Past Events
November 2021
Jan Beatty: On American Bastard: A Memoir
In American Bastard: A Memoir, lauded poet Jan Beatty sandblasts the exaltation of adoption in Western culture and the myth of the “chosen baby.” Chronicling her search for her birth parents, her journey into the relationship of place and body compels and unhinges, with the link between identity and blood history its driving force. This event requires a ticket for admission. All in-person events at MBF 2021 will require a ticket for entry. Tickets will be available to Friends of the Fair October 18 and to the general public November 3.…
In Conversation: On Until We’re Fish: A Novel & Letters from Cuba
Susannah Rodriguez Drissi’s coming-of-age story Until We’re Fish: A Novel blends love and the romance, violence, mood, and ethos of the Cuban Revolution. It’s a gossamer tale of political defiance and hearts set adrift, and of two ordinary characters: childhood sweethearts Elio and Maria, people willing to sacrifice everything to be free. When Esther follows her father’s escape to Cuba as the situation for Jews worsens in Poland on the eve of WWII, she promises her sister to write to her sharing everything she experiences until they reunite.…
In Conversation: On The Reluctant King
Navigating the power circles of New York City’s movers and shakers, the King family is regarded as modern-day royalty. In The Reluctant King, K’wan Foye follows Shadow, who is the least like the rest of his charismatic and powerful family. But when his father decides to climb the political ladder, even Shadow will have to make a sacrifice when the devil comes to claim his due. Moderated by poet, spoken-word performer, and educator Calvin “Made-S.O.N.” Early.…
In Conversation: On Rastafari in the 21st Century: What Life has Taught I&I – Volume I
In Rastafari In The 21st Century – What Life Has Taught I&I: Volume One: Tribute to the Rastafari Elders, co-authors Douglas Smith and I. Jabulani Tafari present the previously unwritten history of the first generation of Rastafari elders. The book is a literary tribute, as many of those elders are transitioning on to become ancestors, and their stories are already starting to fade from the collective memory of the people of Jamaica and the world. This event requires a ticket for admission.…
Dr. Mikkael Sekeres: On When Blood Breaks Down: Life Lessons from Leukemia
In When Blood Breaks Down: Life Lessons from Leukemia, Dr. Mikkael A. Sekeres – chief of the division of hematology in the Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine – tells the compelling stories of three adult leukemia patients and their treatments, and discusses the disease itself and the drugs developed to treat it. This event requires a ticket for admission. All in-person events at MBF 2021 will require a ticket for entry. Tickets will be available to Friends of the Fair October 18 and to the general public November 3.…
In Conversation: On Tropical Burn
In Tropical Burn, artist Gonzalo Fuenmayor sets assumptions about exoticism and colonialism on their head. From opulent Victorian-era façades to McDonald’s iconography, Fuenmayor playfully subverts the power of the consumerist industry while exploring the impact of North American business practices around the world. Moderated by Dennis Scholl, president and CEO of Oolite Arts. This event requires a ticket for admission. All in-person events at MBF 2021 will require a ticket for entry. Tickets will be available to Friends of the Fair October 18 and to the general public November 3.…
In Conversation: On Hear Us: Writing from the Inside During the Time of COVID
Hear Us: Writing from the Inside During the Time of COVID is a one-of-a-kind anthology of poetry, fiction, nonfiction, and artwork from incarcerated writers, family members, and Department of Corrections staff. Presented by Exchange for Change, a nonprofit that offers writing classes in South Florida correctional institutions, it describes how the pandemic and George Floyd’s murder have impacted its contributors’ lives. With panelists Kathie Klarreich, executive director of Exchange for Change; Kathryn Nowotny, UM professor and co-founder of the COVID Prison Project;…
In Conversation: On Orange Blossom 2.0
Historian Cesar Becerra’s Orange Blossom 2.0, fittingly released on Miami’s 125th anniversary on July 28, 2021, tells the untold story of the city’s “other mother,” South Florida pioneer Mary Brickell, and her integral and often overlooked role in the founding of the Magic City. Joining him is special guest Bea Brickell, great-granddaughter of Mary and William Brickell. This event requires a ticket for admission. All in-person events at MBF 2021 will require a ticket for entry.…
November 2025
FRIENDSHIP & A FIGHT AGAINST INJUSTICE – FICTION
Amy Kaufman Burk’s Hollywood Pride is a 1970s coming-of-age novel about friendship, self-discovery, allyship, and standing up against injustice. In 1973, teenager Caroline transfers to Hollywood High School, where wealth and poverty collide. Overwhelmed, she tutors a gang leader, witnesses bullying, and rebels against Hollywood’s toxic culture. As her LGBTQ+ friends are targeted and a predator threatens her, Caroline discovers unexpected strength. Moderated by MBF’s Emerging Writer Fellow in Nonfiction, Flint. Buy Hollywood Pride – Kaufman Burk…
YOU ARE YOUR MEDICINE – MEMOIR
My Drumbeats is a spiritual, reflective memoir from artist, designer, and yogi Anick Vorbe. Sharing a story of loss and grief that led to a self-healing journey through the teachings of ayahuasca, she ultimately reveals an inspiring tale of redemption and purpose. With her work, she found her true self at last and put to rest the childhood ghosts that had never left her. Vorbe will be in conversation with documentarian and filmmaker Naiti Gamez.…
CELEBRATING 75 YEARS OF PEANUTS! – NONFICTION
With The Essential Peanuts by Charles M. Schulz: The Greatest Comic Strip of All Time, contributor Chip Kidd and editor Charles Kochman celebrate 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. Buy The Essential Peanuts by Charles M.…
THE MAGIC OF WRITING: CONNECTING WITH MUSES & MEANING – NONFICTION
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.…
A YEAR IN THE VINEYARD WITH SOPHIE MENIN & BOB CHAPLIN – NONFICTION
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…
BADIUCAO & MELISSA CHAN ON YOU MUST TAKE PART IN REVOLUTION – FICTION
You Must Take Part in Revolution: A Graphic Novel by Badiucao and Melissa Chan is a near-future dystopian tale exploring technology, authoritarianism, and the fight for freedom. In 2035, amid U.S.-China conflict and rising fascism, three youths pursue divergent paths toward change, confronting the personal and societal costs of resistance in a world where freedom is never guaranteed. In conversation with Charles Kochman, editor-in-chief of Abrams ComicArts. SPONSORED BY Buy You Must Take Part in Revolution: A Graphic Novel – Badiucao Buy You Must Take Part in Revolution: A Graphic Novel – Chan…
REGGAE: A HISTORY – NONFICTION
Offering analysis and key interviews, John Masouri‘s Pressure Drop: Reggae in the Seventies chronicles reggae’s most tumultuous and influential decade. The music flourished against a backdrop of political upheaval, gang warfare, Black Nationalism, racial and class discrimination, and grinding poverty. Brutal and revelatory, it gave birth to DJs, dub, rockers, and early dancehall. Moderated by writer-musician Randall Grass. Buy Pressure Drop: Reggae in the Seventies – Masouri…
HYAM PLUTZIK AND THE MOSAIC OF TIME – POETRY
Join us for a panel with three highly regarded Jewish American poets as they reflect on the life and work of midcentury poet Hyam Plutzik (1911-62), a three-time finalist for the Pulitzer Prize whose poetry came to fruition at a time of cultural change set against the historical rupture of the Holocaust and World War II. Rodger Kamenetz, Jacqueline Osherow, and Maxim D. Shrayer were part of a collective of 18 scholars working over a period of 15 years with editor Victoria Aarons to create Hyam Plutzik and the Mosaic of Time – a collection of essays and selected poems.…
FELA! THE UNDISPUTED KING OF AFROBEAT – NONFICTION
Written by Conor McCreery and illustrated by Jibola Fagbamiye, the graphic novel Fela: Music Is the Weapon explores the life and times of Fela Kuti – the Nigerian multi-instrumentalist, sociopolitical powerhouse, and father of Afrobeat. A profoundly influential musician who rose to global stardom in the 1970s, Kuti was also an outspoken critic of the Nigerian military regime and a fierce advocate for Pan-African unity. Joining them in conversation are music journalist-filmmaker Nelson George and writer-musician Randall Grass.…