National Book Festival 2014 Webcasts

Aug. 30, 2014. Chef Cathal Armstrong appears at the 2014 Library of Congress National Book Festival in Washington, D.C. Speaker Biography: Internationally recognized four-star chef Cathal Armstrong knows Irish cuisine. Native to Dublin, he was born into a family with a passion for food, as they kept a fruit and vegetable garden and also shared a deep appreciation for other cultures and their fare. Armstrong eventually went on to practice culinary training in France before bringing his cooking skills across the pond. In addition to owning seven successful restaurants, including the highly rated Restaurant Eve in Alexandria, Va., Armstrong is a leader in the sustainable-food movement. He promotes ideals of environmentalism, health, conservation, organic growing and sustainability. In his first cookbook "My Irish Table," Armstrong includes 130 "recipes from the homeland and Restaurant Eve" and also highlights his journey from Dublin to Washington. For transcript, captions, and more information, visit http://www.loc.gov/today/cyberlc/feature_wdesc.php?rec=6541

Aug. 30, 2014. Chef John Moeller appears at the 2014 Library of Congress National Book Festival in Washington, D.C. Speaker Biography: Transitioning from a high school passion to a culinary degree to a 2.5-year year journey to learn the art of French cuisine, chef John Moeller eventually landed among the elite in the White House. From 1992 until 2005, Moeller served in the White House as sous chef and then as White House chef, preparing top-notch cuisine for presidents, first families and guests during the administrations of George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton and George W. Bush. Moeller's book, "Dining at the White House: From the President's Table to Yours," portrays an insider's view of his most memorable moments cooking for first families and provides more than 100 unique recipes that use fresh seasonal produce and are finished with exquisite presentation. For transcript, captions, and more information, visit http://www.loc.gov/today/cyberlc/feature_wdesc.php?rec=6539

Aug. 30, 2014. Chefs Laura & Peter Zeranski appear at the 2014 Library of Congress National Book Festival in Washington, D.C. Speaker Biography: Husband-and-wife cooking team Laura and Peter Zeranski have focused on the art of Polish cuisine for almost 40 years. Peter's mother, Alina Zeranska, encouraged a love for Polish food in the family after publishing "The Art of Polish Cooking" in 1968, a critically acclaimed best-seller. Peter Zeranski continued the work of honoring Polish culture and tradition through food by passing down this passion to his own family, publishing "Polish Classic Recipes" in 2011 with his wife. In "Polish Classic Desserts," this cooking duo offers another addition to their Classic Recipes series, this time serving up Poland's sweetest traditions and providing recipes for mazurkas, babas, pastries, pudding treats and other tasty classics. "Polish Classic Desserts" won the 2013 Gourmand Award for Best Eastern European Cookbook. For transcript, captions, and more information, visit http://www.loc.gov/today/cyberlc/feature_wdesc.php?rec=6543

Aug. 30, 2014. Adrian Miller appears at the 2014 Library of Congress National Book Festival in Washington, D.C. Speaker Biography: Adrian Miller is a lawyer and politico-turned-foodie, and his mission as a writer is to celebrate the history of soul food and ensure its rightful place in American cuisine. In his first book, "Soul Food: The Surprising Story of an American Cuisine, One Plate at a Time," Miller gives an across-the-board look at soul food dishes, exploring their historical context as well as what these dishes mean to African Americans. The book explains each food item, how it got on the soul food plate and the food's importance to African-American culture. He also provides both traditional and contemporary ways to prepare each dish. "Soul Food" has received many honors, among them the 2014 James Beard Foundation Book Award for Reference and Scholarship and the Black Caucus of the American Library Association's 2013 Honor Book for Nonfiction. For transcript, captions, and more information, visit http://www.loc.gov/today/cyberlc/feature_wdesc.php?rec=6542

Aug. 30, 2014. Kendare Blake appears at the 2014 Library of Congress National Book Festival in Washington, D.C. Speaker Biography: Adopted from South Korea when she was seven months old, Kendare Blake was raised in the United States. She arrived with the following advice: "Feed her lots of chocolate." Blake's debut novel focused on four friends who came of age after 9/11. Her young adult horror novels have received wide acclaim, including "Anna Dressed in Blood" and "Girl of Nightmares," which is about a teenage ghost hunter who falls in love with the dead girl he was supposed to murder. Her new series begins with "Antigoddess (Goddess War)." The novel combines ancient Greek mythology with contemporary American culture. For transcript, captions, and more information, visit http://www.loc.gov/today/cyberlc/feature_wdesc.php?rec=6544

Aug. 30, 2014. Amy Riolo appears at the 2014 Library of Congress National Book Festival in Washington, D.C. Speaker Biography: Award-winning author, educator, lecturer and culinary consultant Amy Riolo promotes learning and enjoying culture through cuisine. Riolo teaches that cuisine, culture and history go hand-in-hand, and she seeks to accurately portray the three in all her work, which has been internationally recognized. Her publication "Nile Style: Egyptian Cuisine and Culture" marks the first cookbook devoted to the multi-ethnic and multi-religious history of the Egyptian table. The book contains 25 menus that include historical context in addition to providing more than 150 flavorful recipes, both new and old. The first edition of "Nile Style" won the World Gourmand Award for Best Arab Cuisine Book. For transcript, captions, and more information, visit http://www.loc.gov/today/cyberlc/feature_wdesc.php?rec=6540

Aug. 30, 2014. The Library of Congress National Book Festival, in conjunction with the Mexican Cultural Institute, presented a dialogue on the works and contributions of three giants of Mexican literature -- the poets Octavio Paz and Efrain Huerta and the novelist Jose Revueltas, all of whom were born in 1914. Panelists will include poets Marcelo Uribe and Coral Bracho. For transcript, captions, and more information, visit http://www.loc.gov/today/cyberlc/feature_wdesc.php?rec=6527

Aug. 30, 2014. Peniel E. Joseph appears at the 2014 Library of Congress National Book Festival in Washington, D.C. Speaker Biography: Peniel E. Joseph is an author, historian, activist and professor at Tufts University who focuses much of his work on civil rights, democracy and race relations. Joseph is also a popular commentator on these issues and he has been featured on NPR, PBS's NewsHour and CSPAN's Book TV. He is the author of the award-winning "Waiting 'til the Midnight Hour: A Narrative History of Black Power in America" and "Dark Days, Bright Nights: From Black Power to Barack Obama." In "Stokely: A Life," Joseph provides an authoritative biography of Stokely Carmichael, a key player in the civil rights movement as the leader of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee and later black power movement. For transcript, captions, and more information, visit http://www.loc.gov/today/cyberlc/feature_wdesc.php?rec=6524

Aug. 30, 2014. Daniel W. Thomas appears at the 2014 Library of Congress National Book Festival in Washington, D.C. Speaker Biography: Acclaimed chef, cookbook author and philanthropist Daniel W. Thomas serves "culinary creations to the world's most powerful appetites." He also serves as regional executive chef for the American Diabetes Association. Thomas has catered events for elite politicians and celebrities, including the 2012 Democratic National Convention, the inaugural brunch for President Barack Obama and the Kennedy Center Honors Award Program reception, and he has cooked and served senators and numerous foreign leaders at the U.S. Capitol. When serving leaders such as President Obama, Vice President Joe Biden or former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Thomas creates delicious, innovative meals while also focusing on their dietary restrictions and healthy nutrition. Thomas is the author of the health-conscious cookbook "Recipes for a New You: Healthy Eating at Its Best." For transcript, captions, and more information, visit http://www.loc.gov/today/cyberlc/feature_wdesc.php?rec=6526

Aug. 30, 2014. Tim Tingle appears at the 2014 Library of Congress National Book Festival in Washington, D.C. Speaker Biography: Tim Tingle is an award-winning author and storyteller greatly influenced by his heritage and experience as an Oklahoma Choctaw. He has interviewed and recorded the stories of tribal elders in Texas, Alabama, Mississippi and Oklahoma, in addition to retracing the roots of the Trail of Tears to Choctaw homelands. This research inspired the bulk of his literary works, as stories like "Walking the Choctaw Road," "Crossing Bok Chitto" and "Danny Blackgoat, Navajo Prisoner," are middle-grade novels that deal with the struggles of Native Americans. His latest fictional release for young readers is "How I Became a Ghost," a story that is told through the lens of a young boy Isaac who "becomes a ghost" on the Trail of Tears and deals with a variety of both tragic and fantasy-like folklore experiences as he travels with a group of interesting comrades in an attempt to help family and friends survive. For transcript, captions, and more information, visit http://www.loc.gov/today/cyberlc/feature_wdesc.php?rec=6517

Aug. 30, 2014. Sheilah Kaufman appears at the 2014 Library of Congress National Book Festival in Washington, D.C. Speaker Biography: Sheilah Kaufman has had a long career making dynamic and versatile contributions to the culinary field. She is an award-winning author-editor of 26 cookbooks, food editor of more than 40 years, culinary lecturer and cooking instructor who promotes "easy, elegant, fearless, fussless cooking." In "The Turkish Cookbook: Regional Recipes and Stories," Nur Ilkin and Sheilah Kaufman provide a master collection of colorful Turkish recipes with flavors and cuisine influenced by Roman, Byzantine, Arab, Persian and other ancient cultures. This book provides fresh, timeless, easy-to-prepare recipes with exciting taste and texture combinations from Turkey's diverse regions, part of the now-trendy Mediterranean diet. For transcript, captions, and more information, visit http://www.loc.gov/today/cyberlc/feature_wdesc.php?rec=6515

Aug. 30, 2014. Gene Luen Yang appears in the Graphic Novels Super Session at the 2014 Library of Congress National Book Festival in Washington, D.C. Speaker Biography: Gene Luen Yang is a writer of both graphic novels and comics. His work "American Born Chinese" is a creative text that chronicles the Asian-American experience in a way that resonates with teen readers. It was the first graphic novel to be nominated for a National Book Award and the first to win the American Library Association's Printz Award; it was also a winner of the 2007 Eisner Award. "Boxers & Saints" (First Second) is a two-volume project that set during the Boxer Rebellion, a war that took place on Chinese soil over 100 years ago between the Boxers (anti-Christians) and their Chinese Christian enemies during a time of national turmoil. This historically based fiction offers two perspectives, as "Boxers" focuses on the story of Little Bao, a boy who becomes a leader of the Boxer Rebellion, and "Saints" follows the story of Vibiana, a girl from the same village who becomes a Christian. "Boxers & Saints" was a National Book Award finalist, noted on Booklist's Top 10 Religious Books for Youth, awarded Library Journal's Best Book of the Year and the Los Angeles Times Book Prize. Yang believes both graphic novels and comics can be used effectively as educational tools in the classroom. He teaches at Hamline University as part of the MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults. For transcript, captions, and more information, visit http://www.loc.gov/today/cyberlc/feature_wdesc.php?rec=6445

Aug. 30, 2014. Carla Hall appears at the 2014 Library of Congress National Book Festival in Washington, D.C. Speaker Biography: Washington resident Carla Hall first won the hearts of fans on Bravo's "Top Chef," where she was later voted Fan Favorite for her warmth, enthusiasm and delicious food. She is co-host of ABC's popular lifestyle series "The Chew," where she shares her love of cooking comfort food by using fresh, seasonal ingredients. In "Cooking with Love: Comfort Food That Hugs You," Hall shares more than 100 recipes that feature her modern twists on food classics such as her revolutionized Chicken Pot Pie and Five-Flavor Pound Cake. Raised in the South and trained in French cooking, Hall blends comfort with classic style, encourages healthy living and promotes the philosophy to always cook with love. For transcript, captions, and more information, visit http://www.loc.gov/today/cyberlc/feature_wdesc.php?rec=6525

Aug. 30, 2014. Jacqueline Woodson appears at the 2014 Library of Congress National Book Festival in Washington, D.C. Speaker Biography: For her dedication to children and young-adult literature, Jacqueline Woodson received the Margaret A. Edwards Award for Lifetime Achievement in 2006. Woodson is known for exploring important themes in her works, including issues of gender, class, race, family and history. Her picture books, middle-grade and young-adult novels take the reader on an emotional journey by portraying characters in relatable, realistic situations. Woodson has written more than 20 books; some of the most notable include Newbery Honor Medal winners "Show Way," "Feathers," and "After Tupac and D Foster" and the Coretta Scott King Award-winning "Miracle's Boys." "Brown Girl Dreaming," her newest title released this summer, recalls the story of her own childhood as a young African American girl growing up amid the Civil Rights Movement. Written in verse, each poem gives the reader a snapshot of a child's effort to build a strong voice in the world. For transcript, captions, and more information, visit http://www.loc.gov/today/cyberlc/feature_wdesc.php?rec=6516

Aug. 30, 2014. David Theodore George appears at the 2014 Library of Congress National Book Festival in Washington, D.C. Speaker Biography: David Theodore George M.D. is an associate clinical director at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Md., and a clinical professor of psychiatry at George Washington University School of Medicine. In his book "Untangling the Mind: Why We Behave the Way We Do," George provides an understanding of how emotions play a role in the inner workings of the brain. He explains how to identify the difference between a legitimate emotional reaction and a pathological one, understand the biological basis of hard-wired reactions and recognize why distress is caused by a neurological malfunction. This text connects with readers across the board who have experienced intense and overwhelming emotions associated with joy, fear, sadness or depression. For transcript, captions, and more information, visit http://www.loc.gov/today/cyberlc/feature_wdesc.php?rec=6523

Aug. 30, 2014. Cynthia Kadohata appears at the 2014 Library of Congress National Book Festival in Washington, D.C. Speaker Biography: Though this Japanese-American author is able to sum up her life in eight simple words -- "laughter, writing, son, dog, California, tacos, ice cream" -- she has many memorable stories to tell young readers. Kadohata has received numerous awards and honors, including the Newbery Medal for "Kira-Kira," the National Book Award for "The Thing About Luck," the Jane Addams Peace Award and Pen USA Award for "Weedflower" and the California Young Reader Medal for "Cracker! The Best Dog in Vietnam." Her current novel is "Half a World Away," about a troubled Romanian boy who has been adopted by an American family and whose parents are now seeking to adopt another child from Kazakhstan. For transcript, captions, and more information, visit http://www.loc.gov/today/cyberlc/feature_wdesc.php?rec=6502

Aug. 30, 2014. Anne Ursu appears at the 2014 Library of Congress National Book Festival in Washington, D.C. Speaker Biography: Anne Ursu has written several fantasy books for young readers, including "The Shadow of Thieves," "The Siren Song," "The Immortal Fire" and "Breadcrumbs." Her work "Breadcrumbs," a contemporary spin on the classic fairy tale "The Snow Queen," was named one of the best books of 2011 by Publishers Weekly, Amazon.com, School Library Journal, Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books and the Chicago Public Library. It was also recognized on the IndieBound Next List and was featured on NPR's Backseat Book Club. Her latest book "The Real Boy" tells the story of Oscar, a shop boy for the most powerful magician in the village, whose simple world changes when children in the city start to fall ill and something sinister lurks in the forest. This story of magic, faith and friendship has earned the Horace Mann Upstanders Award, in addition to being recognized as an Indie Next pick and on the longlist for the 2013 National Book Award. Ursu is the 2013 recipient of the McKnight Fellowship in Children's Literature. She teaches at Hamline University's MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults. For transcript, captions, and more information, visit http://www.loc.gov/today/cyberlc/feature_wdesc.php?rec=6501

Aug. 30, 2014. Meg Medina appears at the 2014 Library of Congress National Book Festival in Washington, D.C. Speaker Biography: Award-winning Cuban-American author Meg Medina is a writer of books for kids of all ages. She prides herself on being about "strong girls, tough circumstances and the connecting power of culture." In March 2014 she was recognized as one of the CNN 10 Visionary Women in America. Her newest book is "Yaqui Delgado Wants to Kick Your Ass." It is a young-adult novel that tells the story of a Latina teen who is forced to experience a journey of self-discovery when she is targeted by a bully at her new school; it earned Medina the Pura Belpre medal and the 2013 Cybils Fiction award. In all Medina's works, including her newest, she aims to unify readers across cultures by linking the uniqueness and the universality of Latino culture with other cultures. For transcript, captions, and more information, visit http://www.loc.gov/today/cyberlc/feature_wdesc.php?rec=6500

Aug. 30, 2014. Tanuja Desai Hidier appears at the 2014 Library of Congress National Book Festival in Washington, D.C. Speaker Biography: Tanuja Desai Hidier first gained recognition with her novel "Born Confused," a coming-of-age story that chronicles the cultural struggle of Dimple Lala, a 17-year old Indian-American girl growing up in New Jersey. This text was an American Library Association BBYA book of the year, and was recently hailed by Entertainment Weekly and Rolling Stone as one of the best young adult novels of all time. Deemed "a journey worth making" in a starred Kirkus review, its sequel, "Bombay Blues," brings another uncertain journey for Dimple, as she returns to the land of her parents in India and discovers new perspectives about herself and those around her. Tanuja is also a singer-songwriter; "Bombay Spleen," her accompanying "booktrack" album of original songs based on "Bombay Blues," is out now. For transcript, captions, and more information, visit http://www.loc.gov/today/cyberlc/feature_wdesc.php?rec=6503

Aug. 30, 2014. Francesco Marciuliano appears at the 2014 Library of Congress National Book Festival in Washington, D.C. Speaker Biography: Francesco Marciuliano has, since 1997, been the writer of the "Sally Forth" comic strip. One of his early best-sellers is "I Could Pee on This and Other Poems by Cats." It was on both the New York Times and Los Angeles Times best-seller lists and, according to IndieBound, was the No. 2 best-selling book of 2013. In a similar vein, Marciuliano has written "I Could Chew on This and Other Poems by Dogs." The web comic Medium Large is written and illustrated by Marciuliano. His new book is "I Knead My Mommy and Other Poems by Kittens." For transcript, captions, and more information, visit http://www.loc.gov/today/cyberlc/feature_wdesc.php?rec=6499

Aug. 30, 2014. Rita Williams-Garcia appears at the 2014 Library of Congress National Book Festival in Washington, D.C. Speaker Biography: Queens, N.Y., native Rita Williams-Garcia says, "Writing stories for young people is my passion and my mission." Recipient of the PEN/Norma Klein Award, Williams-Garcia is known for her works' realistic portrayal of teens of color. For her New York Times best-seller "One Crazy Summer," she won the 2011 Newbery Honor Award, the Coretta Scott King Award and the Scott O'Dell Award for Historical Fiction. In her latest Coretta Scott King Award-winning novel "P.S. Be Eleven," the sequel to "One Crazy Summer," character Delphine Gaither returns to Brooklyn with her family and tries to "be 11" while she can despite the changing circumstances and responsibilities around her. This historical fiction tells the story of three sisters growing up amid the backdrop of the Black Panthers, Vietnam War and the overall radical change of the 1960s. Williams-Garcia teaches at the Vermont College of Fine Arts in the Writing for Children & Young Adults Program. For transcript, captions, and more information, visit http://www.loc.gov/today/cyberlc/feature_wdesc.php?rec=6498

Aug. 30, 2014. Author and cartoonist Raina Telgemeier appears at the 2014 Library of Congress National Book Festival in Washington, D.C. Speaker Biography: Raina Telgemeier is an author, illustrator and cartoonist. Her graphic novels "Smile" and "Drama" are both No. 1 New York Times best-sellers. "Smile," Telgemeier's autobiographical account of her childhood dental drama, is a Boston Globe-Horn Award Honor title and an Eisner award winner for Best Publication for Teens. "Drama" won the 2013 Stonewall Book Award Honor from the American Library Association. Telgemeier has also adapted and illustrated four graphic novel versions of Ann M. Martin's "Baby-Sitters Club" series. Her second autobiographical graphic novel "Sisters," a companion to "Smile," gives readers an inside view of Telgemeier's life growing up and focuses on her relationship with her younger sister. For transcript, captions, and more information, visit http://www.loc.gov/today/cyberlc/feature_wdesc.php?rec=6496

Aug. 30, 2014. Why are we drawn to movies based on the books we love? Is seeing believing or is reading enough? In this dynamic multimedia presentation and panel discussion at the 2014 National Book Festival, four great American novelists discuss and present film clips from movies that were based on their books. Speaker Biography: Ann Hornaday is film critic for The Washington Post. Speaker Biography: E.L. Doctorow is the author of acclaimed novels such as "Ragtime," "Billy Bathgate," "The Book of Daniel" and "City of God." Among his many honors are the National Book Award, three National Book Critics Circle Awards, the PEN/Saul Bellow Award for Achievement in American Fiction and the National Humanities Medal. Speaker Biography: Alice McDermott won the National Book Award for her 1998 novel, "Charming Billy." McDermott is the Johns Hopkins Richard A. Mackery Professor of the Humanities. Her 2006 novel, "After This," was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize. Speaker Biography: Paul Auster achieved critical acclaim with his first work, a memoir, "The Invention of Solitude." He followed that up with the equally praised "The New York Trilogy," a series of detective stories published in one volume. Speaker Biography: Lisa See's first book, 1995's "On Gold Mountain: The One Hundred Year Odyssey of My Chinese-American Family," was a national best-seller and a New York Times Notable Book. For transcript, captions, and more information, visit http://www.loc.gov/today/cyberlc/feature_wdesc.php?rec=6497

Aug. 30, 2014. NBA great Derek Anderson appears at the 2014 Library of Congress National Book Festival in Washington, D.C. Speaker Biography: Former NBA star Derek Anderson played basketball in college at Ohio State University and the University of Kentucky. In 1996, Anderson was part of the team that won the NCAA basketball championship. A year later, the Cleveland Cavaliers drafted him as the 13th overall pick; he played there until 1999. Anderson completed his NBA career with the Charlotte Bobcats in 2008. His new book is "Stamina," an inspiring story of a child who went from someone who was sleeping in an abandoned apartment at the age of 11 to a champion in the NCAA, Olympics and NBA. For transcript, captions, and more information, visit http://www.loc.gov/today/cyberlc/feature_wdesc.php?rec=6485

Aug. 30, 2014. Richard Rodriguez appears at the 2014 Library of Congress National Book Festival in Washington, D.C. Speaker Biography: Richard Rodriguez first gained acclaim with "Hunger of Memory: The Education of Richard Rodriguez," which tells the story of Rodriguez's journey from a schoolboy in Sacramento who knew only 50 words of English to a scholar who concludes his studies in the reading room of the British Museum. Rodriguez has been a teacher and journalist and has taken strong stands against affirmative action and bilingual education in his writings. His 1992 book, "Days of Obligation: An Argument with My Mexican Father," was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize. It continues the story of Rodriguez's assimilation into American culture. In his recent work, "Darling: A Spiritual Autobiography" (Viking), Rodriguez, who is gay, grapples with the paradox of loving the religions of the desert -- Islam, Judaism and Christianity -- that often exclude homosexuals. For transcript, captions, and more information, visit http://www.loc.gov/today/cyberlc/feature_wdesc.php?rec=6486

Aug 30, 2014. Bryan Collier appears at the 2014 Library of Congress National Book Festival in Washington, D.C. Speaker Biography: Children's book writer and illustrator Bryan Collier has been using his unique style of watercolors and photo collage since he was a teenager. His first book, "Uptown," which he wrote and illustrated, won the Coretta Scott King Award for illustration and the Ezra Jack Keats New Illustrator Award. Written by Daniel Beaty and illustrated by Bryan Collier, "Knock, Knock: My Dads Dream for Me" (Little, Brown) displays the love that an absent parent can leave behind even when separated by death, abandonment, incarceration or other variables in life. This groundbreaking picture book inspires young readers, especially those in single-parent households, as it shows the strength children find in themselves as they grow up and follow their dreams. Collier's textured watercolors and collage illustrations of the urban setting, paired with the text, breathe life into the storyline to portray a memorable tale of love, loss and hope. Collier won the 2014 Coretta Scott King Book Award for Illustration in "Knock, Knock: My Dad's Dream for Me." For transcript, captions, and more information, visit http://www.loc.gov/today/cyberlc/feature_wdesc.php?rec=6487

Aug. 30, 2014. Nina Khrushcheva appears at the 2014 Library of Congress National Book Festival in Washington, D.C. Speaker Biography: Author and scholar Nina Khrushcheva is associate professor in the Graduate Program of International Affairs at the New School and a senior fellow of the World Policy Institute, where she is director of the Russia Project. She has written articles for Project Syndicate: Association of Newspapers Around the World, Newsweek, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal and many other publications. In her part memoir, part investigative book, "The Lost Khrushchev: A Journey into the Gulag of the Russian Mind" (Tale Publishing), she gives a personal account of her family history and the story of her grandfather Leonid Khrushchev, eldest son of former Soviet premier Nikita Khrushchev. Khrushcheva explores questions about Leonid that have been perpetuated by the Russian media's questions about his position in World War II and what his life and death mean for contemporary Russia. For transcript, captions, and more information, visit http://www.loc.gov/today/cyberlc/feature_wdesc.php?rec=6465

Aug. 30, 2014. Francisco Goldman appears at the 2014 Library of Congress National Book Festival in Washington, D.C. Speaker Biography: Francisco Goldman is an author of fiction and nonfiction who has contributed to the literary world through his work as a novelist, a notable journalist published in The New York Times and a professor. In his 2011 Prix Femina-winning autobiographical book, "Say Her Name," Goldman wrote about his wife Aura Estrada's tragic death and their relationship. In "The Interior Circuit: A Mexico City Chronicle" (Grove Press) Goldman continues to tell his own story, this time focusing on his emergence from grief five years after Aura's death -- an awakening experience that is mirrored by his journey into the heart of Mexico City. This personal account of finding home also sheds light on the oft-misunderstood political challenges across the border. For transcript, captions, and more information, visit http://www.loc.gov/today/cyberlc/feature_wdesc.php?rec=6471

Aug. 30, 2014. Nick Kotz appears at the 2014 Library of Congress National Book Festival in Washington, D.C. Speaker Biography: As an acclaimed journalist and author, Nick Kotz has conveyed important stories to the American people on topics such as government corruption, national defense, civil rights and social justice. For his work as a journalist for The Des Moines Register and The Washington Post, Kotz has been honored with the Pulitzer Prize for National Reporting, the Sigma Delta Chi Award for Washington correspondents, the Raymond Clapper Memorial Award and two Robert F. Kennedy awards. Kotz also received a National Magazine Award for a story about the American military. In his latest book, "The Harness Maker's Dream: Nathan Kallison and the Rise of South Texas" (Texas Christian University Press), Kotz depicts his ancestor Nathan Kallison's journey to the United States as a Jewish Ukrainian immigrant searching for the American dream. Kotz's historical account emphasizes the struggle of Jewish immigrants in San Antonio during the turn of the 20th century and ultimately relays their significant contributions to society, culture and the economy in Texas. For transcript, captions, and more information, visit http://www.loc.gov/today/cyberlc/feature_wdesc.php?rec=6472

Aug. 30, 2014. Kai Bird appears at the 2014 Library of Congress National Book Festival in Washington, D.C. Speaker Biography: Award-winning author and journalist Kai Bird is best known for his biographies of political figures. Recognized with fellowships from the Thomas J. Watson, Alicia Patterson Journalism and Guggenheim foundations, Bird also co-wrote the Pulitzer Prize-winning biography "American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer." In his latest work, "The Good Spy: The Life and Death of Robert Ames" (Crown/Random House), Bird uncovers the legacy of a remarkable operative in the CIA who held influential and effective intelligence on the Middle East. Bird emphasizes Ames's key role by highlighting how his strategies of building strong relationships with Arab intelligence created the potential for lasting peace in the Middle East. "The Good Spy" ultimately describes the life of Ames and recounts his tragic death during the bombing of the American Embassy in Beirut. Bird's narrative leaves readers asking where U.S. relations with the Middle East might be today if Ames's strategies had been pursued. For transcript, captions, and more information, visit http://www.loc.gov/today/cyberlc/feature_wdesc.php?rec=6464

Aug. 30, 2014. Laura Overdeck appears at the 2014 Library of Congress National Book Festival in Washington, D.C. Speaker Biography: Laura Overdeck received her BA in astrophysics from Princeton University and her MBA in public policy from the Wharton School. She is the founder of Bedtime Math, a nonprofit that works with community partners that support strong K-12 STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) education. As the creator of Bedtime Math, her goal is to pair the habit of reading with numbers by having children play fun puzzles with math problems before bed-swapping bedtime stories with bedtime math. Overdeck told Time magazine, "We want kids to feel about math the way they feel about dessert after dinner." This mission came to fruition in her first and best-selling picture book, "Bedtime Math: A Fun Excuse to Stay Up Late." Her latest release, "Bedtime Math 2: This Time It's Personal" (Feiwel & Friends/Macmillan), continues her vision, as the book provides another exciting pathway to learning in which readers can tackle mischief-making math problems by solving riddles in child-friendly contexts ranging from waterslides to overfed pets to underwear. For transcript, captions, and more information, visit http://www.loc.gov/today/cyberlc/feature_wdesc.php?rec=6461

Aug. 30, 2014. Andrea Beaty appears at the 2014 Library of Congress National Book Festival in Washington, D.C. Speaker Biography: Andrea Beaty says, "I was raised in southern Illinois in a town so small I knew everybody and their pets. And they all knew me. I was one of six kids, and we spent our summer days traipsing through the fields and forests hunting for adventure." The author of "Happy Birthday, Madame Chapeau" (Abrams) started her career at a computer software company, eventually turned to writing and proclaims that her not-so-secret ambition is to star in a Broadway musical. Her books "Rosie Revere, Engineer" and "Iggy Peck, Architect" help to encourage young girls to pursue careers in STEM -- science, technology, engineering and mathematics. For transcript, captions, and more information, visit http://www.loc.gov/today/cyberlc/feature_wdesc.php?rec=6475

Aug. 30, 2014. Brian Lies appears at the 2014 Library of Congress National Book Festival in Washington, D.C. Speaker Biography: Author and illustrator Brian Lies has always had a passion for art. After moving to Boston to study drawing and painting at the Boston Museum School, he steadily made his way into a career in illustration. He has illustrated more than 25 books, six of which he has both written and illustrated, including the award-winning and best-selling titles "Bats at the Beach," "Bats at the Library" and "Bats at the Ballgame." In his latest addition to the "Bats" series, "Bats in the Band" (Houghton Mifflin), the bats are back to explore new territory, this time with a little night music. Lies's books feature spotlit images and rhythmic texts. For transcript, captions, and more information, visit http://www.loc.gov/today/cyberlc/feature_wdesc.php?rec=6463

Aug. 30, 2014. Mona Simpson appears at the 2014 Library of Congress National Book Festival in Washington, D.C. Speaker Biography: Acclaimed author Mona Simpson received her B.A. from the University of California, Berkeley, and her M.F.A. from Columbia University. While working as an editor for The Paris Review for five years, she wrote her first novel, "Anywhere But Here," a Whiting Prize winner that achieved popular success and was adapted into a 1999 film starring Susan Sarandon and Natalie Portman. She has since written five other novels and received honors that include fellowships from the Guggenheim Foundation, the National Endowment for the Arts and the Lila Wallace Readers Digest Foundation; a Chicago Tribune Heartland Prize; a Literature Award from the American Academy of Arts and Letters; and recognition as a PEN/Faulkner finalist. Her latest novel, "Casebook" (Knopf), chronicles a young boy's mission to investigate the lives of his parents; a quest that eventually leads him to uncover the mysteries of his unraveling family. For transcript, captions, and more information, visit http://www.loc.gov/today/cyberlc/feature_wdesc.php?rec=6470

Aug. 30, 2014. Cokie Roberts appears at the 2014 Library of Congress National Book Festival in Washington, D.C. peaker Biography: Journalist Cokie Roberts is a senior correspondent for NPR as well as a frequent guest on various Washington public affairs programs, where her opinions are highly sought after. She has received many honors, including the Edward R. Murrow Award and three Emmy awards. Roberts is also an accomplished author, with several books to her credit, including "We Are Our Mothers' Daughters," "Founding Mothers: The Women Who Raise Our Nation" and "Ladies of Liberty: The Women Who Shaped Our Nation." Roberts' new book, "Founding Mothers: Remembering the Ladies" (HarperCollins), is for young people. For transcript, captions, and more information, visit http://www.loc.gov/today/cyberlc/feature_wdesc.php?rec=6474

Aug. 30, 2014. Brian Biggs appears at the 2014 Library of Congress National Book Festival in Washington, D.C. Speaker Biography: Brian Biggs attended the Parsons School of Design, lived in Paris France for a few years, went to San Francisco in 1993 and, since 1999, has lived in Philadelphia. He works in an old garage and writes about himself in the third person. He has been an art director and graphic designer, an animator for interactivity and multimedia projects, a teacher, a writer and an illustrator. He has written and drawn comics and graphic novels, designed publications and illustrated many magazines and newspapers. His new book illustrations appear in Jon Scieszka's "Frank Einstein and the Antimatter Motor" (Abrams). For transcript, captions, and more information, visit http://www.loc.gov/today/cyberlc/feature_wdesc.php?rec=6462

Aug. 30, 2014. Ilene Cooper appears at the 2014 Library of Congress National Book Festival in Washington, D.C. Speaker Biography: The author of more than 30 books for young people, in both fiction and nonfiction, Ilene Cooper has recently published "A Woman in the House (and Senate): How Women Came to the United States Congress, Broke Down Barriers and Changed the Country" (Abrams). In 2007, the Illinois Reading Council named Cooper the Prairie State Award winner for excellence in writing for children. Cooper was recognized for her body of work and for embracing the council's promotion of lifelong literacy. Cooper is also the children's book editor at Booklist Magazine, the review journal of the American Library Association. For transcript, captions, and more information, visit http://www.loc.gov/today/cyberlc/feature_wdesc.php?rec=6473

Aug. 30, 2014. Lisa See appears at the 2014 Library of Congress National Book Festival in Washington, D.C. Speaker Biography: Lisa See was born in Paris and grew up in Los Angeles. She lived with her mother, but spent a lot of time with her father's family in Chinatown. Her first book, 1995's "On Gold Mountain: The One Hundred Year Odyssey of My Chinese-American Family," was a national best-seller and a New York Times Notable Book. See has also been West Coast correspondent for Publishers Weekly. Her articles have appeared in Vogue, Self and More, and she has written the libretto for the opera based on "On Gold Mountain." See's new novel is "China Dolls" (Random House), which the Los Angeles Times called "a sweeping, turbulent tale of passion, friendship, good fortune, bad fortune, perfidy and the hope of reconciliation." For transcript, captions, and more information, visit http://www.loc.gov/today/cyberlc/feature_wdesc.php?rec=6458

Aug. 30, 2014. Louisa Lim appears at the 2014 Library of Congress National Book Festival in Washington, D.C. Speaker Biography: Louisa Lim is an NPR international correspondent based in Beijing. Her education in modern Chinese studies has been paired with her knack for providing intelligent, nuanced reporting assets that paved the way for her acclaimed career in journalism. Lim has received many accolades, including recognition from the Human Rights Press Awards. In her book "The People's Republic of Amnesia: Tiananmen Revisited" (Oxford University Press), Lim uncovers a tragedy from China's modern history that has been untold for nearly 25 years. Through eyewitness accounts and investigative research, she explores the disastrous events of June 4, 1989, when People's Liberation Army soldiers opened fire on unarmed civilians in Beijing, killing hundreds of people. In "The People's Republic of Amnesia," she rediscovers the buried and erased history of Tiananmen Square, analyzing what this piece of history means for modern-day China and its national identity. For transcript, captions, and more information, visit http://www.loc.gov/today/cyberlc/feature_wdesc.php?rec=6456

Aug. 30, 2014. Patrik Henry Bass and Jerry Craft appears at the 2014 Library of Congress National Book Festival in Washington, D.C. Speaker Biography: Patrik Henry Bass is books editor of Essence magazine. He is the author of "Like a Mighty Stream: The March on Washington," for which he drew from photographs, news articles and eyewitness accounts. His current book (with illustrator Jerry Craft) is "The Zero Degree Zombie Zone" (Scholastic). Bass, a former professor at New York University, is also an award-winning journalist, who often appears on MSNBC, CNN and the BBC. He has written and edited for The New York Times, The Washington Post, Entertainment Weekly and Publishers Weekly. Speaker Biography: Jerry Craft is one of the few African-American syndicated cartoonists in America, with his "Mama's Boyz" comic strip, which is distributed to nearly 900 publications. He is the writer or illustrator, or both, of approximately a dozen children's books, and his work has appeared in Essence and Ebony, among other publications, and in the book series "Chicken Soup for the African-American Soul." His new book is "The Zero Degree Zombie Zone" (Scholastic), which he illustrated for its writer, Patrik Henry Bass. For transcript, captions, and more information, visit http://www.loc.gov/today/cyberlc/feature_wdesc.php?rec=6460

Aug. 30, 2014. Susan Stockdale appears at the 2014 Library of Congress National Book Festival in Washington, D.C. Speaker Biography: Susan Stockdale's relationship with colorful scenes started with the early inspiration of the greens and vegetation she was surrounded by during her childhood in Florida and Ireland. Her love of words was influenced by the rhythmic teachings of her poet mother. Her passions continued as she majored in art at Occidental College in Los Angeles. Now an author and illustrator, Stockdale specializes in picture books about nature, including "Some Sleep Standing Up," "Carry Me!" "Fabulous Fishes" and "Bring On the Birds." She has been recognized by awards from the American Library Association, Parents' Choice, the National Science Teachers Association and Bank Street College of Education. Her newest picture book, "Stripes of All Types/Rayas de todas las tallas" (Peachtree), gives young readers rhythmic, colorful facts about the many reasons stripes are found in nature; as an educational component, the book's glossary offers more in-depth explanations about each featured animal. For transcript, captions, and more information, visit http://www.loc.gov/today/cyberlc/feature_wdesc.php?rec=6457

August 30, 2014. Ian Morris appears at the 2014 Library of Congress National Book Festival in Washington, D.C. Speaker Biography: Author and scholar Ian Morris is a professor of classics and history at Stanford University, where he also serves as a fellow of the Stanford Archaeology Center. Morris has published more than 10 books and over 80 articles on archaeology and history. His work has been recognized with awards from the Guggenheim Foundation, Mellon Foundation, National Geographic Society and the National Endowment for the Humanities. His latest historical book, "War! What Is It Good For? Conflict and Progress of Civilization from Primates to Robots" (Farrar, Straus & Giroux), analyzes war from prehuman times to the present day and explores the controversial idea that, though harmful, war has changed our society for the better. In this provocative account, Morris dissects 15,000 years of war and violence, explaining the paradox that killing has made humanity safer and richer. For transcript, captions, and more information, visit http://www.loc.gov/today/cyberlc/feature_wdesc.php?rec=6459

August 30, 2014. Ilyasah Shabazz appears at the 2014 Library of Congress National Book Festival in Washington, D.C. Speaker Biography: Iyasah Shabazz is the third daughter of Malcolm X and Betty Shabazz. She is a community organizer, activist, motivational speaker and author of the critically acclaimed "Growing Up X." Shabazz is co-editor with Herb Boyd of "The Diary of Malcolm X" and worked with illustrator A.G. Ford on her new book, "The Boy Who Grew Up to Become Malcolm X" (Simon & Schuster). Shabazz promotes higher education, interfaith dialogue and building bridges between cultures for young leaders of the world. She produces the Wake-Up Tour, an exclusive youth empowerment program, and participates on international humanitarian delegations. She is the founder of Malcolm X Enterprises and is a trustee for the Malcolm X and Dr. Betty Shabazz Memorial and Educational Center. Her new book is "Malcolm Little: The Boy Who Grew Up to Be Malcolm X" (Simon & Schuster). For transcript, captions, and more information, visit http://www.loc.gov/today/cyberlc/feature_wdesc.php?rec=6455

Aug. 30, 2014. Clay Risen appears at the 2014 Library of Congress National Book Festival in Washington, D.C. Speaker Biography: Clay Risen is an editor for The New York Times op-ed section. Previously, he was an assistant editor at The New Republic and the founding managing editor of the noted quarterly Democracy: A Journal of Ideas. His recent freelance work has appeared in such publications as The Atlantic, Smithsonian and The Washington Post. His first book, "A Nation on Fire: America in the Wake of the King Assassination," was hailed as "compelling, original history" (Peniel Joseph) and "a crucial addition to civil rights history" (Publishers Weekly, starred review). He is also the author of "American Whiskey, Bourbon and Rye: A Guide to the Nation's Favorite Spirit." His newest book is "The Bill of the Century: The Epic Battle for the Civil Rights Act" (Bloomsbury). For transcript, captions, and more information, visit http://www.loc.gov/today/cyberlc/feature_wdesc.php?rec=6446

Aug. 30, 2014. Alberto Rios appears at the 2014 Library of Congress National Book Festival in Washington, D.C. Speaker Biography: Alberto Rios is the author of 10 books and chapbooks of poetry, three collections of short stories and a memoir. His books of poems include, most recently, "The Dangerous Shirt" (Copper Canyon), which was preceded by "The Theater of Night," winner of the 2007 PEN/Beyond Margins Award. His most recent short-story collection is "The Curtain of Trees." His memoir, "Capirotada," won the Latino Literary Hall of Fame Award. Rios is the recipient of the Western Literature Association Distinguished Achievement Award, the Arizona Governor's Arts Award, fellowships from the Guggenheim Foundation and the National Endowment for the Arts, the Walt Whitman Award, the Western States Book Award for Fiction, six Pushcart Prizes and inclusion in The Norton Anthology of Modern Poetry. For transcript, captions, and more information, visit http://www.loc.gov/today/cyberlc/feature_wdesc.php?rec=6447

Aug. 30, 2014. Elizabeth McCracken appears at the 2014 Library of Congress National Book Festival in Washington, D.C. Speaker Biography: Elizabeth McCracken earned a B.A. and an M.A. in English from Boston University, an M.F.A. from the University of Iowa and an M.S. in library science from Drexel University, and she is a graduate of the Iowa Writers' Workshop. McCracken has also received a fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts. A former public librarian and current faculty member at the University of Texas at Austin, McCracken's extensive education in writing has led her to write five acclaimed books, including "An Exact Replica of a Figment of My Imagination," "The Giant's House," "Here's Your Hat What's Your Hurry," and "Niagara Falls All Over Again." Her latest work, "Thunderstruck and Other Stories" (Dial Press), includes nine mesmerizing tales that deal with death, tragedy, darkness and the fragile space between love and loneliness. For transcript, captions, and more information, visit http://www.loc.gov/today/cyberlc/feature_wdesc.php?rec=6448

Aug. 30, 2014. Vivek Tiwary and Kyle Baker appear at the 2014 Library of Congress National Book Festival in Washington, D.C. Speaker Biography: Vivek Tiwary is an author, Broadway theater producer and founder of Tiwary Entertainment Group. Tiwary's debut graphic novel, "The Fifth Beatle" (Dark Horse), tells the true story of Brian Epstein, the visionary manager behind the spotlight who led the Beatles to stardom. Despite his ambitious drive and pivotal role in mobilizing what would later become the most influential rock/pop band of all time, "The Fifth Beatle" reveals the brief life of Epstein, a tale of both triumph and tragedy. Tiwary portrays the story of a flawed and imperfect hero troubled by personal obstacles. "The Fifth Beatle" is written by Tiwary, with art illustrations by Andrew Robinson and Kyle Baker and lettering by Steve Dutro. It is a No. 1 New York Times best-seller and will be adapted into a feature film this year. Speaker Biography: Cartoonist, writer and animator Kyle Baker has few peers in the field. He has won eight Eisner awards, five Harvey awards and five Glyph Comics awards. Baker's breakthrough work, "Why I Hate Saturn," won him his first Eisner in 1991. Baker was responsible for the revival of the Plastic Man comic series, and he has done the animation for several Looney Tunes projects. He is the illustrator of "The Fifth Beatle" (Dark Horse), a graphic novel about the Beatles manager, Brian Epstein, written by Vivek Tiwary. For transcript, captions, and more information, visit http://www.loc.gov/today/cyberlc/feature_wdesc.php?rec=6449

Aug. 30, 2014. Jeffrey Brown appears at the 2014 Library of Congress National Book Festival in Washington, D.C. Speaker Biography: Jeffrey Brown Ignatz Award winner Jeffrey Brown began his career with the self-published "Clumsy." He earned an MFA from the Art Institute of Chicago School as a painter, but he soon found his niche in drawing comics. He is the author-illustrator of "Star Wars: Jedi Academy No. 2: Return of the Padawan" (Scholastic), the much-anticipated sequel to the New York Times best-seller "Star Wars: Jedi Academy." Brown also wrote and illustrated "Darth Vader and Son" in 2012, and its sequel "Vader's Little Princess" in 2013, among many other titles. For transcript, captions, and more information, visit http://www.loc.gov/today/cyberlc/feature_wdesc.php?rec=6443

Aug. 30, 2014. David Treuer appears at the 2014 Library of Congress National Book Festival in Washington, D.C. Speaker Biography: Celebrated novelist, academic and critic David Treuer is an Ojibwe Indian from Leech Lake Reservation in northern Minnesota. His honors and awards include a Pushcart Prize, the 1996 Minnesota Book Award for his novel "Little" and fellowships from the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Bush Foundation and the Guggenheim Foundation. "Rez Life: An Indian's Journey Through Reservation Life" (Grove Press), Treuer's first full-length work of nonfiction, examines past and present Native American reservation life, language and culture, and explores issues such as sovereignty, treaty rights, natural-resource conservation and many public policy issues. Treuer uses authoritative research and reportage to recount the history of conflict and the nature of the relationship between the United States government and the Native American population; his result makes for a memorable piece in understanding the Native American story. For transcript, captions, and more information, visit http://www.loc.gov/today/cyberlc/feature_wdesc.php?rec=6440

Aug. 30, 2014. Bob Staake appears at the 2014 Library of Congress National Book Festival in Washington, D.C. Speaker Biography: Bob Staake is a nationally acclaimed illustrator and children's book author. With an extensive list of publications and design clientele such as Time, McDonald's, Vanity Fair, Nickelodeon, American Express and countless others, he is known as one of the nation's most successful illustrators, able to charm nearly any audience with his wide variety of work. Staake has designed many memorable covers for The New Yorker; his cover commemorating Barack Obama's election was ranked by Time as No. 1 in its list of 10 top Magazine Covers of 2008. He has written or illustrated, or both, more than 60 books, including "The Donut Chef," "Bluebird," "Bugs Galore," "Pets Go Pop" and "The Red Lemon," which won The New York Times Best Illustrated Children's Book Award. His latest work, "My Pet Book" (Random House), follows the story of a boy and the unusual pet of his dreams-not a cat or dog, but a trusty book. Staake's crisp illustrations, signature style and extraordinary knack for design made him the ideal choice to create this year's poster and art for the National Book Festival. For transcript, captions, and more information, visit http://www.loc.gov/today/cyberlc/feature_wdesc.php?rec=6441