Get Lit

The 27th annual Miami Book Fair International begins this Sunday and runs through November 21. Though most of the big names make appearances late next week, there are a few highlights on the festival’s front end too. Perhaps the strangest choice in the author lineup is George W. Bush, who will open the fair with a talk this Sunday at 4 p.m. We imagine he’ll warm up the crowd of hecklers and closet supporters with a reading of The Pet Goat before diving into his new book, Decision Points. Spoiler alert: Dick Cheney was indeed the puppetmaster all along. Tickets cost $40, which includes an autographed copy of Bush’s tome. See the former president at Miami Dade College’s Chapman Conference Center (Building 3, 2nd Floor, Room 3210). Monday, watch Harvard smarty-pants Cornel West interview Jay-Z about his new book, Decoded, during a live telecast from the New York City Library. Because the celebrities will be streamed and not appear live, the 7 p.m. event is free in MDC’s auditorium (Building 1, 2nd Floor, Room 1261). Also Monday, hear from Nora Ephron, writer and director of When Harry Met Sally and the recent Julie & Julia. Tickets cost $10, and the event begins at 8 p.m. in the Chapman Conference Center. Wednesday, things get a little more interesting when John Waters promotes his recent memoir, Role Models, which features profiles of those who inspire him: Little Richard, a lesbian stripper named Zorro, the insane Saint Catherine of Siena, and marine pornographer Bobby Garcia. Tickets cost $10, and the Waters talk begins at 8 p.m. in the Chapman Conference Center. All author events take place at Miami Dade College’s Wolfson Campus
Mondays-Sundays, 4 p.m. Starts: Nov. 14. Continues through Nov. 21, 2010