All Upcoming Events

Mar21
Thrillers, Killers, and Wine Chillers

Thrillers, Killers, and Wine Chillers

Watershed Lit: Center for Literary Engagement and Publishing Practice

Thursday, March 21, 2024 7:00 PM EDT
Off-Campus Location, Old Town Hall, Fairfax VA

Family secrets, dark money, and gathering storms define the new thrillers from Tara Laskowski and E.A. Aymar. In Laskowski’s atmospheric novel, Weekend Retreat, the wealthy Van Ness siblings visit a lavish winery where the torrential rain storm outside matches the tempest brewing between them, their spouses, and a mystery guest. Aymar’s latest dark thriller, When She Left, stirs a cocktail of betrayal, professional assassins, and an unlikely partnership. When Melissa leaves her boyfriend, a rising star in his family’s crime organization, for a photographer, a reluctant hit man is sent to kill her. They soon learn another danger awaits them both. Enjoy a reception, followed by the author conversation. Sponsored by the City of Fairfax.

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Mar27
Memorial Days: Viet Nam Stories

Memorial Days: Viet Nam Stories

Watershed Lit: Center for Literary Engagement and Publishing Practice

Wednesday, March 27, 2024 2:15 PM EDT
Online Location, Virtual Event via Zoom

Decorated Vietnam veteran, Wayne Karlin, brings the surreal nature of war to life in his story collection, Memorial Days: Viet Nam Stories, 1973-2022. The retrospective book examines the seductions and damages of war – moving backward and forward in time, spanning over 50 years, and several wars. Author Khanh Hah says, “Memorial Days is valuable to those like us who did not fight in the war(s); and yet it grants a reprieve to those who did and are plagued by their memories.” Martín Espada says, “Haunted, [Karlin] haunts us, a witness who transcends his own experience through the power of imagination.” Karlin is the author of several books, including Wandering Souls: Journeys with the Dead and the Living in Viet Nam, and A Wolf by the Ears.

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Apr17
The Symposium: Why Baldwin Matters: April 17, 2024

The Symposium: Why Baldwin Matters: April 17, 2024

Watershed Lit: Center for Literary Engagement and Publishing Practice

Wednesday, April 17, 2024 12:00 PM EDT
Fenwick Library, Fenwick Library Reading Room

"Looking for Jimmy"- Prof. Keith Clark will host David Leeming. David Leeming met James Baldwin in Istanbul in 1961. In 1994, Knopf published Leemings “James Baldwin: A Biography.” Leeming will give a 30-45 minute presentation followed by a conversation with Keith Clark. "Why Baldwin Matters" - Friendship, Scholarship and Imagination - a panel led by Keith Clark - featuring Nicholas Delbanco, Deborah Tulani Salahu-Din, and Rae Mitchell.

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Apr18
Spring 2024 Visiting Writers Series: James Allen Hall (Poetry)

Spring 2024 Visiting Writers Series: James Allen Hall (Poetry)

Watershed Lit: Center for Literary Engagement and Publishing Practice

Thursday, April 18, 2024 7:30 PM EDT
Fenwick Library, Fenwick Library Reading Room

James Allen Hall (he/they) is the author of three books, including the poetry collections "Now You're the Enemy" (2008) and "Romantic Comedy" (2023, selected by Diane Seuss for the Levis Prize), and a book of lyric personal essays, "I Liked You Better Before I Knew You So Well" (2017).

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Apr23
Nikki Giovanni presents, "Jimmy and Me" and our interconnected future as Americans.

Nikki Giovanni presents, "Jimmy and Me" and our interconnected future as Americans.

Watershed Lit: Center for Literary Engagement and Publishing Practice

Tuesday, April 23, 2024 6:30 PM to 9:30 PM EDT
Off-Campus Location, Stacy C. Sherwood Community Center

The Alan Cheuse International Writers Center is hosting its second public BUSBOYS AND POETS LECTURE on April 23rd, 2024 at 6:30pm at the Stacy C. Sherwood Community Center, 3740 Blenheim Boulevard (formerly Old Lee Hwy), Fairfax, VA 22030.

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Apr27
Alice McDermott joins Cheuse at the Annapolis Book Festival

Alice McDermott joins Cheuse at the Annapolis Book Festival

Watershed Lit: Center for Literary Engagement and Publishing Practice

Saturday, April 27, 2024 10:00 AM EDT
Off-Campus Location, Key School, 534 Hillsmere Drive

From Time's 100 Must Read Books of 2023, we bring you Alice McDermott's ninth novel as a headliner at the Annapolis Book Festival in Annapolis Maryland. It will be Cheuse's seventh year bringing writers into conversations on international subjects. Ms. McDermott will be in conversation with Cheuse Center Director, Leeya Mehta.

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Sep9
Stage Reading: Baldwin's 'Blues for Mister Charlie': Sept 9, 2024

Stage Reading: Baldwin's 'Blues for Mister Charlie': Sept 9, 2024

Watershed Lit: Center for Literary Engagement and Publishing Practice

Monday, September 9, 2024 7:00 PM EDT

James Baldwin turns a murder and its aftermath into an inquest in which even the most well-intentioned whites are implicated—and in which even a killer receives his share of compassion. In a small Southern town, a white man murders a black man, then throws his body in the weeds. With this act of violence, James Baldwin launches an unsparing and at times agonizing probe of the wounds of race. Save the date, as this event is being constructed. It will be in the theater space at GMU Fairfax, starting at 7pm on Sept 9, 2024.

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