Plan ahead for popular sessions

Fast Passes open to the public March 10

Hello readers! Just 8 days until we kick off the Tucson Festival of Books. We’re here to help you plan a great weekend of memorable sessions with some of the most sought-after experts on topics of importance right now.

For full details, don’t forget to pick up your Festival Guide published by the Arizona Daily Star in the paper this Sunday, March 9. Download the TFOB app for iOS and Android, too.

Following the session highlights in this post, you’ll find details for securing Fast Passes and other resources for navigating the festival.

Current Events in Gallagher Theater

One of our most popular tracks includes Current Events sessions simultaneously broadcast on CSPAN BookTV. Seats fill quickly, but these sessions will also be simulcast on the screens in the University of Arizona Student Union Food Court. Fast Passes are available for these sessions and more:

Race, Ethnicity and the Election

Zeke Hernandez, Paola Ramos, Juan Williams

These authors explore how political shifts among some immigrant, Latino and Black voters changed voting patterns in the November, contributing to the election of Donald Trump and a Republican majority. We will ask how the Trump administration's actions might influence these groups in the years ahead.

Saturday, March 15 | 10:00 a.m. | Gallagher Theater
Moderator: Michael Chihak

Hernandez, Associate Professor at the Wharton School, wrote “The Truth About Immigration: Why Successful Societies Welcome Newcomers,” which highlights the ways the movement of people is inseparable from what businesses do, advocating for immigration systems with a focus on economic contributions, leveraging models and facts to overcome fears of difference.

“Defectors: The Rise of the Latino Far Right and What It Means for America” by Emmy Award-winning journalist Paola Ramos looks at the growing population of Latinos moving steadily right. In “New Prize for These Eyes: The Rise of America’s Second Civil Rights Movement,” Juan Williams provides a counterpoint, tracing the arc a new civil rights era from Obama to Charlottesville to January 6.

Reconciling in Trump’s World

Jonathan Alter, Catherine Bracy and Katherine Stewart

Income inequality, religious polarization and old-fashion tribalism have narrowed our worlds. These authors reflect on what they’ve seen, heard and lived, and discuss whether it’s possible to bridge divides and if so, how to do we start.

Sunday, March 16 | 4:00 p.m. | Gallagher Theater
Moderator: Samuel Brown

Jonathan Alter’s biography of Jimmy Carter, “His Very Best,” has been described as one of the best in the celebrated genre of presidential biography, rich in anecdotes that make the case for Carter as a consequential president.

Catherine Bracy is a civic technologist and advocate for closing tech divides that create economic inequality. Her book “World Eaters” was just published this week— it calls for re-imagining a modern economy that solves real problems, rather than making a few wealthy. Katherine Stewart attempts to identify the forces Trump rode to power in “Money, Lies and God,” profiling the people who want to replace public administration with a corporate management-style regime.

And, if you like fireworks:

Divided We Stand

Amanda Becker, Joe Conason, Jonathan Turley

Whether we're discussing political party affiliation, ideological beliefs or how First Amendment freedoms are practiced, it's clear there are wide divisions in American society. These authors approach these issues from very diverse points of view— we won’t shy away from hearing all perspectives at the Tucson Festival of Books.

Sunday, March 15 | 10:00 a.m. | Gallagher Theater
Moderator: Thomas Miller

Thank you to our media partners

About Fast Passes

Beginning at 12pm on March 10, while supplies last, the public can reserve two Fast Passes per email address, per day for sessions in four of our larger venues. Fast Passes are free and cannot be sold. All sessions will have free General Admission available on the day of the event as well. Find all the details here.

Author Patrons and Sponsors don’t need Fast Passes. Line up with your badge in the Sponsor Badge line 20 minutes early and you will be granted first admission to the eligible sessions. One badge per guest, please. Badges will be delivered before the event next weekend.

Friends of the Festival log in to your account March 10-14 and claim your daily additional public Fast Passes there.

Friends of the Festival have had access to their passes since Monday, and so far these sessions have the highest percentage of available seats claimed:

Kevin Fedarko and Hampton Sides, Sunday, 2:30 pm
Amanda Becker, David Daley and Jonathan Turley, Saturday, 11:30 am
Gretchen Whitmer, Sunday, 4:00 pm

More insider tips for navigating the festival

Join Friends of the Festival and our presenting sponsor TMC Health for a session full of tips for maximum enjoyment: finding venues, parking, using the app and more!

Navigating the Tucson Festival of Books
Monday, March 10 at 6pm
Marshall Auditorium, Tucson Medical Center
5301 E. Grant Road. Free parking in Catalina Garage

The most common questions people have are also answered on our FAQ page and in the Festival Guide published by the Arizona Daily Star. On Saturday and Sunday, stop by one of our Info Booths with the blue flags for live assistance from our volunteers.

Discover new authors

We love bringing you the biggest names. Yet some of my favorite author discoveries in my years of attending the festival came from sessions I popped into just to get out of the heat or avoid standing in a line. Remember to keep some time in your schedule to just explore author sessions, entertainers, exhibits, and food!

Visit the Indie Author pavilion to discover new faces and meet writers from all walks of life.

Last call for volunteers

We still need some help— especially on Sunday. Please sign up now if there’s any way you can spare a few hours to help others enjoy the festival. Line Monitors, Venue Monitors and Author Transportation are our most needed roles at the time of this post.

Special thanks to these University of Arizona partners