Cooper in Cambridge

I'm pleased to pass on the news that author Susan Cooper will be speaking twice in Cambridge, Massachusetts, this fall. The timing of these appearances is no doubt tied to the upcoming release of The Dark Is Rising movie, but the scope of the discussions looks far more promising.

“Unriddling the World”: Fantasy and Literature
Wednesday, November 14, 2007
7:00 P.M.

Roundtable discussion about fantasy and literature in books for children and adults with:

• Susan Cooper, author of The Dark is Rising, The Boggart, King of Shadows and Victory
• Gregory Maguire, author of The Hamlet Chronicles, Wicked, Son of a Witch, and What-the-Dickens: The Story of a Rogue Tooth Fairy
• Roger Sutton, Editor-in-Chief, The Horn Book Magazine, as moderator

Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Room 10-250, 77 Massachusetts Avenue

[ADDENDUM: In September Roger Sutton posted an alert that the venue for this event has changed to MIT’s wacky Stata Center, and that one should write to the Cambridge Public Library for one's free tickets.]

That's one. And the next day:

“Unriddling the World”: Fantasy and Children
Thursday, November 15, 2007
7:30 P.M.

Talk presented to the Cambridge Forum by Susan Cooper

What are the sources of the fantastic? George Emlen and Tony Barrand from The Revels explore the rich tradition of riddle and magic songs and lead the audience in singing to set the tone for Susan Cooper's exploration of fantasy in children's lives and literature. How do children understand fantasy? What does it add to their lives? Why do adults often find fantasy in children's literature objectionable, even threatening?

First Parish in Cambridge, 3 Church Street (Harvard Square)

Both events are free and open to the public. The sponsors are the Cambridge Forum, Cambridge Public Library, Horn Book, and Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Cooper's talk may eventually be available on the WGBH Forum Network.