Get tickets now below!
Opus & Olives: A Benefit with Friends
Sunday, October 13, 2024
5:00 p.m. Cocktail Reception | 6:15 p.m. Dinner and Author Presentations
Saint Paul RiverCentre | 175 Kellogg Boulevard West, Saint Paul
Opus & Olives is not your average gala. This celebration includes national bestselling authors and hundreds of fellow readers, all in support of The Friends of the Saint Paul Public Library. When you join us for Opus & Olives, you support early literacy and programs for children and families, digital equity and economic inclusion, and other lifelong learning opportunities for all of us. Your support is critical. And you just might have some fun, too.
Accessibility note: The event presentation will be projected onto large screens in the room with open captions. For RiverCentre accessibility information, click here.
2024 Author Lineup
Kirsten Miller
Kirsten Miller grew up in a small town in the mountains of North Carolina. At seventeen, she left for college in New York City, where she lives to this day. Her first adult novel, The Change, was a Good Morning America Book Club pick for May 2022. Kirsten is also the New York Times bestselling author of over a dozen middle grade and YA novels, including the acclaimed Kiki Strike books, (which tell the tale of the delinquent girl geniuses who keep Manhattan safe), and How to Lead a Life of Crime.
About her latest work:
Beverly Underwood and her arch enemy, Lula Dean, live in the tiny town of Troy, Georgia, where they were born and raised. Now Beverly is on the school board, and Lula has become a local celebrity by embarking on a mission to rid the public libraries of all inappropriate books—none of which she’s read. To replace the “pornographic” books she’s challenged, Lula starts her own lending library: a cute wooden hutch with worthy literature that she’s sure the town’s readers need. What Lula doesn’t know is that a local troublemaker has stolen her wholesome books, removed their dust jackets, and restocked Lula’s library with banned books: literary classics, gay romances, Black history, witchy spell books, Judy Blume novels, and more. One by one, neighbors who borrow books from Lula Dean’s library find their lives changed in unexpected ways. Just as Lula and Beverly are running against each other to replace the town’s disgraced mayor, the townspeople who’ve been borrowing from Lula’s library begin to reveal themselves. The showdown that’s been brewing between Beverly and Lula will roil the whole town...and change it forever.
Michele Norris
Michele Norris is one of America’s most trusted voices in journalism, earning several honors over a long career, including Peabody, Emmy, Dupont, and Goldsmith awards. She is a columnist for The Washington Post Opinion Section, the host of the Audible Original Podcast, Your Mama’s Kitchen, and from 2002 to 2012 she was a cohost of NPR’s All Things Considered. Norris is also the founding director of The Race Card Project, a Peabody Award–winning narrative archive where people around the world share their reflections on identity—in just six words. Her first book, The Grace of Silence, was named one of the best books of the year by the San Francisco Chronicle, The Christian Science Monitor, and The Kansas City Star. Before joining NPR, Norris spent almost ten years as a reporter for ABC News covering politics, policy, and the dynamics of social change.
About her latest work:
Peabody Award–winning journalist Michele Norris offers a transformative dialogue on race and identity in America, unearthed through her decade-long work at The Race Card Project. Inspired by conversations started when she published a bestselling book about her family’s story, Norris invited people to share their own experiences and reflections. The prompt seemed simple: Race. Your Story. Six Words. Please Send. The answers, though, have been challenging and complicated. In the twelve years since Norris first posed that question, over half a million people have submitted their stories to The Race Card Project inbox. This unique compilation of stories offers an honest, if sometimes uncomfortable, conversation about race and identity, permitting us to eavesdrop on deep-seated thoughts, private discussions, and long submerged memories. It reminds us that even during times of great division, honesty, grace, and a willing ear can provide a bridge toward empathy and maybe even understanding.
Tommy Tomlinson
Tommy Tomlinson is the author of two books: The Elephant in the Room, a memoir about being overweight in America, and Dogland, about the Westminster Dog Show and the bond between dogs and their people. He is also host of the podcast SouthBound through WFAE, Charlotte's NPR station, and author of a newsletter, The Writing Shed. He has written for publications including Esquire, ESPN the Magazine, Forbes, Garden & Gun, and many others. He spent 23 years as a reporter and local columnist for the Charlotte Observer. Tommy and his wife, Alix Felsing, live in Charlotte, NC, with Alix’s mom and a cat named Jack Reacher.
About his latest work:
Tommy Tomlinson was watching a dog show when he had a sudden thought: Are those dogs happy? How about pet dogs—are they happy? Those questions sparked a quest to venture inside the dog-show world, in search of a deeper understanding of the longtime relationship between dogs and humans. Spending three years on the road, Tomlinson goes behind the scenes at more than 100 competitions across the country, from Midwestern fairgrounds to Madison Square Garden. We hear from experts who have discovered new insights into how dogs and humans formed their bond—and how that bond has changed over the centuries. We discover the fascinating origins of different dog breeds, learn about the elaborate breed standards that determine an ideal show dog, and consider the health issues that can arise in purebred dogs. “A big ol’ slobbering smooch of optimism, laughter, and happiness” (Joe Posnanski), Dogland takes us on a rollicking tour through the rituals, tricks, and wonders of the dog-show world—and reveals what matters most for the happiness of dogs and dog lovers everywhere.
David Wroblewski
David Wroblewski is the author of the novel Familiaris, his follow-up to the internationally bestselling The Story Of Edgar Sawtelle, an Oprah Book Club pick, a Barnes & Noble Discover Great New Writers selection, and winner of the Colorado Book Award, the Indie Choice Best Author Discovery award, and the Midwest Bookseller Association's Choice award. David received an M.F.A. in Creative Writing from the Warren Wilson M.F.A. Program for Writers, and a bachelor's degree in computer science from the University of Wisconsin. He lives in Colorado with the writer Kimberly McClintock and their dogs, Pie and Luci.
About his latest work:
It is spring 1919, and John Sawtelle's imagination has gotten him into trouble...again. Now John and his newlywed wife, Mary, along with their two best friends and their three dogs, are setting off for Wisconsin's north woods, where they hope to make a fresh start—and, with a little luck, discover what it takes to live a life of meaning, purpose, and adventure. But the place they are headed is far stranger and more perilous than they realize, and it will take all their ingenuity, along with a few new friends—human, animal, and otherworldly—to realize their dreams. By turns hilarious and heartbreaking, mysterious and enchanting, Familiaris takes readers on an unforgettable journey from the halls of a small-town automobile factory, through an epic midwestern firestorm and an ambitious WWII dog training program, and far back into mankind's ancient past. It examines the dynamics of love and friendship, the vexing nature of families, the universal desire to create something lasting and beautiful, and of course, the species-long partnership between Homo sapiens and Canis familiaris.
2024 Tickets
Reading Ambassador:
$1,500/table
$150/individual ticket
Guests receive tickets (tables seat up to ten), a three-course plated dinner, complimentary valet parking, and recognition for table host(s).
Library Champion:
$3,000/table
$300/individual ticket
Guests receive premier seating tickets (tables seat up to ten), a three-course plated dinner, complimentary valet parking, and recognition for table host(s).
Because The Friends of the Saint Paul Public Library is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, all but $75 of each ticket is tax-deductible to the full extent of the law. Ticket sales are final and nonrefundable.
Sponsorship
Support Your Community.
By sponsoring Opus & Olives, our biggest, most visible fundraising event, you are helping us make an impact in your community and beyond. Your partnership supports The Friends who invests in the Library through fundraising, advocacy, and programming. Together we support library innovation, engagement for children and families, digital literacy and economic development, and more.
Entertain and Enjoy
Opus & Olives is a celebration of the power of libraries to help communities thrive. Each year we host bestselling authors that deliver engaging presentations with personal stories about their work, their inspiration, and the importance of libraries on their journey.
Opus & Olives is recognized nationally as one of the premier literary and social events of the year. Whether you’re entertaining clients or mingling with Twin Cities leaders, you’ll find an audience of smart, savvy, influential Minnesotans.
Get Involved
If you are interested in learning more about sponsorship opportunities, contact Diana Konopka, Senior Director of Development, at 651-366-6494 or [email protected].
Presenting Sponsor:
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Don’t see your company’s name? Join us in promoting libraries and learning! For more information on any of The Friends’ giving opportunities, contact Diana Konopka, Senior Director of Development, at 651-366-6494 or [email protected].