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ONLINE Navigate Your Stars: Jesmyn Ward in Conversation

in association with Illinois Libraries Present

Hailed as “the new Toni Morrison” by the American Booksellers Association, Jesmyn will discuss her life, her literary vision, and her unique perspectives on love and loss. Traci D. Hall joins her.

This event was rescheduled from October 2022.

Jesmyn Ward is the critically acclaimed author of fiction, nonfiction, and memoir, including bestselling Sing, Unburied, Sing, Salvage the Bones, and the memoir Men We Reaped. Her many honors include the Library of Congress Prize for American Fiction, a MacArthur Genius Grant, and a Strauss Living Award. In 2017, she became the first woman and first person of color to win the National Book Award for Fiction twice. The standout writer of her generation, Ward’s stories are largely set on the Gulf Coast of Mississippi, where she grew up and still lives. A professor of creative writing at Tulane University, Ward’s latest book, Navigate Your Stars, is an adaptation of her 2018 commencement address at Tulane that championed the value of hard work. 

Tracie D. Hall is an American librarian, author, curator, and advocate for the arts. She is the first African American woman to lead the American Library Association as Executive Director, and fights for social justice, access to information, and universal broadband.

This event is made possible by Illinois Libraries Present, a statewide collaboration among public libraries offering premier events. ILP is funded in part by a grant awarded by the Illinois State Library, a department of the Office of Secretary of State, using funds provided by the U.S. Institute of Museum and Library Services, under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA). ILP is committed to inclusion and accessibility. To request accommodations, please email illinoislibrariespresent@gmail.com.

Additional funding provided by the Downers Grove Public Library Foundation. DGPLF is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation dedicated to providing extraordinary enhancements to the library beyond traditional expense and taxpayer support.

This program will be recorded and available for 14 days.

Contact the Ask Us Desk at askus@dglibrary.org with questions.

Participant Zoom instructions:

• Registration with email address is required. You will receive the access link with your reservation confirmation.
• Virtual programs adhere to the Library's Video and Photography Policy. Participants should be aware of their privacy settings before logging into the program. 
• This program will be presented through a live Zoom webinar.

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