ZEE JLF At Boulder Announces 2018 Program

The fourth installation of ZEE JLF at Boulder, produced by Teamwork Arts, will bring more than 70 authors from around the world to explore today's hot topics while engaging the community in essential dialogue. ZEE JLF at Boulder is in association with Boulder Library Foundation, the City of Boulder, and Boulder Public Library.

ZEE JLF at Boulder is a part of the larger umbrella of JLF in the USA, which also includes JLF at Houston on September 14-15 and JLF at New York on September 19-20.

A festival of literature from all over the world, ZEE JLF at Boulder promises to be an event unlike any other. Free and accessible to everyone, the Festival invites you to join us in examining the human experience through the reflections and imaginations of distinguished contemporary authors from across the globe. In an uplifting celebration of the mind and heart, writers and thinkers from the Americas, Asia, Africa, and Europe will take part in provocative conversations about life and society, economics and the arts, equity, freedom, and the care of our planet. In these critical times, the penetrating, intercultural dialogue exchanged speaks deeply to individuals, and gives rise to the joy of community.

The Festival will feature more than 40 sessions across three days, with the program appealing to a wide range of interests.

Highlights include:

The Meaning of Everything: Simon Winchester in conversation with William Dalrymple

In his book, The Meaning of Everything: The Story of the Oxford English Dictionary, British-American author and journalist Simon Winchester, tells the story of the Oxford English Dictionary and its early editors.

Forensic Anthropology: From Crime Lab to Crime Fiction: Kathy Reichs in conversation with Arsen Kashkashian

Creator of the popular TV series Bones, Kathy Reichs is also an academic and forensic anthropologist. She balances her passion for forensic anthropology with her dedication to writing, bringing deep layers of understanding, and real-life science to the investigation and exhumation of criminal mysteries.

Creation and Destruction: Art, Politics and the Worlds of Islam: Molly Crabapple and Shahzia Sikander in conversation with William Dalrymple

Molly Crabapple and Shahzia Sikander have spent much of their careers examining the worlds of Islam through the prism of their art. Here they discuss art and politics and their very different careers and artistic visions.

An Orchestra of Stories: Chigozie Obioma in conversation with Aruni Kashyap

Chigozie Obioma, a Nigerian writer of Igbo descent, explores the landscape of his fiction, including his award-winning first novel The Fishermen, and his highly anticipated second novel, An Orchestra of Minorities.

About Michael Jackson: Margo Jefferson in conversation with Maeve Conran

Who was the elusive Michael Jackson? What do PT Barnum, Peter Pan, and Edgar Allan Poe have to do with our fascination with him? Margo Jefferson gives us the incontrovertible lowdown on call-him-what-you-wish, offering up a powerful reckoning with a quintessential, richly allusive signifier of American society and popular culture.

The Dawn Watch: Joseph Conrad in a Global World: Maya Jasanoff in conversation with William Dalrymple

A visionary exploration of the life and times of Joseph Conrad, his turbulent age of globalization and our own, from one of the most exciting young historians writing today, Maya Jasanoff, Coolidge Professor of History at Harvard.

Himalaya: Broughton Coburn, Dorje Dolma, Sujeev Shakya, and Wade Davis with Nikko Odiseos.

The Himalayas, the youngest and tallest mountains in the world, share an interconnected geography, culture, and identity. From the unique perspective of climbers, travelers, anthropologists, writers, and Himalayan citizens, the session discusses the geopolitical jigsaws of the region, the similarities within the differences of the trans-Himalayan belt.

Immigrant, Montana: Amitava Kumar in conversation with Suketu Mehta

Amitava Kumar's new book, Immigrant, Montana, is part novel, part memoir. Kumar speaks of the varieties and vagaries of cultural misunderstanding through the eyes of a young Indian immigrant to the United States.

Mapping the Heavens: Priyamvada Natarajan introduced by Namita Gokhale

Theoretical astrophysicist Priyamvada Natarajan is noted for her work in mapping dark matter, dark energy, and black holes. She is the author of Mapping the Heavens: The Radical Scientific Ideas That Reveal the Cosmos and leads us on a tour of the "greatest hits" of cosmological discoveries over the past century.

Not Quite Not White: Margo Jefferson and Sharmila Sen in conversation with Philip Lutgendorf

Sharmila Sen is the author of Not Quite Not White, a first-generation immigrant's exploration of race and assimilation in the United States.

The Waters: The Melting North: Jeff Goodell and Mark Serreze in conversation with Marcus Moench

Writer and journalist Jeff Goodell is the author of The Water Will Come: Rising Seas, Sinking Cities, and the Remaking of the Civilized World. Geographer Mark Serreze is the author of Brave New Arctic: The Untold Story of the Melting North, a gripping scientific adventure story that highlights the Arctic's extraordinary transformation as a harbinger of things to and the challenge posed by a warming planet. In conversation with author Marcus Moench, who founded the Institution for Social and Environmental Transition-International, they discuss the rising of the waters and the looming impact of climate change.

Yashodhara: Vanessa R. Sasson in conversation with Namita Gokhale

Yashodhara was the wife of the Gautam Buddha, the father of Buddhism. Vanessa R. Sasson's book, Yashodhara: A Novel About the Buddha's Wife, resurrects her in a fictional account of a tragic and forgotten life.

Skin in the Game: Nassim Nicholas Taleb introduced by Namita Gokhale

Taleb, the contrarian, the Lebanese-American essayist, scholar, statistician, and risk analyst, described as the "hottest thinker in the world," speaks of his book, Skin in the Game: Hidden Asymmetries in Daily Life, which redefines what it means to understand the world, succeed in a profession, contribute to a fair and just society, detect nonsense, and influence others.

The Path: Michael Puett in conversation with Terry Kleeman

An award-winning Harvard professor shares his wildly popular course on classical Chinese philosophy, showing us how ancient ideas-like the fallacy of the authentic self-can guide us on the path to a good life today.

A host of family friendly workshops and events will also take place, suitable for both children and their parents, including:

• Cultural Stories and Movement: A performance by the Cleo Parker Robinson Dance Ensemble. A journey to explore cultural stories through movement, performance, interactive storytelling, and dance. Geared towards K-2nd grade students and their families.
• Round the World Storytime with Krissy Jensen: Families celebrate world cultures through books, music, and play in this interactive story time for all ages.
• Former Aurora Poet Laureate and a National Poetry Slam Champion, Jovan Mays explores poetry to inspire the next generation of authors.

These and many more sessions, panel discussions, conversations, presentations, and performances surrounding various topics of world interest will be presented over the three-day event. More details and the full program can be found at http://jaipurliteraturefestival.org/boulder/program.