Welcome! Scroll down to see what’s coming up:
Long Island LitFest & Newsday Live Present Christie Brinkley
Wednesday, May 7, 2025, 7 pm, at Newsday HQ, Melville
Your $50 ticket includes a talk, audience Q&A, the book and book signing
Meet the one and only uptown girl! Join us for a conversation with supermodel, artist and author Christie Brinkley, as she talks about her new memoir, Uptown Girl, with Newsday entertainment reporter Elisa DiStefano. This event includes audience Q&A, followed by the book signing.
In Uptown Girl, Brinkley shares her remarkable story, from when she was discovered outside a Paris phone booth to her meteoric modeling and acting career, landing her on the covers of hundreds of magazines and cementing her legacy as an All-American icon.
Christie Brinkley is a model, actress, entrepreneur, illustrator, photographer, humanitarian, bestselling author, Smile Train ambassador, activist in children’s environmental health and wellness, creator and owner of Bellissima wines and prosecco and the clothing line TWRHLL, and proud mom of three amazing kids. In her five decades in the modeling industry, she has been photographed on six continents, in more than thirty countries and has appeared on more than five hundred magazine covers worldwide. She lives in the Hamptons.
We look forward to seeing you there!
Long Island LitFest & Newsday Live Present Chef Michael Symon
Tuesday, March 25, 2025, 7 pm, at Newsday HQ, Melville
Your $45 ticket includes a talk, audience Q&A, the book and book signing
Join us for a fun and informative talk between Newsday entertainment reporter Elisa DiStefano and Food Network star Michael Symon. Inspired by his popular Food Network show, Symon’s Dinners Cooking Out, his ninth cookbook, is Symon’s Dinners Cooking Out 100 Recipes That Redefine Outdoor Cooking.
Michael Symon is a James Beard Award–winning chef and restaurateur with acclaimed restaurants in Cleveland, Las Vegas, and Atlantic City. An Emmy-winning television personality and New York Times bestselling author, Michael hosts Symon’s Dinners Cooking Out and 24 in 24: Last Chef Standing on Food Network, where he has shared his expertise and love of cooking for decades. He and his wife Liz are currently collaborating with Frontgate on an outdoor kitchen and lifestyle line, combining their passion for food and entertaining. This is Michael’s ninth cookbook.
We hope to see you there!
2024:
TICKETS ON SALE NOW!
Long Island LitFest Presents Martha Stewart
Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024, 7:30 pm
Madison Theater, Molloy University, Rockville Centre
Your ticket includes a copy of the book, author talk, audience Q&A
*THIS EVENT IS SPONSORED BY NORTHWELL HEALTH, KATZ INSTITUTE FOR WOMEN’S HEALTH*
Please join us for a very special, exclusive to Long Island event with cultural icon Martha Stewart as she speaks with Newsday TV’s Senior Lifestyle Host Elisa DiStefano about her highly anticipated milestone 100th book, MARTHA: THE COOKBOOK (November 12, 2024|Clarkson Potter).
In her most personal book yet, MARTHA: THE COOKBOOK is a must for anyone who has ever been inspired by the one-and-only Martha. Join her in the kitchen as she shares 100 of her most favorite recipes along with invaluable tips and charming photos from her private archives. Learn how to cook her mother’s humble Potato Pierogi, Martha’s decadent Gougères, a comforting Apple Brioche Bread Pudding, and the famous Paella she makes for the luckiest friends who visit her in summer. Home cooks will find something to satisfy everyone’s taste, whether it’s a simple meal for one, a weeknight family dinner, or a special celebration. Recipes range from breakfast & brunch to soups & salads, hors d’oeuvres, cocktails, dinner, and of course dessert.
Like a scrapbook of Martha’s life in cookbook form, this is the ultimate collection for devotees and collectors as well as newer fans who want to become more confident in the kitchen and do what Martha does best: start with the basics and elevate them.
Martha Stewart is America’s most trusted lifestyle expert and teacher, and the author of 100 books on cooking, entertaining, homekeeping, gardening, weddings, and decorating.
We look forward to seeing you at this amazing event.
THIS BOBBY FLAY EVENT IS SOLD OUT
Long Island LitFest & Newsday Live Present Bobby Flay
Tuesday, October 29, 2024, 7:30 pm, at Newsday HQ, Melville
Your ticket includes a presigned copy of the book, audience Q&A
Join us at Newsday’s headquarters in Melville for a very special conversation with chef, restauranteur and author Bobby Flay! Since 1981, he has built one of the most influential bodies of work in American culinary history through his groundbreaking restaurants, cookbooks, and television shows.
Moderated by Newsday food expert Erica Marcus, this talk will focus on Flay’s new book, Chapter One (Clarkson Potter, $60.00) a compilation of 100 timeless recipes accompanied by essays inspired by seminal moments from his storied career.
Bobby Flay has been a professional chef for more than four decades. He’s opened influential restaurants across the country, including Mesa Grill, Bolo, Gato, and Bar American in New York City. He is one of the most prolific figures in food television history and has won a handful of Emmys. Chef Flay is the first-ever chef to be granted a Star on Hollywood Boulevard. Bobby Flay: Chapter One is his eighteenth cookbook.
Hope to see you there!
Long Island LitFest Presents Al Roker
& his daughter Courtney Roker Laga
Sunday, October 27, 2024, 3 pm, The Landmark on Main Street, Port Washington
Your ticket includes a signed copy of the book, author talk, audience Q&A, photo op
Join us for a lively chat with TODAY Show cohost and America’s favorite weatherman, Al Roker, and his daughter, Courtney Roker Laga, with their new cookbook, Recipes to Live By, Easy, Memory-Making Family Dishes for Every Occasion. This event is moderated by longtime Newsday food writer, Erica Marcus!
Featuring generations-long family favorites for every meal, Al Roker and his daughter, Courtney Roker Laga offer dishes in this book that will inspire all of us to start cooking memory-making meals. Full of cheerful family photos and Al’s frank, witty opinions on food and cooking, Al Roker’s Recipes to Live By is sure to become the most well-thumbed cookbook on your shelf, whether you’re a beginner home cook or a seasoned chef.
Al Roker is a coanchor of NBC’s Today, an Emmy-award winning journalist, and a New York Times bestselling author. He lives in New York with his family.
Courtney Roker Laga is a recipe developer and trained chef who has worked in two Michelin-starred restaurants. She lives in New Jersey with her husband and young daughter.
Erica Marcus spent her first fifteen years after college in book publishing, where she specialized in cookbooks. She started her career at Newsday in 1998, where she is now Food Reporter-Critic. She says she sees her job as spotlighting Long Island’s unsung culinary treasures and helping readers spend their food dollars wisely.
Don’t miss out on this unique event on Long Island!
Long Island LitFest Presents Randy Rainbow
Sunday, October 6, 2024, 3 pm
Adelphi University Performing Arts Center, 1 South Ave, Garden City
Your ticket* includes a signed copy of the book, author talk, audience Q&A
Join us for a most fun chat with New York Times bestselling author and adored comedian Randy Rainbow about his new essay collection, Low Hanging Fruit. This talk will be moderated by humor writer Barry Dougherty, author of six books including the standup comedy book How to Do It Standing Up and The Friars Club Encyclopedia of Jokes.
While writing his previous New York Times bestselling memoir, Playing with Myself, Randy Rainbow saw an America in crisis, knew what the country needed and here it is – Low-Hanging Fruit – a book filled with sparkling whines, a few flutes of champagne problems and a Birkin bag of the most pressing issues facing the US. (This event is recommended for adults only.)
Randy Rainbow is a four-time Emmy-nominated comedian, actor, singer, writer, and satirist best known for his popular series of musical parodies and political spoofs, which have garnered him international acclaim. Randy tours the U.S. to sold-out audiences, and his viral comedy videos receive millions of views across all social media and digital platforms. He resides in New York City.
Barry Dougherty was the editor of the Friars Club’s magazine, the Epistle and head writer for numerous Friars Club’s Roasts and Testimonial Dinners. He’s appeared on the documentaries Mafia Spies (Paramount Plus) and Treasures of New York: Friars Club (PBS) and was a consultant on the PBS documentaries Make ‘Em Laugh and Makers: Women in Comedy. Barry presents his work in a one-man show entitled, “My Life In 5 Essays” and is principal of BMD Communications, a multi-faceted company specializing in public relations and marketing.
See you there with your pink, cat-eye, rhinestone glasses!
*Tickets are $50; $75 for a limited number of VIP tickets for post-event photo op with Randy.
THE EVENT BELOW IS SOLD OUT
Long Island LitFest Presents Jodi Picoult
Tuesday, August 20, 2024, 7 pm at the
Vanderbilt Museum, Mansion and Planetarium, Centerport, NY
Tickets are $50 and include a signed book, author talk, audience Q&A and photo op
Join us for an exclusive New York appearance by New York Times bestselling author Jodi Picoult, when she comes to the historic, 43-acre Vanderbilt Estate, Museum and Planetarium for a chat in the exquisite outdoor courtyard* overlooking the Long Island Sound. Picoult will be talking about her latest work, By Any Other Name, a novel about two women, centuries apart—one of whom is the real author of Shakespeare’s plays—who are both forced to hide behind another name. Moderating this talk is Broadway star Arielle Jacobs.
Young playwright Melina Green has just written a new work inspired by the life of her Elizabethan ancestor Emilia Bassano. But seeing it performed is unlikely, in a theater world where the playing field isn’t level for women. As Melina wonders if she dares risk failure again, her best friend takes the decision out of her hands and submits the play to a festival under a male pseudonym.
Told in intertwining timelines, By Any Other Name, a sweeping tale of ambition, courage, and desire, centers two women who are determined to create something beautiful despite the prejudices they face. Should a writer do whatever it takes to see her story live on . . . no matter the cost? This remarkable novel, rooted in primary historical sources, ensures the name Emilia Bassano will no longer be forgotten.
Jodi Picoult is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of twenty-nine novels, including Mad Honey (co-authored with Jennifer Finney Boylan), Wish You Were Here, The Book of Two Ways, A Spark of Light, Small Great Things, Leaving Time, and My Sister’s Keeper, and, with daughter Samantha van Leer, two young adult novels, Between the Lines and Off the Page. She lives in New Hampshire with her husband.
Our moderator Arielle Jacobs starred as ‘Princess Jasmine’ in the smash-hit Broadway musical Disney’s Aladdin. She made her Broadway debut starring opposite Lin-Manuel Miranda, playing ‘Nina Rosario’ in the final Broadway cast of his 4-time Tony® and Grammy® award-winning musical In The Heights. She also starred on Broadway in Wicked, and most recently wowed audiences when she embodied the role of ‘Imelda Marcos’ on Broadway, in the historic first-ever all-Filipino cast of David Byrne’s disco pop musical Here Lies Love. She also created the role of ‘Delilah’ in the Off-Broadway musical Between The Lines, based on the book by NY Times best-selling author Jodi Picoult.
Audience Q&A will follow the talk – be sure send us your questions in advance to LILitFest@gmail.com – and then you can have a photo taken with the author!
We look forward to seeing you at this unique and exciting event.
*Weather permitting. A tent will be available on site in case of rain.
Long Island LitFest & Newsday Live Present Legendary Joan Baez
Thursday, June 13, 2024, 7 pm, at Newsday HQ, Melville
This event includes author talk and book signing
Each $45 ticket includes a copy of her new poetry volume, When You See My Mother, Ask Her To Dance
Join us for a unique experience – legendary artist and activist Joan Baez, as she talks with Newsday’s Rafer Guzman about When You See My Mother, Ask Her to Dance, an intimate, autobiographical poetry collection.
Baez released her first album in 1960. In 1962, at twenty-one years old, she appeared on the cover of Time magazine. At the March on Washington in 1963, Dr. King said “I have a Dream” and Baez sang “We Shall Overcome.” In 1969, she played Woodstock (several months pregnant). In the course of a decade, Joan Baez became—and remains—a rare international icon, the purest melding of singer and social activist.
Today, eighty-two and retired from performing, Joan is still a restless creator. While Baez has been writing poetry for decades, she’s never shared it publicly, until now. With When you See My Mother, Ask Her to Dance, Baez shares poems for or about her contemporaries (such as Bob Dylan, Leonard Cohen, Judy Collins, and Jimi Hendrix), reflections from her childhood, personal thoughts, and cherished memories of her family, including pieces about her younger sister, singer-songwriter Mimi Fariña. Speaking to the people, places, and moments that have had the greatest impact on her art, this collection is an inspiring personal diary in the form of poetry.
Surely a memorable, once-in-a-lifetime event, we look forward to seeing you there.
Long Island LitFest Presents Two-Time Pulitzer Prize Winner Nicholas Kristof
Friday, June 7, 2024, 7:30 pm, Cinema Arts Centre, Huntington
This event includes an author talk, audience Q&A and book signing
Each ticket ($50 members, $56 pubic) includes a copy of Chasing Hope
Please join us for a special evening featuring New York Times columnist, Pulitzer Prize winner, and best-selling author Nicholas D. Kristof, as he talks with award-winning journalist and author Liza Burby about his intimate and gripping memoir Chasing Hope, A Reporter’s Life. This is a candid memoir of vulnerability and courage, humility and purpose, mistakes and learning—a singular tale of the trials, tribulations and hope to be found in a life dedicated to the pursuit of truth.
Since 1984, Kristof has worked almost continuously for the New York Times as a reporter, foreign correspondent, bureau chief, and now columnist, becoming one of the foremost reporters of his generation. Here, he recounts his event-filled path from a small-town farm in Oregon to every corner of the world.
Kristof is an op-ed columnist for The New York Times, where he was previously bureau chief in Hong Kong, Beijing, and Tokyo. He is the coauthor, with his wife, Sheryl WuDunn, of five previous books: Tightrope, A Path Appears, Half the Sky, Thunder from the East, and China Wakes. He was awarded two Pulitzer Prizes, one with WuDunn in 1990 for their coverage of China, and the second in 2006 for his columns on Darfur.
Liza N. Burby is an award-winning journalist, editor and the author of nearly 40 nonfiction books for children and five books for adults. Her articles have appeared in numerous newspapers, including Newsday and The New York Times, and over 50 national magazines and websites, covering business, education, health, lifestyles, parenting, profiles and real estate. Burby’s other clients for both editing and writing projects include Adelphi University, Northwell Health, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook Medicine, Temple University and the U.S. Tennis Association. She is also a senior adjunct professor in the journalism program at Adelphi University and faculty advisor to the prize-winning student newspaper, The Delphian.
We look forward to being with you at this exciting event!
THE EVENT BELOW IS SOLD OUT
Long Island LitFest & Newsday Live Present George Stephanopoulos
Wednesday, May 22, 2024, 7 pm, Newsday HQ, Melville
This special event includes author talk, audience Q&A and presigned book
Each $47 ticket includes a copy of The Situation Room, The Inside Story of Presidents in Crisis
Please join us for a special evening at Newsday’s HQ featuring George Stephanopoulos, former senior advisor to President Clinton, co-anchor of Good Morning America and host of ABC’s This Week and author (with Lisa Dickey) of The Situation Room, The Inside Story of Presidents in Crisis. Stephanopoulos will be in conversation with Newsday anchor Jasmine Anderson.
No room better defines American power and its role in the world than the White House Situation Room. And yet, none is more shrouded in secrecy and mystery. Created under President Kennedy, the Sit Room has been the epicenter of crisis management for presidents for more than six decades. Time and again, the decisions made within the Sit Room complex affect the lives of every person on this planet. Detailing close calls made and disasters narrowly averted, The Situation Room will take readers through dramatic turning points in a dozen presidential administrations, including:
- Incredible minute-by-minute transcripts from the Sit Room after both Presidents Kennedy and Reagan were shot
- The shocking moment when Henry Kissinger raised the military alert level to DEFCON III while President Nixon was drunk in the White House residence
- The extraordinary scene when President Carter asked for help from secret government psychics to rescue American hostages in Iran
- A vivid retelling of the harrowing hours during the 9/11 attack
- New details from Obama administration officials leading up to the raid on Osama Bin Laden
- And a first-ever account of January 6th from the staff inside the Sit Room
George Stephanopoulos is the host of ABC’s This Week with George Stephanopoulos and co-anchor of Good Morning America. Stephanopoulos joined ABC News in 1997 as an analyst for This Week. Prior to joining ABC News, he served in the Clinton administration as the senior advisor to the president for policy and strategy. He is the author of All Too Human, a New York Times bestseller.
We look forward to being with you at this exciting event!
Long Island LitFest Presents Lauren Grodstein
Saturday, April 6, 2024, 4 pm, Writers & Readers Festival, Adelphi University
in conversation with Mark Chiusano
This is a FREE event. Registration required — hurry to receive a FREE copy of
On April 5 and 6, Adelphi University will welcome fellow book lovers for a free celebration of storytelling, literature and the power of the written word-featuring Adelphi alumna and best-selling author Alice Hoffman, who founded and inspired the two-day festival. The first 200 people to register will receive the latest book by one of the festival’s featured authors (limit one book per registrant) and a festival branded tote bag. There will be panels and keynotes with bestselling authors as well as professional development workshops and interactive conversations with literary agents, book editors and writing coaches.
Meet Lauren Grodstein on Saturday at 4 pm for a lively conversation about her career, writing in general and of course, her latest novel. Grodstein is the author of Our Short History, The Washington Post Book of the Year The Explanation for Everything, and the New York Times-bestselling A Friend of the Family, among other works. Her stories, essays, and articles have appeared in various literary magazines and anthologies, and have been translated into French, German, Chinese, and Italian. Her work has also appeared in Elle, The New York Times, Refinery29, Salon.com, Barrelhouse, Post Road, and The Washington Post. She is a professor of English at Rutgers University-Camden, where she teaches in the MFA program in creative writing.
Grodstein will be in conversation with Mark Chiusano, author of The Fabulist, a George Santos biography, and the story collection Marine Park, a PEN/Hemingway Award honorable mention. He is a former Newsday columnist and his writing has appeared in places like The New York Times, New York Magazine, Politico Magazine, and The Paris Review. He teaches English at CUNY City Tech.
Long Island LitFest Presents Valerie Bertinelli
Tuesday, April 2, 2024, 7 pm, the Landmark on Main in Port Washington
in conversation with Newsday’s Erica Marcus
This exclusive to Long Island event includes an author talk, audience Q&A
Each $50 ticket includes a signed copy of Indulge, Delicious and Decadent Dishes to Enjoy and Share
Please join us for a special evening featuring beloved actress and New York Times bestselling author Valerie Bertinelli when she talks with Newsday longtime food writer Erica Marcus about her most indulgent cookbook yet! Indulge, Delicious and Decadent Dishes to Enjoy and Share is a collection of 100 recipes to nourish the body and the soul.
When Valerie Bertinelli turned 60, she said “Enough already!” and ended her battle with the scale for good. She stopped counting calories. She stopped thinking of certain foods as good or bad. She quit saying no and began saying yes, finally learning how to enjoy the pure pleasure of being alive – starting in the kitchen. In short, she learned how to indulge.
Written in Valerie’s warmhearted and intimate style—including heartfelt essays about how to savor moments big and small—this cookbook is a permission slip to enjoy food, and more importantly, enjoy life.
Valerie Bertinelli was the Emmy Award–winning host of the Food Network shows Valerie’s Home Cooking and Kids Baking Championship. She is the author of the #1 New York Times bestsellers Enough Already, Losing It, and Finding It, plus fan favorites Valerie’s Home Cooking and One Dish at a Time. She has starred in TV classics One Day at a Time and Hot in Cleveland.
We look forward to being with you at this exciting event!
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2023
Long Island LitFest Presents Henry Winkler IN PERSON
THIS EVENT IS NOW SOLD OUT
Wednesday, November 1, 2023, 7:30 pm
At Madison Theater, Molloy College, Rockville Centre
Your $50 ticket includes a talk with Henry Winkler, audience Q&A, a signed book and photo op
Please join us for an exclusive Long Island event when Newsday Senior Lifestyle Host Elisa DiStefano sits down for an intimate conversation with superstar Henry Winkler. Henry will be talking about his memoir, BEING HENRY: The Fonz… and Beyond.
From Emmy-award winning actor, author, comedian, producer, and director Henry Winkler, this is a deeply thoughtful memoir of the lifelong effects of stardom and the struggle to become whole. Henry Winkler, launched into prominence by his role as “The Fonz” in the beloved Happy Days, has transcended the role that made him who he is. Brilliant, funny, and widely-regarded as the nicest man in Hollywood (though he would be the first to tell you that it’s simply not the case, he’s really just grateful to be here), Henry shares in this achingly vulnerable memoir the disheartening truth of his childhood, the difficulties of a life with severe dyslexia, the pressures of a role that takes on a life of its own, and the path forward once your wildest dream seems behind you.
Filled with profound heart, charm, and self-deprecating humor, Being Henry is a memoir about so much more than a life in Hollywood and the curse of stardom. It is a meaningful testament to the power of sharing truth and kindness and of finding fulfillment within yourself.
We thank Newsday Live and Elisa Distefano for being a part of this exciting program.
Much appreciation to Locust Valley Bookstore for proving the books for this event.
Long Island LitFest Presents CNN’s John Avlon IN PERSON
with PBS’ Margaret Hoover
Sunday, September 17, 2023 at 2 pm, Cinema Arts Centre, Huntington
Tickets are on sale now: $40 Public | $35 Members and include
a copy of the book, audience Q&A and book signing
Join us for a very special in-person talk with CNN news anchor and award-winning columnist John Avlon, as he discusses his latest book, Lincoln and the Fight for Peace with his wife, Margaret Hoover, the host of PBS’ “Firing Line with Margaret Hoover,” a public affairs, multi-platform program.
Lincoln and the Fight for Peace is a groundbreaking, revelatory history of Abraham Lincoln’s plan to secure a just and lasting peace after the Civil War—a vision that inspired future presidents as well as the world’s most famous peacemakers, including Nelson Mandela, Mahatma Gandhi, and Martin Luther King, Jr. It is a story of war and peace, race and reconciliation.
John Avlon is a senior political analyst and anchor at CNN. He is an award-winning columnist and also the author of Independent Nation, Wingnuts, Washington’s Farewell. Previously, he was the editor-in-chief and managing director of The Daily Beast and served as chief speechwriter for the Mayor of New York during the attacks of 9/11. He lives with his wife Margaret Hoover and their two children in New York.
Our moderator, Margaret Hoover, host of PBS’ “Firing Line with Margaret Hoover,” is also a CNN contributor. Ms. Hoover has served in The White House under President George W. Bush, in the Department of Homeland Security, on Capitol Hill and on two presidential campaigns. She is the President of American Unity Fund, a political organization focused on achieving full freedom and equality for LGBT Americans. A bestselling author, her writing has appeared in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Daily News, The Daily Beast, CNN.com and others.
We look forward to his fascinating event and to seeing you there!
Long Island LitFest & Newsday Live Present Food Network Star
Alex Guarnaschelli, IN PERSON
Thursday, September 14, 2023 at 7:30 pm, Newsday Studios, 6 Corporate Center Dr, Melville
Click here for tickets, $45, which include a copy of Cook It Up
Join us for a talk between Newsday food writer Erica Marcus and renowned Food Network star Alex Guarnaschelli, as she talks about her outstanding culinary career, her life and her new cookbook, Cook It Up, written with her daughter Ava Clark.
Few American chefs, much less female chefs, can boast leading Michelin-starred restaurants abroad. Chef Alexandra Guarnaschelli can make such a boast, having embarked on a culinary journey in France that saw her working in some of that country’s top restaurants, including esteemed chef Guy Savoy’s eponymous three-star kitchen. In 2003, Guarnaschelli became the executive chef at Butter Restaurant in NYC, which provided the opportunity for her to develop a menu based on her own choices and point of view. Today Guarnaschelli is recognized as one of America’s most accomplished top chefs, acclaimed for her work in the kitchen, as an author, and as a popular television personality.
This exciting event include a talk, audience Q&A and book signing. We thank Locust Valley Bookstore for providing the books.
Long Island LitFest & Gold Coast Arts Center Present
Adriana Trigiani, IN PERSON
with best-selling author Hellen Ellis
News: Books are now SOLD OUT for this event. But we’ve just added general admission ticket pricing at $15 for the author talk with audience Q&A. For a $15 ticket that does NOT include the book, purchase here.
Wednesday, May 31, 7:30 pm at Manhasset Cinemas, 430 Plandome Rd, Manhasset
Your $30 ticket includes a paperback copy of The Good Left Undone
Join us for an exclusive in-person talk with bestselling author Adriana Trigiani! This event includes an author talk, audience Q&A and book signing.
Adriana Trigiani is the New York Times best- selling author of twenty books in fiction and non-fiction, published in 38 languages around the world. She is also an award-winning playwright, television writer/producer and filmmaker, with screen credits that include writer/director of the major motion picture of her debut novel Big Stone Gap, the adaptation of her novel, Very Valentine, and director of Then Came You. Adriana grew up in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia, where she co-founded the Origin Project, an in-school, year-round writing program that serves more than 2,700 students in Appalachia. Adriana is proud to serve on the New York State Council on the Arts. She lives in New York City with her family.
The New York Times has called her a “comedy writer with a heart of gold.” The paperback edition of her latest bestselling historical novel, THE GOOD LEFT UNDONE was a People book of the week and a Read with Jenna Today show beach read when first released. Adriana also has a massively popular show on her Facebook page (with more than 100K followers) called Adriana Ink which has accumulated millions of views.
This talk will be moderated by Hellen Ellis, the author of five books including the national bestseller American Housewife and Southern Lady Code. She has published in Modern Love and Garden & Gun. She is a poker player and a plant lady. Raised in Alabama, she lives with her husband in New York City. Her new book Kiss Me in the Coral Lounge: Intimate Confessions from a Happy Marriage, will be published in June 2023.
We thank Locust Valley Bookstore for providing the books for this exciting event!
Long Island LitFest & Gold Coast Arts Center Present Susan Isaacs, IN PERSON
with best-selling author Meg Wolitzer
Tuesday, May 9, 2023, 7:30 pm
Your $45 ticket includes a copy of Bad, Bad Seymour Brown
Author Talk, Audience Q&A And Book Signing
NEW: Your name can become a character in Susan’s next novel! Look for a special “golden bookmark” in your copy of Bad, Bad Seymour Brown on entering Manhasset Cinema on May 9!
Meet bestselling author and Long Islander Susan Isaacs in her first in person appearance for her latest novel, Bad, Bad Seymour Brown!
New York Times-bestselling author Susan Isaacs’ female protagonists are her calling card. As Rachel Martin put it on NPR’s Weekend Edition, “The women who inhabit Isaacs’ books are smart, sexy, a little snarky, and filled with some serious chutzpah.”
Readers will now be thrilled by the return of two favorite characters, former FBI agent Corie Geller and her retired cop dad, in Bad, Bad Seymour Brown, in which they are tasked to solve one of the NYPD’s coldest homicide cases before the crime’s sole survivor is killed.
Susan Isaacs is the author of fourteen novels, including Takes One to Know One, As Husbands Go, Long Time No See, Any Place I Hang My Hat and Compromising Positions. A recipient of the Writers for Writers Award and the John Steinbeck Award, Isaacs serves as chairman of the board of Poets & Writers, and is a past president of Mystery Writers of America. Her fiction has been translated into 30 languages. She lives on Long Island with her husband.
Our moderator, Meg Wolitzer, is the New York Times bestselling author of many books, including The Ten-Year Nap, The Interestings, and The Female Persuasion. Her novel The Wife was made into the film starring Glenn Close, and the film version of her novel This Is My Life marked the directorial debut of Nora Ephron. Wolitzer is currently a member of the MFA faculty at SUNY Stony Brook, where she co-founded and co-directs BookEnds, a yearlong, non-credit intensive in writing novels. She was guest editor of The Best American Short Stories 2017, and is the host of the literary radio show and podcast Selected Shorts.
We thank Locust Valley Bookstore for providing the books for this exciting event!
Long Island LitFest & Newsday Live Present Lauren Fleshman
A free, virtual chat!
Wednesday, March 8, 2023, 7 pm
Join us and Newsday Live for a free virtual chat with Lauren Fleshman, as she tells us about her new book, Good for a Girl. Fleshman is one of the most decorated American distance runners of all time, having won five NCAA championships at Stanford and two national championships as a professional. Her writing has appeared in The New York Times and Runner’s World. She is the brand strategy advisor for Oiselle, a fitness apparel company for women, and the co-founder of Picky Bars, a natural food company. She lives in Bend, OR with her husband, triathlete Jesse Thomas, and their two children.
Please register in advance at Newsdaylive.com.
Long Island LitFest Presents Paulina Porizkova IN PERSON
with Christie Brinkley!
THIS EVENT IS SOLD OUT
Sunday, March 5, 2023 at 2:30 pm, Cinema Arts Centre, Huntington
Tickets are on sale now, $40/$45 non-members and include a copy of the book
Meet writer and supermodel Paulina Porizkova, who will talk with actress and supermodel Christie Brinkley about her amazing career, the complexities of womanhood at every age, and her intimate, introspective, and enlightening essay collection, No Filter: The Good, the Bad and the Beautiful. This event includes audience Q&A and book signings.
Born in Cold War Czechoslovakia, Porizkova’s first Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue cover was in 1984. As the face of Estée Lauder in 1989, she was one of the highest-paid models in the world, and when she was nineteen, she fell in love with The Cars front man Ric Ocasek. The decades to come would bring marriage, motherhood, a budding writing career; and later sadness, loneliness, and eventually divorce. Following her ex-husband’s death—and the revelation of a deep betrayal—Paulina stunned fans with her fierce vulnerability and disarming honesty as she let the whole world share in her experience of being a woman who must start over.
Porizkova has starred in 16 movies and a slew of TV shows as an actress, and she has served as part of the judging panel on Cycle 10 of America’s Next Top Model. Her debut novel, A Model Summer, was published in 2007. This is her nonfiction debut.
Please join us for this unique event!
Long Island LitFest & Newsday Live Present Katherine Schwarzenegger Pratt
A free, virtual chat with Elisa DiStefano!
Wednesday, February 15, 2023, 7 pm
Long Island LitFest and Newsday Live Present Kevin Nealon
Join us for a free virtual talk on January 31, 2023 at 7 pm
Comedian and actor Kevin Nealon shares original full-color caricatures and funny, endearing personal essays about his famous friends in his latest book, I Exaggerate. Alongside his portraits and doodles from script margins and cocktail napkins, Nealon takes readers through his memories of everything from the set of Saturday Night Live with Chris Farley and Dana Carvey, to his idolization of James Taylor, the eulogy he gave at his dear friend Garry Shandling’s funeral, and much more. This is a charming and gorgeously illustrated project from a comedy all-star that is sure to delight.
This virtual talk is moderated by Newsday’s Rafer Guzman. Register at Newsdaylive.com.