RMWF MMXVI SCHEDULE Revised 01/05/16 Rancho Mirage Public Library Tuesday and Wednesday, January 19 and 20, 2016 9:00 – 5:00 pm CHECK-IN THURSDAY, JANUARY 21, 2016 The Annenberg Center for Health Sciences 2:30 – 6:00 pm CHECK-IN 6:00 – 7:00 pm ANDREW ROBERTS The Helene Galen The Storm of War: A New History of the Second Auditorium World War Hailed by The Economist as “Britain’s finest military historian,” Andrew Roberts offers an important new history of World War II and the Axis strategy that led the Germans and the Japanese to their eventual defeat. 7:00 – 8:00 pm A. SCOTT BERG The Helene Galen Berg on Lindbergh Auditorium Pulitzer Prize-winning author A. Scott Berg will speak about aviator and hero Charles Lindbergh who is an enduring yet controversial icon in American history. This is the third year Scott Berg will open the Rancho Mirage Writers Festival. 8:00 pm CELEBRATE OPENING NIGHT PARTY Lobby Following the presentation, join authors, angels and all pass-holders for cocktails and a light supper. Schedule is subject to change. For updates please visit www.rmwritersfest.org. FRIDAY, JANUARY 22, 2016 Rancho Mirage Public Library 9:00 – 9:50 am JESSICA FELLOWES Steinbeck Room Downton Abbey: Behind the Green Baize Door Jessica Fellowes, niece of Downton Abbey creator and writer Julian Fellowes, brings to the RMWF audience unique insight into the real- life inspirations for the television series. She draws on family legends and will give socio-historical context to the era—all in costume! 9:00 – 9:50 am GEOFFREY COWAN London Room Let the People Rule According to the glowing review in Kirkus Reviews, Geoffrey Cowan “brings to life the wheeler-dealer, back-alley shenanigans and political intrigue embedded within the legislative saga” in Theodore Roosevelt and the Birth of the Presidential Primary. 9:00 – 9:50 am SHORT TALKS Didion Room BETH MACY TRUEVINE: The Strange and Troubling Tale of Two Brothers in Jim Crow America Beth Macy will discuss her second book, about two African- American brothers who were sold to the circus at the turn of the 20th Century and subjugated for more than a dozen years. Combing archives far and wide, from museum holdings to century-old legal briefs to family records, Beth assembled hundreds of sources and combined them with on-the-ground reporting—to emerge with a surprising story about race, greed and the human condition. JASON MATTHEWS Palace of Treason Jason Matthews’ latest spy novel continues the trail of Russian agent Dominika Egorova and the CIA’s Nate Nash who are enmeshed in a star-crossed cat-and-mouse game played out in Putin-era Soviet Union. FRIDAY, JANUARY 22, 2016 Rancho Mirage Public Library 10:00 – 10:50 am POLITICS GO VIRAL Steinbeck Room MASHA GESSEN, BRET STEPHENS, MARVIN KALB, AND LORD MICHAEL DOBBS Moderated by Van Gordon Sauter Facebook, Twitter, and cell phone videos are revolutionizing journalism and politics. Join Lord Dobbs and journalists Masha Gessen, Bret Stephens and Marvin Kalb as they discuss the complex relationship between social media and politics and debate what the future may look like. 10:00 – 10:50 pm JESSICA FELLOWES London Room Downton Abbey: At Home with the Family In this presentation, Jessica Fellowes looks at how the family’s Edwardian confidence wavered as the world changed around them. Jessica will also talk about the changing lives of women and the impact of technology on their day-to-day routines. FRIDAY, JANUARY 22, 2016 Rancho Mirage Public Library 10:00 – 10:50 am SHORT TALKS Didion Room VICTORIA KASTNER Hearst Ranch: Family, Land, and Legacy For 30 years, Victoria Kastner has been the Hearst Ranch’s official historian. She will discuss the acquisition, development and future of this famed ranch on the California Coast. Victoria will share never-before-seen photographs and stories of the Hearst family, and a fresh look at the place they called home. BETH MACY Factory Man Beth Macy’s riveting story of the Bassett Furniture Company— once the world’s biggest—is an American inspiration and should be required reading for anyone engaged in business today. Beth will tell how the Chinese competition underestimated John Bassett III and his will to keep his company, his employees and his town alive. 11:00 – 11:50 am ANDREW ROBERTS Steinbeck Room Napoleon: A Life In 2015, the Los Angeles Times Book Festival awarded Napoleon the prize for best biography. Andrew Roberts has written the first book to take advantage of Napoleon’s 33,000 letters. Napoleon is a tour-de-force that should be on every history lover’s bookshelf. 11:00 – 11:50 am DINAW MENGESTU London Room All Our Names All Our Names is a transfixing exploration of the relationships that define us. Dinaw Mengestu writes of the conflicted emotions of someone who has survived the loss of family, country and identity. Dinaw, a MacArthur Fellow, is one of the most important new voices on the global stage. FRIDAY, JANUARY 22, 2016 Rancho Mirage Public Library 11:00 – 11:50 am SHORT TALKS Didion Room SCOTT MCEWEN American Sniper Scott McEwen’s interest in military history and his intense patriotism merged with his experience with long-range hunting rifles. He was then compelled to accurately record the battlefield experiences of Chris Kyle, the most lethal sniper in United States military history. The blockbuster movie is based on this exciting book. MOLLY GUPTILL MANNING When Books Went to War Molly Guptill Manning tells the tale of how the War Department and publishing industry worked together to deliver 120 million pocket-sized paperbacks to enlisted men in WWII, providing soldiers their only entertainment. 12:00 – 12:40 pm LUNCH Outside 12:40 – 1:30 pm BOOKS BECOME MOVIES Steinbeck Room LEE CHILD, DAVID EBERSHOFF, SCOTT MCEWEN, HAMPTON SIDES, AND HÉCTOR TOBAR Moderated by Peter Bart What happens when your book has been optioned for a major motion picture with a box office star? For some authors, seeing their book turned into an extravagantly funded film is the fulfillment of a dream. But is having your book adapted for film always a good experience? Let’s find out from Lee Child, David Ebershoff, Scott McEwen, Hampton Sides, and Héctor Tobar. This lively panel is sure to be full of true Hollywood stories. FRIDAY, JANUARY 22, 2016 Rancho Mirage Public Library 12:40 – 1:30 pm JODI KANTOR London Room Amazon and Starbucks Jodi Kantor will discuss the controversial work conditions of the two companies that she exposed in front-page articles for The New York Times. Jodi’s investigative reporting has spawned a vigorous debate in the media as Amazon and Starbucks publicly defend their reputations. 12:40 – 1:30 pm SHORT TALKS Didion Room PETER HELLER The Dog Stars The award-winning adventure writer Peter Heller sets his original story in a post-apocalyptic America. Hig and his copilot, Jasper (his dog), use all their skills to survive myriad threats. Their interdependence and mutual affection give readers one of the most touching relationships between a man and his loyal dog in modern fiction. WILLIAM D. COHAN The Price of Silence William D. Cohan addresses some of the larger issues facing America’s elite educational institutions in his account of the 2006 Duke University lacrosse team scandal: sexual misconduct, underage drinking and bad-boy behavior. He recounts what happens when the combustible forces of American culture, the justice system and the media collide on a powerful university campus. 1:40 – 2:30 pm BOB MANKOFF London Room How About Never. Is Never Good For You? The legendary cartoon editor of The New Yorker discusses cartoon selection and delves into the rigors of creating a cartoon for this highly regarded publication. Bob Mankoff will share some of his favorite cartoons and the stories behind their inspiration. FRIDAY, JANUARY 22, 2016 Rancho Mirage Public Library 1:40 – 2:30 pm THE MODERN SWASTIKA: THE RISE Steinbeck Room OF TERRORISM AND ANTI-SEMITISM IN EUROPE BRET STEPHENS, ANDREW ROBERTS, AND ARI SHAVIT Moderated by Hal Gershowitz Join our esteemed panelists Bret Stephens of the Wall Street Journal, historian Andrew Roberts, and Israeli columnist Ari Shavit as they discuss the revival of anti-Semitism across Europe, how it can be combated, and who the heroes are on the frontlines of the struggle against it. 1:40 – 2:30 pm SHORT TALKS Didion Room HAMPTON SIDES In the Kingdom of Ice Hampton Sides tells a spellbinding tale of heroism and determination in the most unforgiving territory on earth—the Arctic. In the late 19th century, people were obsessed with the North Pole, as if it were its own world. In The Kingdom of Ice tells the tale of George Washington De Long and his team who sailed in 1879 to discover the truth. SALLY DENTON Passion and Principle Sally Denton has written a fascinating double biography of John C. Fremont and his wife Jessie Benton, daughter of the powerful pre-Civil War senator Thomas Hart Benton. The original power couple, Jessie and John contributed to the shaping of 19th century America. This is a story of ambition, betrayal and intrigue that makes the current state of our politics look almost tame. FRIDAY, JANUARY 22, 2016 Rancho Mirage Public Library 2:40 – 3:30 pm THE WAR THAT FORGED A NATION: Steinbeck Room WHY THE CIVIL WAR MATTERS H.W. BRANDS AND ROBERT HICKS Moderated by David Bryant We celebrate the 150th anniversary of the end of the Civil War with two of America’s most eminent historians, H.W. Brands and Robert Hicks, who will discuss the causes of the war, its major events and aftermath.