Little Windows has been featured recently on the WUNC programs Thistle and Shamrock and The State of Things.

Philip Rubio will discuss and sign copies of his new book, There’s Always Work at the Post Office: African American Postal Workers and the Fight for Jobs, Justice, and Equality.  Rubio, a historian (North Carolina A&T State University) and former postal worker, is the author of the award-winning A History of Affirmative Action, 1619-2000.

North Carolina author Jill McCorkle will return for a reading and signing of her short story collection, Going Away Shoes, now available in paperback.  “McCorkle is an expert at engineering catharsis through good salty rants, but the best thing about these stories is the sense of romance and wonder in long-overdue journeys of self-discovery,” write the New York Time Book Review.

Daphne Athas will read from and sign copies of her new book, Chapel Hill in Plain Sight: Notes from the Other Side of the Tracks. Through the Depression, World War II, McCarthyism, and other 20th-century milestones, Athas experienced life in the legendary Southern college town of Chapel Hill.  The town was conventional and idiosyncratic, both caught up in racial and class prejudice and ahead of its time.  None of this liminal world, nor the effects on its larger political and cultural forces, escapes Athas’s keen writer’s eye.  Athas has published four novels (including Entering Ephesus), several nonfiction books, and a collection of poetry; she taught in the creative writing program at UNC-CH for many years.

Jenny Nelson will read from and sign copies of her debut novel, Georgia’s Kitchen, a delightful blend of Julie and Julia and Under the Tuscan Sun.  Brimming with a love of cooking, a splash of romance, and more than a dash of travel, this book will capture the hearts of foodies and armchair travelers everywhere.

Back by popular demand!  Join us for a selection of scenes from books that have been banned or challenged, performed by local actors under the direction of Jay O’Berski and Dana Marks.  Featuring a scene from the Twilight series by Stephanie Meyer, new to the list of most challenged books of 2009!  This event is co-sponsored with the Durham County Library.

Marcia Mount Shoop will discuss and sign copies of her new book, Let the Bones Dance: Embodiment and the Body of Christ.  This book explores what it means to have a body in the Christian tradition and what enriching our understanding could mean for believers and churches.  Shoop proposes a new vision of human flourishing and suggests how churches can more fully invite God to inhabit every layer of congregational life.  She is theologian-in-residence at University Presbyterian Church in Chapel Hill.

Former President Jimmy Carter will sign copies of his White House Diary. Admission will be by lettered ticket. We will give out a ticket with each book we sell (or pre-sell). The letter on each ticket will correspond to a place in the signing line.

We are now taking special orders for the book, which goes on sale on September 20th. Folks that order early will get tickets with the lowest letters. See our web site or the White House Diary hand-outs in the store for detailed information.

NCCU’s Walter M. Brown will read from and sign copies of his memoir, I Walked the Sloping Hills.  “The idea that one need not be bound by circumstances of his or her beginnings is a central theme of Walter Brown’s story.  With grace and dignity, he has made the transition and traveled the distance of being born the son of a tobacco factory worker to becoming an educator of great distinction,” writes Dudley Flood, retired superintendent of the NC Dept. of Public Instruction.

Historian Danielle McGuire will discuss and sign copies of her new book, At the Dark End of the Street: Black Women, Rape, and Resistance—A New History of the Civil Rights Movement from Rosa Parks to the Rise of Black Power.  This groundbreaking work reinterprets the civil rights movement in terms of the sexualized violence and rape that marked race relations in America for centuries.

Local author Alice Wisler will read from and sign copies of her new novel, Hatteras Girl.  This contemporary romance features Jackie Donovan who dreams of owning a bed-and-breakfast on the Outer Banks.  Wisler is also the author of How Sweet It Is and Rain Song, a Christy Award finalist.