Local food, local brews, local wine, local community … local reads. They all come together this Wednesday, June 14 from 6–9 p.m. at The Little Fleet. Traverse City Authors is throwing a party for book lovers—A Celebration of Story!
Breaking the mold of typical author book-signing events, A Celebration of Story will be a fun and energized evening of live storytelling, mingling, and local food and drink with local writers on a summer evening at Traverse City’s good-vibe food truck venue.
The Little Fleet will also create a special literary-themed cocktail for the evening. Drink sales will benefit Front Street Writers, a National Writer Series program for local high school students.
“Traverse City has supported the movement to eat, drink and shop local for many years,” says children’s book author Lisa Maxbauer Price. “We think they’ll support reading local, too, and it’s a natural first step to kick off this effort at The Little Fleet, which celebrates everything local.”
Everybody is invited and there is no entry fee. The Little Fleet’s food trucks and pub will be open for business. The author-emceed program will include:
- Michigan author trivia contest
- Live storytelling by local authors and Front Street Writers students
- Authors available to sign books sold on site by Horizon Books
- Summer reading program registration by the Traverse Area District Library.
Keeping with the community spirit, A Celebration of Story will be held as Norte!, Traverse City’s bike-centric, youth-focused non-profit, ends its regular Wednesday night ride at The Little Fleet. TADL will have its commuting bike library on hand as well.
The event will be lighthearted and fun, but, just as with all good stories, there is a deeper meaning. “Story is such a powerful and elemental part of who we are,” says Jeff Smith, editor of Traverse Magazine and a member of Traverse City Authors. “Story is primitive and ancient and simultaneously ever current and immediate. Story both reflects our lives and shapes our lives. This group of local authors figured it was high time to throw a full-on party celebrating that big, bold, vast thing called story.”
Confirmed participating authors include Lisa Maxbauer Price, Bob Downes, Heather Shumaker, Michael Dow, Jeff Smith, Cari Noga, Karen Trolenberg, Heather Shaw, A.V. Walters, Loreen Niewenhuis, Bill O’Smith, Tom Carr, Tim Keenan and Marina Call.
For more information, visit the Traverse City Authors Facebook page, or contact Lisa Maxbauer Price at lisamaxbauer@yahoo.com.