Jon Stewart at BEA!

I tossed around the idea of buying a ticket to this and ultimately decided I didn't feel like getting up that early in the morning. And I really don't feel like listening to Condoleezza Rice. So if I want to see Jon, I'll just get (free) tickets to a taping of his show. Plus I could always bumrush him at 9:30 when the breakfast gets out and turn into a squealing fangirl then. What? Not good?

JON STEWART RETURNS TO BEA STAGE WHERE HE WILL INTRODUCE CONDOLEEZZA RICE AND OTHERS!

Sarah Ferguson, John Grisham, Sara Gruen, and Christopher Hitchens are Among Authors Headlining Special Events

Norwalk, CT, March 4, 2010: BookExpo America (BEA) has today announced that Jon Stewart will return to BEA in 2010 where he will be the Master of Ceremonies for the Author Breakfast on Thursday, May 27. Mr. Stewart's first appearance at BEA was in 2004 and his humor as well as his rapport with the audience is fondly remembered as a stand out moment at a BEA Author Breakfast. Among other notable luminaries, Mr. Stewart will be introducing Condoleezza Rice who has written a family memoir which will be published in October, 2010. The speaker program is a highlight of BEA activity and it brings considerable attention to new books by famous personalities and accomplished writers from the worlds of literature, film, politics, comedy and a range of other fields of endeavor. The other speakers who will be featured in the special events program include Cory Doctorow, Sarah Ferguson, William Gibson, John Grisham, Sara Gruen, Christopher Hitchens, Patton Oswalt, Richard Peck, Mitali Perkins, and Mary Roach.

BEA will be taking place over two days this year, and it will occur in mid-week. The dates for the Breakfasts and Lunch are: Children's Author Breakfast, Wednesday, May 26; Adult Author Breakfast, Thursday, May 27; and Adult Author Lunch, Thursday, May 27. Officials note that an Opening Night Reception is planned for Tuesday evening May 25 at 6pm, and the show's traditional evening of entertainment (i.e. BEA's "Saturday Night") on behalf of the American Booksellers Foundation for Free Expression (ABFFE) and the Association of American Publishers' (AAP) Get Caught Reading Campaign, is also planned to take place on Tuesday, May 25. It will occur at Town Hall at 9:00pm. Details on these two events will be forthcoming in the near future.

"I am amazed by the exceptional array of talent and distinguished public figures who have made themselves available to speak at BEA," notes Steven Rosato, Event Director for Book Expo America. "We are incredibly fortunate to have these authors assembled at our show and I know that will be a great draw for BEA and will ensure that these events will sell out. Above all, I am thankful to the publishers who support us, and who bring their authors to BEA so that we might all enjoy meeting them, and hearing what they have to say. It's a very unique and special opportunity for anyone who is part of the book industry and who attends BEA."

Officials note that despite the fact that the convention will have one less Author Breakfast this year due to the shortened schedule, there will be more author programming than ever before. After a successful debut last year, the Author Stages will return to the convention floor and a new stage has been added so that there will now be a Downtown Stage, an Uptown Stage and a Midtown Stage. Programming for the Author Stages will be worked on and confirmed through the coming two months (March and April). "Our focus remains on quality vs. quantity," Rosato states. "Certainly, the Author Breakfasts and Lunch are a reflection of the quality events that we can deliver based on the wealth of talent that is delivered to us from publishers. The Author Stages proved to be a fantastic opportunity last year for showcasing authors from all walks of life in an intimate setting for booksellers and the media. I know that we will have amazing content and dialogue on all three stages. It will be jam packed!"

The line up of speakers and events includes:

WEDNESDAY, May 26, 2010
8:00AM-9:30AM CHILDREN'S BOOK & AUTHOR BREAKFAST (Special Events Hall)
Presented in cooperation with the Children's Booksellers and Publishers Committee [A cooperative committee of the American Booksellers Association (ABA), Association of Booksellers for Children (ABC), and the Children's Book Council (CBC)] this opening-day breakfast will feature Cory Doctorow, author of For the Win (Tor Books / Tor Teen); Mitali Perkins, author of Bamboo People (Charlesbridge); and Richard Peck, author of Three Quarters Dead (Penguin/Dial Books for Young Readers). Sarah Ferguson, the Duchess of York, and author of Helping Hand Books: Emily's First Day at School (Sterling Children's Books) will be the Master of Ceremonies.

THURSDAY, May 27, 2010
8:00AM-9:30AM THURSDAY BOOK & AUTHOR BREAKFAST (Special Events Hall)
Thursday morning will feature Condoleezza Rice, author of Extraordinary, Ordinary People: A Memoir of Family (Crown); John Grisham, title TK (Doubleday); and Mary Roach, author of Packing for Mars: The Curious Science of Life in the Void (W.W. Norton). Jon Stewart, author (along with the writers of The Daily Show) of The Daily Show with Jon Stewart Presents Earth (The Book): A Visitor's Guide to the Human Race (Grand Central Publishing) will be the Master of Ceremonies.

12PM-2PM THURSDAY BOOK & AUTHOR LUNCHEON (Special Events Hall)
This year's lunch will feature Christopher Hitchens, author of Hitch-22: A Memoir (Twelve/Hachette Book Group USA); Sara Gruen, author of Ape House (Spiegel & Grau); and William Gibson, author of Zero History (G.P. Putnam's Sons). Patton Oswalt, author of Zombie Spaceship Wasteland (Scribner) will be the Master of Ceremonies.