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Arts & Letters Live 2009 Season
A celebration of the literary and performing arts featuring acclaimed authors, actors, illustrators, musicians, and more
To order tickets to the program with Elizabeth Gilbert, please visit eisemanncenter.com.
To order tickets for all other programs, please visit tickets.DallasMuseumofArt.org; scroll down and select the Arts & Letters Live tab at the top of the event listings for a complete list of programs.
January to June 2009
January
February
March
April
May
June
January
16
Stephanie Kallos, 7:00 p.m.
Stephanie Kallos’s novel Broken for You (2004) was a national best seller and was selected by Sue Monk Kidd as a Today Show Book Club pick. This dazzling debut earned the author comparisons to John Irving, Margaret Atwood, and Carol Shields. Her newest novel, Sing Them Home (January 2009), explores the consequences of protecting the ones we love, and conjures an extraordinary cast of characters teeming with quirks, strengths, and secrets.
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20
Sir Ken Robinson, 7:30 p.m.
Promotional Partner: Big Thought
Robinson is one of the world’s leading thinkers on the subject of creativity; his speech from the TED conference has been downloaded more than a million times. His latest book, The Element, explores the point at which natural talent meets personal passion, drawing on stories by a wide range of people including Paul McCartney, Matt Groening, Meg Ryan, photographer Gordon Parks, and physicist Richard Feynman.
Before and after the event: Let your imagination run wild in the Museum’s Center for Creative Connections. Battle with and against your friends in Creativity Challenges!
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25
David Macaulay, 3:00 p.m.
Author and illustrator of the landmark book The Way Things Work, which explains the hows and whys of almost anything that functions. His newest book, The Way We Work, illuminates the most important machine of all—the human body. Macaulay will discuss these works along with his beautifully illustrated book Pyramid in honor of the exhibition Tutankhamun and the Golden Age of the Pharaohs.This amazing visual storyteller is a Caldecott Medalist and recipient of a MacArthur Foundation “genius grant.”
2:15 p.m. Join teen docents on a tour of the Museum’s collections inspired by Macaulay’s books.
Promotional Partner: 
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29
Wally Lamb, 7:30 p.m.
First Presbyterian Church of Dallas
408 Park Avenue, Dallas, Texas 75201
Wally Lamb is the New York Times best-selling author of She’s Come Undone and I Know This Much Is True. He has won the praise of critics and readers alike for his memorable and well-crafted characters, his biting humor, and his compelling tales of redemption in the face of tragedy. He will discuss the body of his work, including his newly released and highly anticipated novel The Hour I First Believed.
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February
1
Jonathan Stroud, 3:00 p.m.
St. Mark’s School of Texas, Decherd Performance Hall
10600 Preston Road, Dallas, Texas 75230
New York Times best-selling author of The Bartimaeus Trilogy. Horn Book Magazine raves, “Stroud is a masterful storyteller, balancing touching sentiment with humor, explosive action scenes with philosophical musings on human nature.” This British author will also talk about his latest novel, Heroes of the Valley, which weaves Norse mythology into a thrilling and original adventure.
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9
Texas Bound from Broadway: Food Fictions, 7:30 p.m.
Dallas Theater Center
3636 Turtle Creek Boulevard, Dallas, Texas 75219
Stories by T. Coraghessan Boyle, Roald Dahl, and Dorothy Parker, read by actors Jill Eikenberry (Ann Kelsey on L.A. Law), Isaiah Sheffer (Artistic Director and co-founder of Symphony Space), and Michael Tucker (Stuart Markowitz on L.A. Law).
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10
The music critic for the New Yorker, Alex Ross received the 2007 National Book Critics Circle Award for his landmark book The Rest Is Noise: Listening to the Twentieth Century, which was also a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize and was selected as one of the New York Times’ 10 Best Books of 2007. Experience the 20th century in an entirely new way through Ross’s multimedia extravaganza of music, art, history, and culture.
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20
Abraham Verghese, 7:00 p.m.
Already a master of memoir and nonfiction, Dr. Abraham Verghese will read from and discuss his stunning debut novel, Cutting for Stone, an epic story of family, medicine, exile, and love; author Tracy Kidder calls it “vastly entertaining and enlightening.” Verghese’s two other acclaimed books include The Tennis Partner and My Own Country, a National Book Critics Circle finalist that chronicles the author’s work with AIDS patients in rural America.
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24
Elizabeth Gilbert, 7:30 p.m.
Charles W. Eisemann Center, Hill Performance Hall
2351 Performance Drive, Richardson, Texas 75082
Elizabeth Gilbert is the author of the best-selling phenomenon Eat, Pray, Love, with over five million copies in print. This insightful memoir chronicles Gilbert’s yearlong spiritual search traveling around the world after a difficult divorce. It was #1 on the New York Times Best Seller list for over a year. Time magazine named Gilbert to their 2008 list of the World’s 100 Most Influential People.
To purchase tickets for the Elizabeth Gilbert program only, please visit eisemanncenter.com or call 972-744-4650.
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March
6
Ian McEwan, 7:30 p.m.
Naomi Bruton Theatre, Dallas Convention Center Complex
650 S. Griffin Street, Dallas, Texas 75202
Don’t miss this evening with one of the most distinguished fiction writers of our time! McEwan is a master of introspective human dramas. He won the Somerset Maugham Award for First Love, Last Rites, the Booker Prize for Amsterdam, and the National Book Critics Circle Award for Atonement. He is also the author of Amsterdam and Saturday. Five of his novels have been translated into films. At this event, he will discuss the body of his work and share insights into his latest unpublished novel.
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20
Mummies, Magic, and Mayhem
Enjoy an evening of readings and discussions, special tours, and hands-on activities for all ages inspired by the Museum’s collections and the exhibition Tutankhamun and the Golden Age of the Pharaohs!
7:00 p.m., Judy Schachner (recommended for ages 5 and older)
Author and illustrator of the beloved Skippyjon Jones series of picture books, which follows the adventures of a Siamese cat who thinks he’s a Chihuahua. In Skippyjon Jones in Mummy Trouble, when El Skippito reads about cat mummies in National Leographic his overactive imagination whisks him off to ancient Egypt via his closet. Full of Spanglish wordplay, adventurous antics, and bold illustrations, this book is sure to tickle the funny bones and warm the hearts of children and adults alike.
8:15 p.m., R. L. LaFevers (recommended for ages 8 and older)
Author of Theodosia and the Serpents of Chaos and Theodosia and the Staff of Osiris. Theo has a rather unusual life as the daughter of the curators of the Museum of Legends and Antiquities in London (circa 1900). Her parents are so immersed in their work that they never seem to notice Theodosia sleeping in the sarcophagi or lifting the curses off the mysterious ancient artifacts they collect. Publishers Weekly hailed it as an “Indiana Jones for girls . . . a perfect blend of mystery and humor.”
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23
Texas Bound I, 7:30 p.m.
Dallas Theater Center, Kalita Humphreys Theater
Stories by Katherine Center, Steven Gullion, Sue Monk Kidd, and Steve Almond read by actors Jessica D. Turner, Brad Leland, Liz Mikel, and G. W. Bailey.
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24
Dr. Zahi Hawass: Mysteries of Tutankhamun Revealed, 7:30 p.m.
Cosponsored by Arts & Letters Live and the Boshell Family Lecture Series on Archaeology
Southern Methodist University, McFarlin Memorial Auditorium
6405 Boaz Lane, Dallas, Texas 75275
World-renowned archaeologist Dr. Zahi Hawass, the Secretary General of Egypt’s Supreme Council of Antiquities, has appeared on specials for Discovery Channel and National Geographic. At this event, he will share cutting-edge new scientific findings from Tutankhamun’s tomb.
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April
5
M. T. Anderson, 3:00 p.m.
Winner of the National Book Award and Printz Honor for his best-selling novel The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Volume 1. The novel chronicles the life of an unusual slave during the Revolutionary War. Amazon.com named Volume 2 as their Top Teen Book pick for 2008.
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17
Arthur Phillips, 7:00 p.m.
Arthur Phillips is the author of the best-selling novel The Egyptologist, as well as Prague and Angelica, which the Washington Post says “cements this young novelist’s reputation as one of the best writers in America.” His latest novel, The Song Is You, is a stunning tale of loss, love, and second chances.
After the program: Test your knowledge of Tut in a trivia contest with host Arthur Phillips, a five-time Jeopardy! champion.
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19
David Sedaris, 7:30 p.m.
Southern Methodist University, McFarlin Memorial Auditorium
Promotional Partner: 
David Sedaris is a master of satire and is the closest thing the literary world has to a rock star—his readings are consistently standing-room only. At this event, Sedaris will read from new and unpublished material.
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May
1
Sherman Alexie and Colson Whitehead, 7:30 p.m.
University of Texas at Dallas, Conference Center
In partnership with the School of Arts & Humanities at UTD
Sherman Alexie’s debut young adult novel, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, won the 2007 National Book Award for Young People’s Literature and was inspired largely by his own adolescence. His newest novel, Radioactive Love Song, is narrated by William, who recently lost his mother. It’s a 21st-century Indian road odyssey, complete with a broken down car named Argo and an iPod full of classic love songs containing heartfelt messages from his mother.
Colson Whitehead is the acclaimed author of The Intuitionist and John Henry Days (finalist for a Pulitzer Prize). He will discuss his newest novel, Sag Harbor, which tells the story of Benji, one of the only black kids at an elite prep school in Manhattan in 1985. This novel mines the awkwardness of teenagers and masterfully explores racial and class identity.
Promotional Partner: The Black Academy of Arts & Letters
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3
Linda Sue Park, 3:00 p.m.
The Hockaday School, Hoblitzelle Auditorium
11600 Welch Road, Dallas, Texas 75229
Promotional partner: Crow Collection of Asian Art
With keen attention to story and language, Linda Sue Park crafts masterful stories for people of all ages. She won the 2002 Newbery Medal for her novel A Single Shard, a book that Kirkus Reviews praised as “a timeless jewel.” The daughter of Korean immigrants, Park embraces Korean culture and history in her work. Her latest novel, Keeping Score, is based in part on her continuing love of baseball and her childhood experience rooting for a losing team.
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11
Texas Bound: The PEN/O. Henry Prize Stories 2009, 7:30 p.m.
Dallas Theater Center
3636 Turtle Creek Boulevard, Dallas, Texas 75219
Stories by O. Henry, Judy Troy, and Alexi Zentner read by Joanna Schellenberg, Sean Hennigan, and John Feltch. Hosted by Laura Furman, series editor, The O. Henry Prize Stories. Book signing to follow the event.
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12
Tony Horwitz and David Grann, 7:30 p.m.
Epic Quests: Following in the Footsteps of Explorers
Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist and author Tony Horwitz (A Voyage Long and Strange) and journalist David Grann (The Lost City of Z) have both risked life and limb putting themselves in harm’s way all for the sake of the story. At this event, they will discuss the topic of exploration and their own journeys to retrace explorers’ routes in America and the Amazon.
6:30 p.m. Join docents on tours of the Museum’s collections featuring works of art dealing with the theme of exploration, such as Fredric Edwin Church’s The Icebergs.
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15
Kathleen Kent and Cristina Henríquez, 7:00 p.m.
Two critically acclaimed debut novelists (both connected to Dallas) share the stage and explore common threads in their books: family, love, and sacrifice.
Kathleen Kent’s New York Times best-selling novel, The Heretic’s Daughter, brings to life the story of Martha Carrier, one of the first women to be accused, tried, and hanged as a witch in 1692 in the Salem witch trials. Kent is a direct descendant of Martha Carrier.
Cristina Henríquez’s triumphant and poignant debut novel, The World in Half, tells the story of a young woman reconciling an existence between Panama and America and confronting a life of hardship with an endless capacity to learn, love, and forgive.
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31
Hailed as the “Prince of Pop-Ups,” Robert Sabuda is the best-known artist working in that genre today. He orchestrates major feats of paper engineering in his quest to bring to life literary classics in a new way, including his best-selling pop-up books Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, The Chronicles of Narnia, and Peter Pan.
1:00 p.m. Join Sabuda in the Center for Creative Connections, where he will demonstrate the process of making pop-ups. Team up with friends or family for Creativity Challenges and try your own hand at making these three-dimensional creations using paper and scissors.
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June
2
Novel Destinations, 7:30 p.m.
Begin your literary adventures with the book Novel Destinations: Literary Landmarks from Jane Austen’s Bath to Ernest Hemingway’s Key West, written by Shannon McKenna Schmidt and Joni Rendon and published by National Geographic. Globe-trotters and armchair bibliophiles alike will discover interesting reading suggestions and bits of little-known literary gossip in this travel guide.
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8
Texas Bound II, 7:30 p.m.
Dallas Theater Center
3636 Turtle Creek Boulevard, Dallas, Texas 75219
Stories by Steve Almond, Sue Monk Kidd, Richard Bausch, and Steve Martin read by actors Ash Smith, Harriet Harris, James Crawford, Hilary Couch, and Randy Moore.
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15
Sara Gruen, author of Water for Elephants (both a word-of-mouth success and a New York Times #1 Best Seller), will discuss this book as well as her forthcoming novel Ape House, the story of a family of bonobo apes who are cast in a reality TV show and get caught up in a media storm.
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23
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie and Alexandra Fuller, 7:30 p.m.
Critically acclaimed Nigerian author of the novels Purple Hibiscus and Half of a Yellow Sun, Chimamanda Adichie is the recipient of the 2007 Orange Prize and has been awarded a MacArthur Foundation “genius grant.” Her collection of short stories, The Thing Around Your Neck, will be released in June.
Alexandra Fuller is the author of the award-winning nonfiction books Don’t Let’s Go to the Dogs Tonight: An African Childhood and Scribbling the Cat: Travels with an African Soldier. Adichie and Fuller will share their own stories and then discuss the common threads of love and war in their work.
6:30 p.m. Join Dr. Roslyn Walker, Senior Curator of the Arts of Africa, the Americas, and the Pacific, for a tour of African art in the Museum’s collections.
Promotional Partner: The Black Academy of Arts & Letters
To order tickets to the Elizabeth Gilbert program, please visit eisemanncenter.com.
To order tickets for all other programs, please visit tickets.DallasMuseumofArt.org; scroll down and select the Arts & Letters Live tab at the top of the event listings for a complete list of programs.
Arts & Letters Live is supported by the Kay Cattarulla Endowment for the Literary and Performing Arts, The Hoglund Foundation, The Eugene McDermott Foundation, Annual Series Supporters, and the Donor Circle membership program through the gifts by Claire Dewar and Sewell Automotive . Additional support provided by Friends of the Dallas Public Library.
Air transportation provided in part by American Airlines. Hotel accommodations provided in part by The Adolphus. Promotional support includes The Dallas Morning News, KERA, and Einstein Printing.
The Dallas Museum of Art is supported in part by the generosity of Museum members and donors and by the citizens of Dallas through the City of Dallas/Office of Cultural Affairs and the Texas Commission on the Arts.
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