Photograph by Anna Min courtesy of The Loft Literary Center
Wordplay
Everybody's Wordplay experience was their own. With over 100 authors in attendance for the debut of the Loft Literary Center's massive weekend-long book festival, and 70-some events to attend, it was a choose-your-own-adventure of wisdom to glean.
Maybe you saw Stephen King explain how he became the master of horror. Maybe you slipped into the MPR tent to hear how Amy Tan reckoned with her relationship to her late-mother for her new memoir, or Ojibwe writer David Treuer on the necessity of oral histories to preserve Indigenous stories. Maybe you heard Marlon James speak about the meaninglessness of genre. Maybe on Mother's Day you caught Nora McInerny and other author-moms speak to the realities of juggling both jobs. Maybe you got tipsy at the Rock Bottom Remainders concert at First Avenue.
No matter what you did, the turnout for Wordplay proved to these internationally acclaimed writers what we always knew about our state: Minnesota has a thriving literary scene, and it will only grow from here. Who said book people never go outside? Time to get ready for #Wordplay2020.
Photograph by Jason Bucklin courtesy of The Loft Literary Center
Wordplay
1. Readers know how to party
Let's talk about that Rock Bottom Remainders concert at First Avenue, shall we? The fandom among the literary community is insane, but nothing really prepared me for this garage-style cover band made up of bestselling authors like Stephen King, Amy Tan, Scott Turow, Mitch Albom, and more that sold-out the mainroom. Stephen King did a heart-felt rendition of "Stand By Me," Amy Tan brought the sass for "These Boots Are Made for Walking," and of course we were delighted to a tongue-in-cheek version of "Paperback Writer" and Prince's "Kiss" for an encore. The band was lovingly imperfect, but made for a fun gateway into the weekend festivities, which was all they needed to be. Somebody even threw (tagged) underwear on stage at Stephen King. Which brings me to my next takeaway...
2. People love Stephen King
Like, an insane amount. If you were meandering around the Mill District on Saturday morning and saw a huge blob of a thousand or so wrist-banded people waiting eagerly in front of a stage next to Open Book, you might assume they'd be there for a secret pop-up concert or something, not that they were budging to see the horror master himself in the flesh. Speaking with a refreshing humor and candor in an interview with Benjamin Percy, King told us about his approach to writing characters ("I like to write about people who are falling apart"), the ethos driving his novels ("Monsters are real, and sometimes they win"), and the numerous books/TV shows/movies that he has in the works, and his most recent novel, The Outsider.
3. Minnesota has a lot of bookstores and non-profits
Shout-out to the independent book shops that held down their forts throughout each day. Representing some of Minnesota's finest were Magers & Quinn, Milkweed, Moon Palace, and Subtext, each with their own tents. Amazing non-profit organizations like the Mid-Continent Oceanographic Institute, which teaches writing skills to underserved youth, were in attendance, as were Springboard for the Arts, Green Card Voices, and the Minnesota Center for Book Arts. Also notable? There were plenty of children's bookstores like Red Balloon that showed up, with activities and a whole stage dedicated to kid's lit.
4. Minnesota publishers are the best
I found myself getting lost reading through all the new titles available from Milkweed Editions, Graywolf Press, Coffee House Press, University of Minnesota Press, Minnesota Historical Society Press–that I forgot I was at a festival and not at a farmer's market for books. I wanted all of the books. All of them.
5. Plan ahead
I went with the no-plan-is-the-best-plan approach to meandering throughout the festival, which quickly turned into FOMO the second I got there. With so many readings and talks to choose from, Wordplay can be very overwhelming. Luckily, there wasn't a big hike to get around the festival ground stages, and the special events at the Guthrie were only a couple blocks away. For next year I recommend highlighting all the events you want to attend, and filling up time in your schedule to grab a food truck lunch, jump into a class at the Loft, shop for books, and of course, read.
