The annual Woodstock Bookfest is back with even more panels, parties and people than ever before. Spread out over four days and across the entire town of Woodstock, join local authors and fellow literary enthusiasts as they read excerpts from their own books, tell personal stories, and give lectures on everything from rock n' roll to women's rights post-Roe. Kicking off on Thursday evening with their famous Story Slam, expect big crowds as 20 different storytellers, three judges (and potentially one large gong) each take four minutes to tell a story which must include the line "I knew I had to do good!" Actor, director and author Griffin Dunne will be headlining the festival this year, where he will be talking about his bestselling memoir The Friday Afternoon Club, recounting his life in Beverly Hills in the 1960s, his relationship with Carrie Fisher, and the murder of his sister Dominique. Local SUNY New Paltz professors and acclaimed authors Lisa Amy Phillips and Holly George-Warren will be moderating panels on love and heartbreak, and women and rock and roll, respectively. A proper close to the festival will take place Sunday at the Woodstock Community Center, with their classic "Memoir-A-Go-Go" panel hosted by founder and festival executive director, Martha Frankel.
