Marblehead author Julia Glass is looking forward to meeting several writers whose work she admires at this weekend's Newburyport Literary Festival. She just hopes they wear name tags.
Glass said she's like most people who are familiar with their favorite authors' writing, but not their faces.
"The funniest event is the National Book Festival in Washington," Glass said. "There are all these amazing writers who attend. They have a really elegant party at the Library of Congress, but you can't take a spouse. So you're standing there politely, dying to meet some of the other writers, but there are no name tags and you don't know what anybody looks like."
By chance, Glass found herself at one of those festivals chatting with John Grogan, author of "Marley & Me," and Khaled Hosseini, author of "The Kite Runner."
This weekend, she's hoping to chat with Newbury's Andre Dubus III, author of "House of Sand and Fog," and Belmont writer Tom Perrotta at the Newburyport Literary Festival, which opens tomorrow and runs through Sunday.
The second annual festival will feature more than 70 authors of fiction, nonfiction, poetry, short stories, screenplays and children's literature. Many will read and discuss their own works, while others will address a variety of topics - from getting published to historical literary giants.
This year's festival will offer more children's programming than last year, as well as events hosted by the P.O.V. Stage Company, the Newburyport Art Association, Mass Audubon Society and Parker River National Wildlife Refuge on Plum Island.
"So many people last year came, scurrying from this event to that event," festival founder Vicki Hendrickson said of last year's 3,000 patrons. "I was very enthused that after the whole committee spent all this time and effort and work and worry, that people were enjoying the festival and loving our little town."
Hendrickson can't wait to hear Powow River poet Rhina Espaillat of Newburyport - "she's an ace; she's quite something" - as well as Jon Clinch read from his debut novel, "Finn" - "I'm a great lover of Huckleberry Finn, and this book is all about the father."
Perrotta, author of "Election" and "Little Children," hopes to meet the festival's honoree, Peter Guralnick of West Newbury. Guralnick's work on 20th century American roots music will be celebrated at tomorrow's opening night gala, along with the work of Newburyport poet laureate Christopher Michael.
But Perrotta, who will have to miss the gala because he's playing coach for his 10-year-old son's soccer team, will most likely catch up with Guralnick Saturday night at the festival's "Black. White & Blues" event. The musical evening will feature Boston's rootsy rockers The Dennis Brennan Band, Newburyport's Exit Dance Theatre, and readings by Guralnick, Dubus, Espaillat, Bonnie Jean Wilbur, Paul Wann and David Zoffoli.
Perrotta will discuss adapting fiction for film with Todd Field, something both men know quite a bit about. Field wrote and directed "In the Bedroom," a film based on a short story by Dubus' father, the late Andre Dubus of Haverhill. Two of Perrotta's five novels have already been developed into movies, and he's currently writing the screenplay for his upcoming novel, "The Absence Teacher" (due out in October), for Warner Independent Pictures.
"I wrote three book before one got published. I throw that out there not because it's that unusual, but because a lot of writers give up long before that point. It's hard to live with that instability of work," Perrotta said. "My only advice is to remember that writing is more a matter of perseverance than talent."
Before getting published, the New Jersey native got a tremendous amount of emotional and financial support from his wife, Mary. He also earned money writing ad copy and teaching at Harvard and Yale universities after a series of far less prestigious jobs, like collecting garbage.
"I wouldn't say they were terrible - they were the standard, bad jobs," Perrotta said. "The garbage truck job, I did that for a few summers while in college. You know, being outside, riding on the back of a truck, it really wasn't that bad - especially once you realize you can do it. There was some pride in doing that: here I am at an Ivy League school reading James Joyce, but I can still collect garage in the summer."
Perrotta graduated from Yale in 1983, just five years after Glass. She first attempted a career as a visual artist, relying on freelance editing and writing jobs to pay her rent in New York City. Over time, she decided to try her hand at fiction, which proved to be a wise choice: her 2002 debut novel, "Three Junes," won a National Book Award.
"I don't have time to paint anymore," said Glass, who grew up outside of Boston. "I do miss working with color. And I miss the indulgences of painting - listening to music, talking on the phone. I have to burrow myself deep in solitude to write."
Glass is finishing a collection of short stories and plans to do some appearances for her 2006 novel, "The Whole World Over," before jumping into her third novel. She won't disclose the topic for her next project, but did lay to rest any and all local, literary rumors.
"I recently took a course on the history of local architecture," Glass said. "I'm a good student from way back and I was madly taking notes during the talks. I can't not take notes. During the third class, another student said, 'Are you going to write a book?' At first, I thought she thought I was a scholar, but then I realized that this person knew I wrote fiction. Then I thought, 'This could be the start of a really good rumor.'
"...I'm quite sure down the line an idea from Marblehead will enter my fiction from living here. But I feel like an idea needs to age for awhile. (The idea for the next book is) something that's been peculating for a few years."
Local literati
Beverly: Dana Cameron
Gloucester: Anna Vojtech
Haverhill: Christopher Golden
Ipswich: Ed Emberley
Marblehead: Julia Glass
Newbury: Michael Cantor, Andre Dubus III
Newburyport: Rhina Espaillat, Aine Greaney, Alfred Nicol, Cheryl Richardson, Anne Easter Smith
Rowley: T.D. Thornton, Toni Treadway
Salisbury: Frank Schaeffer
West Newbury: Peter Guralnick
Turning pages at the festival
Where can you catch authors Anita Diamant, Linda Barnes and Jennifer Haigh? The second annual Newburyport Literary Festival will feature 60-plus panels, events and readings at more than one dozen locations around Newburyport.
With the exception of tomorrow's opening night gala and Saturday's "Dessert with Julia Glass" and a program of staged readings, all of the events are free. A sampling of what's in store follows. For the complete schedule, visit www.newburyportliteraryfestival.org or call 978-465-1257.
Friday, April 27
* Opening Ceremony, Firehouse Center for the Arts, Market Square, 5 to 5:30 p.m.
* A Conversation with Peter Guralnick, featuring Elvis Mitchell, Firehouse Center, 6 to 7:30 p.m.
* Our Dinner with the Authors: Opening Night Party, Nicholson Hall, Harris Street, 7:30 to 10 p.m. Tickets $65.
Saturday, April 28
* Green Eggs and Ham: Breakfast with the Poets, featuring Midge Goldberg, Len Krisak, Rhina Espaillat, Mildred Nash, David Berman and Karen Nelson, First Religious Society, Unitarian Universalist, Lower Level, Pleasant Street, 8 to 9:30 a.m.
* True Tales of the Sea, featuring Colin Woodard and Peter Nichols, First Religious Society, Lower Level, 9:30 to 11 a.m.
* Going Short, featuring Junot Diaz, çine Greaney and Jennifer Haigh, City Hall Council Chambers, Pleasant Street, 9:30 to 11 a.m.
* Ed Emberley's Ant Dancers and Spaghetti Mice, Nicholson Hall, 9:30 to 11 a.m.
* Finn - A Literary Debut, featuring Jon Clinch and Will Murphy, Old South Church, Federal Street, 10 to 11:30 a.m.
* Hot off the Press: New Books by Powow River Poets, featuring Midge Goldberg, Len Krisak, Bill Coyle, Rhina Espaillat and Robert Crawford, Newburyport Public Library Program Room, State Street,10 to 11:30 a.m.
* Crossing Over: How the Music of Juke Joints, Churches, Street Corners, Elks Clubs, the Chitlin Circuit and Concert Halls Found the Mainstream, featuring Nelson George, Peter Guralnick and Bill Flanagan, First Religious Society, 10 a.m. to noon.
* Grace Lin Reads and Draws, Inn Street Montessori School, 11 a.m. to noon.
* Michael Lowenthal reads from "Charity Girl," Jabberwocky Bookshop, Water Street, 11 a.m. to noon.
* From Inspiration to Publication - How to Get Your Book Published, featuring Cheryl Richardson, Old South Church, 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.
* Andre Dubus III reads from "The Garden of Last Days," Firehouse Center, noon to 1:30 p.m.
* Anita Diamant Reads from "The Last Days of Dogtown," First Religious Society, noon to 1:30 p.m.
* The Mystery of the Serial Sleuths, featuring Archer Mayor, Linda Barnes, Dana Cameron and Dyke Hendrickson, Old South Church, noon to 2:30 p.m.
* When Writers Read: Ten Titles Your Book Club Will Love, featuring Julia Glass, Jennifer Haigh and Kate Bolick, First Religious Society, 2 to 3:30 p.m.
* Frank Schaeffer reads from "Baby Jack," First Religious Society, Lower Level, 2 to 3 p.m.
* Christopher Golden: Dark Fantasy and The Borderkind, City Hall Council Chambers, 2:30 to 4 p.m.
* History Is But Fable Agreed Upon: Truth in Historical Fiction, featuring Anita Diamant, Michael Lowenthal and Anne Easter Smith, Old South Church, 3 to 4:30 p.m.
* Fiction into Film, featuring Tom Perrotta, Todd Field and Elvis Mitchell, Firehouse Center, 3:30 to 5 p.m.
* Dessert with Julia Glass: A Literary Tea and Reading, featuring the author of "The Whole World Over," Glenn's Restaurant & Cool Bar, Merrimac Street, 4 to 5:30 p.m.; $10 fee, includes dessert and beverage.
* Young Adult Poetry Slam, featuring Simone Beaubien, slam master, Nicholson Hall, 4:30 to 5:30 p.m.
* Staged Readings with P.O.V. Stage Company, Nicholson Hall, 6 to 8 p.m. Suggested donation $5.
* Black, White and Blues, featuring the Dennis Brennan Band and other artists, Firehouse Center, 7 to 8:30 p.m.
Sunday, April 29
* Nature Books Workshop: Bringing Nature to Life, Mass Audubon's Joppa Flats Education Center, Plum Island Turnpike, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
* Celebrating Rachel Carson: A Centennial Event, featuring Mark Hamilton Lytle, Parker River National Wildlife Refuge Visitor Center, Ocean Avenue, 1 to 2:30 p.m.
* Whittier and His Elizabeths, featuring Ben Pickard, Amesbury Friends Meeting House, Friend Street, Amesbury, 2 to 3 p.m.
* High Tea in the Marquand Library, Custom House Maritime Museum, Water Street, 2 to 4 p.m.
* Fifth annual Greater Newburyport Favorite Poem Project, Firehouse Center, 4 to 6 p.m.
