Upcoming Events

Susan Choi’s Flashlight: A Novel traces the disappearance of Louisa’s father across time, nations, and memory, after a tragic summer night on the breakwater. Spanning decades and through shifting perspectives, Louisa and her mother navigate grief, estrangement, and family secrets – and the invisible currents that shape our lives. In Kiran Desai’s The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny: A Novel, two young people first glimpse each other on an overnight train, bound by their grandparents’ failed matchmaking.…

Un sol caído avanza, de la venezolana María Auxiliadora Álvarez, es un recuento de la memoria y los mundos perdidos a consecuencia de la inmigración, como la familia, los amigos y la lengua. En Aguas madres, la poeta española Leire Bilbao parte de la vivencia de la maternidad para reflexionar sobre la identidad propia, su construcción y su destrucción. La argentina Mercedes Moresco llega con Pétalos negros,  una colección de poemas que responde a un estado del alma en el que todo decir sobra,…

House Savage is a quintessential Miami band that mixes jazz, soul, and R&B with the sounds of Miami’s cultural crossroads. The group – brought together by trombonist Sam Savage so he could record and perform his originals and work on the covers he wanted to interpret – was formed in the ebb and flow of the Miami music scene, primarily at “The Late Nite Lab” hosted by Big Brooklyn Red for almost a decade at local watering hole Jada Cole’s prior to COVID.…

In Combee: Harriet Tubman, the Combahee River Raid, and Black Freedom During the Civil War, Dr. Edda L. Fields-Black, Ph.D., recounts one of Tubman’s most extraordinary accomplishments. Combee details how she ventured into the heart of slave territory to gather intelligence and attack the major plantations of Rice Country – where many formerly enslaved people eventually returned to create the distinctly American Gullah Geechee dialect, culture, and identity. Joining her in conversation is her mother, historian Dr.…

Did you know that nature is so magical, it often holds hidden patterns – some that we can’t even see with our eyes! Discover the wonders of nature’s pattern- making by creating your own plant-based mandalas. In this workshop, you’ll learn all about these cool designs and what makes a pattern. Then, using colorful petals, leaves, and sticks, you’ll create your very own natural  mandala masterpiece. This event is a CREATE! featured workshop. All featured workshops require a FREE ticket to attend due to limited seating.…

A family-friendly flashback through Miami’s musical soul! Step into the groove with an interactive jam that blends Miami vibes, retro throwbacks, and Mr. J’s original tunes. Inspired by the hooks of the 1980s, ’90s, and 2000s – with kid-centric remixes, this feel-good set blends freestyle, funk, salsa, and pop to get the whole family singing, moving, and playing together!…

In Joan Crawford: A Woman’s Face, Scott Eyman delivers a definitive portrait of the Hollywood icon, drawing on interviews and never-before-seen documents and photos from her estate. From her rise out of poverty to stardom in musicals and films like Mildred Pierce and Johnny Guitar to four marriages and an Academy Award, Eyman reveals the story behind Crawford’s turbulent, dazzling life. Marisa Meltzer’s It Girl: The Life and Legacy of Jane Birkin is the first comprehensive biography of the actress,…

In Kristen Arnett’s  Stop Me If You’ve Heard This One: A Novel, Cherry is a down-on-her-luck professional clown who juggles gigs, side jobs, and family drama. Enter Margot the Magnificent, an alluring magician whose mentorship – and attraction – push Cherry to risk it all. Facing some big questions, she’ll have to decide what kind of clown she wants to be underneath her suit. Jade Chang’s What a Time to Be Alive: A Novel follows Lola,…

Come to The Dangerfun Show – featuring magic, comedy, juggling, and more – to learn the story of a young computer technician who quit his boring day job to pursue a full-time career in showbiz, because “if you truly believe in magic, anything is possible!” With big dreams and small means, this highly interactive, vaudeville-style performance explores the lost art of magic and variety entertainment. Fun for all ages, the show will leave you questioning your senses!…

Jaquira Díaz’s This Is the Only Kingdom: A Novel is the epic story of a mother and daughter, imagining a life beyond their working-class Puerto Rican community and wrestling with the aftermath of a murder. When tragedy shatters their family, Maricarmen and her daughter, Nena, land in the middle of a murder investigation and must navigate generational grief, betrayal, and survival. Quiara Alegría Hudes’ The White Hot: A Novel is the story of a runaway mother’s 10 days of freedom – and the pain,…

This panel brings together three poets whose distinct voices form a harmony of female subjectivity, resilience, adaptation, and innovation around questions of art, pop culture, and globalization. Resting Bitch Face by Taylor Byas uses some of our most common ways of “watching” throughout history (painting, films, sculpture, and photographs) to explore how these mediums shape Black female subjectivity. The poems in Barbara Hamby’s Burn tango with why the world is so beautiful and terrible at the same time.…

In Super Visible: The Story of the Women of Marvel Comics, Margaret Stohl celebrates unsung yet critical contributors to comic lore’s “House of Ideas” from 1939 through today. Packed with biographies and illustrations from creators, interviews, graphical reprints, and excerpts of historic Marvel comics, it’s an essential read on the women who helped make Marvel one of the most successful comics and entertainment companies in the world. Joining her for this panel are Charlie Jane Anders,…

Omira Bellizzio, Adriana Carreño, Maylén Domínguez y Carlos Pintado, dialogan sobre cómo, por qué y para qué escribir narrativa y poesía para niños. Un acercamiento a las premisas creativas de autores que crean en Miami. Modero por Antonio Orlando Rodríguez.   EN COLABORACIÓN CON    …

La reconocida autora española Julia Navarro regresa a Miami con El niño que perdió la guerra, novela que sigue a Pablo, un niño exiliado de la España en guerra a la Rusia estalinista, en una historia que explora el impacto de los totalitarismos en la identidad y la resiliencia, mostrando cómo la vida persiste incluso en los momentos más oscuros de la Historia. En conversación con la periodista Arlena Amaro. In Spanish with simultaneous English translation Compra El niño que perdió la guerra – Navarro…

For Gretchen Rubin, the right idea at the right time can change lives. Drawing from her long studies of happiness and from the challenges she’s faced herself, she’s discovered the Secrets of Adulthood: Simple Truths for Our Complex Lives that can help us manage our day-to-day struggles. Guided by aphorism – the ancient literary discipline that demands a writer convey large truths in few words – Rubin offers readers witty and thought-provoking reflections to live by. Moderated by psychologist Karen Guggenheim,…

Join us as we discuss how Caribbean identity evolves across generations and geographies. Ryan Bachoo’s An Unending Search is a moving tale of self-discovery, resilience, and transformation in 1970s South Trinidad. Following Tar, a teenager laboring in the cane fields under the guidance of his wise Uncle Sundar, the novel confronts racism, classism, and poverty while capturing a powerful journey of hope, ambition, and identity as Tar dreams of life beyond the island. Edwidge Danticat’s Watch Out for Falling Iguanas begins with young Leila setting off for school on a rare chilly day in Miami.…

This is a free event that requires a ticket for entry. Class Clown: The Memoirs of a Professional Wiseass: How I Went 77 Years Without Growing Up spans Dave Barry’s life – from his childhood as the son of a Presbyterian minister to his tenure as a humor columnist at the Miami Herald and eventual member of a literary rock band. Class Clown is a vibrant celebration of a life rich with humor, absurdity, joy, and sadness. In Carl Hiaasen’s Fever Beach: A Novel,…

The Books for Free crew is taking over the tent, reading and chilling throughout the day. So grab a beanbag and settle in for a storytime session with your new B4F BFFs! Grades K-3. SPONSORED BY…

In AI and the Art of Productive Struggle: How AI Reshapes Teaching and Learning, Dr. Ernesto Lee, DBA, argues that AI’s greatest strength – removing friction – is education’s greatest threat. Students need productive struggle to build genuine understanding, yet every AI tool promises to make learning “effortless.” How can we harness AI’s remarkable capabilities while preserving the cognitive effort that creates real learning? Buy AI and the Art of Productive Struggle: How AI Reshapes Teaching and Learning – Lee…

Mercy Besada Velázquez presenta La doña del abanico: La verdad está más cerca de la mentira, una novela donde Susana – una mujer fuerte pero marcada por viejas heridas – empieza a ser acechada por una enigmática figura femenina. Con una trama que funde lo real y lo fantástico, la novela traza un intenso viaje psicológico y espiritual en el que la protagonista deberá enfrentar sus demonios más profundos para reencontrarse consigo misma. En conversación con Luis Alfonso Hoyos.…

George O’Connor returns to the Asgardians series to tell the story of Loki, a trickster of epic proportions who worries he has fallen out of favor with his blood brother, Odin. Can he use his wiles to worm his way back in? Or, feeling spurned, will he choose to burn it all down? Maggie Stiefvater revisits her epic series with The Raven Boys: The Graphic Novel, the illustrated adaptation of the first book in the No. 1 New York Times bestselling series,…

Tehila Hakimi’s Hunting in America: A Novel tells the story of an Israeli woman who relocates to the United States on assignment from her tech company. Wanting to leave her past behind and adapt to American culture, she joins her colleagues on a deer hunt. As she takes up hunting, she is drawn into a world of predator, prey, and dark attraction. Lena, the central character in Ivy Pochoda’s Ecstasy: A Novel, wants her life back.…

In Creating a Salon: The Magic of Conversations That Matter, Linda-Marie Barrett explores the transformative power of salons – an inspired evolution of book clubs that foster lively conversations and intentional community. Blending heartfelt reflection with practical advice, she shares lessons from her own Black Swan Salon, tips for navigating challenges, and ready-to-use starter kits, offering readers everything they need to host meaningful, connection-rich gatherings. In Inspired by Cats: Writers and Their Mews(es), co-authored with Nava Atlas, Bob Eckstein celebrates the bond between writers and their cats.…

In Serial Killer: The Search for Houston’s Lost Boys, investigative journalist Lise Olsen brings to life the teens who in the early 1970s were hunted by a killer hiding in plain sight, and the work of forensic anthropologist Sharon Derrick. Many victims were never identified, and some remained undiscovered until Derrick, decades later, would give them their names and restore their dignity. Murderland: Crime and Bloodlust in the Time of Serial Killers is a gripping investigation into the lives of infamous serial killers in the Pacific Northwest and beyond,…

Country twangs and finger-pickin’ blues, repetitive mantra-like rounds in Middle Eastern modes, peace-seeking lyrics, and love stories gone off track. This is what you can look forward to when you take in a performance from Shira Lee.  With an authentic, warm, storytelling voice, “on the road” guitar chuckin’, and vintage verbed-out vibes, her music is a spiritual road trip through the Mediterranean desert, over the Blue Ridge mountains, and into the dusty American West.…

What stories can flowers tell? Inspired by artist Henri Matisse and the beauty of Florida’s native blooms, this workshop invites you to create your own vibrant bouquet – no watering needed! Using torn and cut paper in an array of colors, you’ll craft stems, leaves, and petals that fit perfectly into a paper hand, traced from your own arm. Along the way, you’ll explore the shapes, textures, and colors of our local flora, learning how art can be both playful and inspired by nature.…

Battle Robots! Fly drones through exciting challenges! Hands-on STEM fun you won’t want to miss! Join us for an exciting one-time event where kids will experience the thrill of engineering and flight. Pick your team and take our “SmashBots” to battle. Take control of our drones and learn basic flight skills while navigating fun obstacle courses. This action-packed session combines creativity, problem-solving, and technology in a safe, engaging environment that’s perfect for young innovators. Recommended for ages 8-14.…

In Black Mestiza, Yael Valencia Aldana reckons with her identity as a Caribbean Afro-Latinx/e woman with Indigenous, Black, and white roots and pays homage to the legacy, resilience, and fortitude of her ancestors as a mixed-race woman, daughter, and mother. Drawing on various languages and geographies from South Korea to Peru to the American heartland, Ae Hee Lee’s Asterism is a collection of grace and grit, the work of a mind at work – in, and on,…

Islas de calor, de Malu Furche, imagina un futuro de emergencia climática que transforma la vida urbana. La entrega, de Perla Suez, narra una historia de violencia e impunidad donde solo el coraje parental ofrece esperanza de justicia. Mariana Travacio presenta Me verás caer, cuentos irónicos sobre mujeres en momentos decisivos, entre un pasado luminoso y un futuro incierto. En conversación con la poeta, ensayista y editora Kelly Martínez Grandal.…

Dina Aronson’s Midlife Private Parts: Revealing Essays that Will Change the Way You Think About Age, co-edited with Dina Alvarez, is a soulful, revealing collection of essays that explore the transformative experience of midlife. With candor, humor, and heart, contemporary women writers share stories of reinvention, menopause, friendship, dating, and confronting invisibility, while celebrating the power, freedom, and confidence that come with age. In Bunny Gonopolskaya’s Holy Menopause: Adventures of a Middle-Aged Superheroine, executive New York mom Mina is juggling meetings,…

In Emma Knight’s The Life Cycle of the Common Octopus, Pen arrives at the University of Edinburgh and is drawn into the orbit of a famous writer tied to her parents’ past. As she uncovers their secret and falls in love for the first time, she faces the shocks of adulthood in this portrait of campus life, sexual awakening, and the many ways women become mothers. In Jessica Soffer‘s This Is a Love Story: A Novel,…

In Misbehaving at the Crossroads: Essays & Writings (Harper), Honorée Fanonne Jeffers reflects on the historical and personal tensions shaping Black women’s lives. From girlhood to womanhood, she explores ancestry, adultification, respectability politics, and womanism, while confronting white supremacy and patriarchy. With empathy and brilliance, she illuminates the journeys, resilience and possibilities of Black women throughout American history and in contemporary times. Throughout history, the concept of Blackness has been remarkably intertwined with the color blue. But while blue skies and blue water offer hope,…

Sophie Menin and photographer Bob Chaplin’s A Year in the Vineyard, is a tribute to the cycle of the vine and its seasonal rhythms and rituals. From winter pruning to vine leaves capturing the energy of the late autumn sun, the narrative is spun through vignettes about experiences in vineyards around the globe, accompanied by stunning photographs and background paintings. Fine wines are indeed “made in the vineyard.” Buy A Year in the Vineyard – Menin Buy A Year in the Vineyard – Chaplin…

This is a free event that requires a ticket for entry. With A Dream Deferred: Jesse Jackson and the Fight for Black Political Power, CNN NewsNight anchor Abby Phillip delivers a fresh look at the history of Black political power through the lens of Jackson’s transformative presidential campaigns. His White House runs in 1984 and 1988 created the blueprint for the modern Democratic coalition – one that has been used by all major party members seeking national office, from Barack Obama to Joe Biden to Kamala Harris.…

Rosa Marquetti Torres presenta Celia en el mundo (1962-2003), obra que recorre con rigor y pasión la trayectoria de Celia Cruz tras su exilio, desde su éxito con la Fania All Stars hasta sus colaboraciones internacionales, retratando a la artista que, fiel a sus raíces, conquistó escenarios globales con su voz y su energía inigualables. En conversación con el periodista César Miguel Rondón.   Compra Celia en el mundo (1962-2003) – Marquetti Torres…

Asha Elias’ The Namaste Club: A Novel is a sly, hilarious beach read about rich people behaving badly. At a luxe Florida yoga retreat, wealthy divorcées, an heiress who’s taken a vow of silence, a tradwife in hiding, and a man-bunned instructor collide during Transcendence Week. Some will be living their best life – and some will get their comeuppance. Nicky Gonzalez’s Mayra: A Novel follows Ingrid as she gets an out-of-the-blue call from her childhood best friend,…

In Bad Influence by Claire Ahn, an aspiring fashion influencer desperately tries to lift her family out of hardship, only to find it may come at a cost higher than any Chanel bag. Ebony Ladelle’s This Could Be Forever pairs two rising college freshmen who find themselves – and each other – while pursuing their passions the summer before college. Erin Entrada Kelly and Kwame Mbalia co-authored On Again, Awkward Again, in which two high school freshmen find themselves drawn to each other,…

With The Essential Peanuts by Charles M. Schulz: The Greatest Comic Strip of All Time, contributor Chip Kidd – author and vice president, art director, and editor-at-large for the Knopf Doubleday publishing group – celebrates 50 years of the beloved strip that made its debut October 2, 1950, with now-iconic characters that remain touchstones for generations around the world. The book provides insightful and entertaining cultural and historical context and appreciations, and remembrances from key figures in the world of Peanuts.…