Michael Ondaatje and Judy Blume will round out the eighth season of the Talking Volumes regional book club, a partnership of the Star Tribune, Minnesota Public Radio and Loft Literary Center.
Ondaatje, who was born in Sri Lanka and now lives outside Toronto, has written four novels (including "The English Patient"), one memoir and several books of poems. His most recent novel, "Divisadero" (Knopf), begins in Northern California in the 1970s with a man and his two teenage daughters. An act of violence splinters the family, and from these shards Ondaatje spins more tales -- which send us spinning from the past to the present, and from the casinos of Nevada to the French countryside. Reviewers have called it "lyrical," "finely chiseled," "prismatic" and "mesmerizing." A Vintage paperback edition will be released in April. Ondaatje will appear in conversation with MPR's Kerri Miller on May 27 at the Fitzgerald Theater, 10 E. Exchange St., St. Paul.
Blume, who divides her time between New York City and Key West, Fla., is perhaps best known and loved for her frank and funny take on preteens in "Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret." Now she's launched "Soupy Saturdays With the Pain and the Great One" (Delacorte), the first of four books aimed at ages 5 to 7. The series, an equally frank and funny take on sibling dynamics, features Abigail (The Great One) and her brother, Jake (The Pain). Like siblings everywhere, they needle, aggravate, tease and compete with each other. And, when you're not looking, they even like each other. All ages are invited to meet Blume on June 12 at the Fitzgerald.
Events are at 7 p.m.; tickets are $12 to $15. Call 651-290-1221.
Watch for upcoming author profiles on the cover of Arts + Entertainment. For more information about Talking Volumes, go to www.startribune.com/books.
