History Book Festival to host Runstedtler, Polchin and Kamali
The eighth annual History Book Festival is set for Friday to Sunday, Sept. 27 to 29, in Lewes. Live events will feature 23 distinguished authors of historical nonfiction and fiction including Theresa Runstedtler, James Polchin and Marjan Kamali. All three authors will conduct free presentations of their books Saturday, Sept. 28.
An award-winning scholar of African American history, Runstedtler will present her book “Black Ball: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Spencer Haywood and the Generation that Saved the Soul of the NBA.”
Runstedtler said “When I was writing ‘Black Ball,’ I wanted to change the narrative about the rise of the NBA as a kind of national and global sports property by putting Black players in the foreground of the story. Because not only were they some of the biggest stars, particularly from the 1960s on, but they were also at the forefront of all of the various labor battles that reshaped the entire sports industry. Once you start to understand the context in which the players were reshaping the game both on and off the court, you really get a sense of just how pivotal they were to the rise of the modern NBA.”
Much of Runstedtler’s research focuses on the intersection of race, masculinity, labor and sport. For her presentation, the festival has partnered with the Southern Delaware Alliance for Racial Justice.
A writer, professor and cultural historian, Polchin will present his novel, “Shadow Men: The Tangled Story of Murder, Media and Privilege That Scandalized Jazz Age America.” The book explores a murder case that became a national sensation in 1922 New York, and revealed much about class privilege, political power and the justice system.
Polchin said, “In ‘Shadow Men,’ there is a thread of queer history sitting there alongside the larger investigation. But queer historical experience is not easy to find. It may come out in detective reports, or coded in the newspaper reports, or more explicit in trial transcripts. Through historical true crime, I can uncover a history of marginal and criminalized folks who were constantly navigating a society that thought of them as second-class citizens.”
To host Polichin’s event, the festival has partnered with CAMP Rehoboth Community Center. "CAMP Rehoboth is excited to once again partner with the History Book Festival, and especially to present James Polchin's book this year. Tracking queer history from 1920s America illustrates that the LGBTQ+ community has always been a fabric of American history,” said Kim Leisey, CAMP Rehoboth executive director.
Kamali will present her book, “The Lion Women of Tehran,” which follows a friendship between two women as they navigate their lives amidst political turmoil in Tehran, Iran.
Kamali said, “I hope audiences see the courage and complexity and vibrancy of Iranian women. A lot of people are surprised to learn that the women’s rights movement in Iran is over a century old. The first women’s rights association there was established in the 1920s. Iranian women made great gains in expanding their rights in the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s. But then those rights were taken away almost overnight after a revolution. I hope attendees find solace and hope through the joys and losses and loves and hopes and dreams and worries of two girls from Iran whom I made up but who are very real to me.”
Books can be purchased at each venue, or they may be bought in advance at Browseabout Books in Rehoboth Beach, the official bookseller of the History Book Festival, or at Biblion in Lewes. Authors will be available to personalize books after their presentations.
For more information on all presenting authors and their featured books, go to historybookfestival.org.
The History Book Festival is presented by Delaware Humanities, National Endowment for the Humanities, and the Lee Ann Wilkinson Group, Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices PenFed Realty. Special thanks go to HBF’s Founding Program Partners for their continuing support: the Lewes Public Library for event promotion and production, and Browseabout Books.
