Author Jennifer Lee Carrell and Helene Woodhams, a supervising librarian at the Dusenberry-River Branch of Pima County Public Library, will co-chair the authors committee of the eighth Tucson Festival of Books, set for March 12-13 on the University of Arizona campus.
Carrell and Woodhams are a “terrific mix,” said festival founder Bill Viner, who headed the authors committee for the past two years. The committee has several subcommittees that work to develop and bring a solid slate of current, compelling, best-selling authors in various genres to the festival.
Viner said recently that the two will bring different perspectives to the committee’s top spot.
Woodhams, who co-chaired the committee for the festival’s first five years, knows the event’s history, logistics and routine, said Viner.
And she knows literature. With the library system since 2001, Woodhams has coordinated Southwest Books of the Year since 2006 and is a member of the Library’s Readers Advisory team. She recently joined the reviewing team of the Star’s monthly Southern Arizona Authors column.
“I stepped back so I could enjoy the festival without the snap-crackle-pop of the walkie-talkie that I would have to carry all weekend long,” Woodhams said. “But I missed the energy and excitement of being part of the festival as it takes shape, and I was happy to be asked to come back.”
Carrell brings the point-of-view of an author, said Viner. She knows the inner workings of publishing and negotiating with publicists, and how to coordinate with and complement authors’ book tours. She has participated in all past festivals.
Carrell has her doctorate in English from Harvard, where she also taught literature and writing. She is the author of “The Speckled Monster,” a 2004 narrative nonfiction on the dramatic history of the smallpox vaccine, and two thrillers featuring Shakespeare scholar and theater director Kate Stanley, “Interred with Their Bones,” 2007, and “Haunt Me Still,” 2011. She has written pieces for the Smithsonian Magazine and was the Star’s classical music critic.
The two-day festival is packed with author presentations, panel discussions, signings and demonstrations, as well as entertainment and hands-on learning opportunities. For more information, go to tucsonfestivalofbooks.org
Admission and parking are free. Proceeds from sponsors, exhibitors and Friends of the Festival support literacy programs. Since its launch in 2009, the festival has contributed more than $1 million to literacy organizations.
