RBC Wealth Management
presents the seventh annual

Opus & Olives: Fine Print & Fine FoodOpus & Olives

Fine Print & Fine Food
Sunday, October 10, 2010  

Crowne Plaza Hotel - Saint Paul Riverfront
11 East Kellogg Boulevard

5:00 p.m.   Autograph Reception and Book Sales
6:30 p.m.   Dinner & Author Presentations

Additional autographing & book sales will follow.
Cocktail or business attire.
Complimentary valet parking available at the hotel.
Book clubs welcome.

RESERVE YOUR TICKETS NOW

Thanks to our generous sponsors, library and literacy supporters enjoy great drinks, a sumptuous dinner, and engaging conversation with five of America's top authors.

We are still finalizing details, but to date we have booked Stanley Trollip as our Master of Ceremonies. Trollip is one-half of the writing team known as Michael Stanley, author of the award-winning "Detective Kubu" mystery series, set in modern day Botswana. The memorable detective made his debut in the gritty, mesmerizing thriller, A Carrion Death. Now he's back in The Second Death of Goodluck Tinubu.

We have Joshilyn Jackson, the New York Times bestselling author of Gods in Alabama; Between, Georgia; and The Girl Who Stopped Swimming. Her latest, Backseat Saints, tells the story of Rose Mae Lolley, a fierce, tiny ball of war wounds who was a minor character in Gods in Alabama. Her life changes dramatically when she meets an airport gypsy who shares her past and knows her future. The gypsy's dire prediction: Ro's handsome, violent husband is going to kill her - unless she kills him first...

Adriana Trigiani is beloved by millions of readers around the world for her hilarious and heartwarming novels including Big Stone Gap; The Queen of the Big Time; Milk Glass Moon, Viola in Reel Life and Very Valentine. Trigiani's latest blockbuster, Brava, Valentine debuted at number seven on the New York Times bestseller list following its February 2010 debut. Valentine Roncalli juggles her long-distance romance, as she works to better the family's struggling business. A once-in-a-lifetime business opportunity takes Val from the winding streets of Greenwich Village to the sun-kissed cobblestones of Buenos Aires, where she finds a long-buried secret hidden deep within a family scandal.

We’ll also be joined by Dave Kindred, sports journalist and author of Morning Miracle: Inside the Washington Post - A Great Newspaper Fights for Its Life. In it, he tells the story of old-school newspaper journalism, deeply reported public affairs coverage, the kind that can make a difference in people’s lives. Kindred paints a vivid picture of the paper, its people, its triumphs and its struggle to survive in a media landscape transformed profoundly and inexorably by the Internet.

We're in discussion with some of the world's best publishers to round out our list, so please check back soon to get details on our fifth surprising author, or sign up for email alerts and be among the first to know.

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Background

In just six years, Opus and Olives has become one of the premiere literary evenings of the Twin Cities. This light, fun event has grown in attendance to over 700 community leaders and guests from the business, political and social worlds.

The evening begins with a (sometimes raucous) reception during which the emcee and authors are available to speak with guests and sign books, which can be purchased at the event. There's a fun martini bar, as well as traditional cocktails and complimentary wine. Following this is a wonderful, chef-prepared sit-down dinner after which each author speaks about his or her book, the writing process, or other topics. The evening ends with another opportunity to visit with authors and purchase books.

Receive priority seating by purchasing a table of ten at this year's Opus & Olives.  Tables are available at the $1,250, $2,500 and $3,500 levels.  Additional sponsorship opportunities are also available.

Opus & Olives is a fundraising event hosted by - and supporting the work of - The Friends of the Saint Paul Public Library and local literacy projects of the Pioneer Press, and is sponsored by RBC Wealth Management.

Click here for a list of sponsors and supporters of the 2009 Opus & Olives.

History

Opus & Olives was successfully launched on Sunday, September 26, 2004 with a stellar line-up of celebrity authors. More than 400 supporters attended the inaugural event and enjoyed the charm and wit of Lorna Landvik as Emcee. She graciously carried the evening and led the room through each author's talk. Participants were treated to lively offerings from John Sandford, author of numerous thrillers including the Lucas Davenport series and his then-latest novel, Hidden Prey; New York Times best-selling non-fiction author, Robert Kurson, whose book, Shadow Divers, was the true and riveting tale of the discovery and exploration of a German U-boat by two weekend scuba divers; Laura Lipman, winner of numerous book awards and author of the suspenseful By a Spider's Thread; and Harper's Magazine editor, Lewis Lapham, who spoke about current national policies on dissent and freedom of speech, and his book, Gag Rule: On the Suppression of Dissent and the Stifling of Democracy.

In 2005, Mike Veeck, owner of the Saint Paul Saints and author of Fun Is Good, was our highly entertaining host. Our second year brought in well over 500 attendees to meet, greet, and hear presentations from Anita Diamant, author of the Booksense™ Book of the Year, The Red Tent and Last Days of Dogtown; Bruce Feiler, award-winning NPR journalist and author of Where God Was Born; Jonathan Eig, senior reporter for The Wall Street Journal and author of Luckiest Man: The Life and Death of Lou Gehrig; and perennially best-selling author J.A. Jance, renowned mystery writer of the popular J.P. Beaumont and Joanna Brady series, who shared her then-latest book, Long Time Gone.

2006 brought contributing editor with National Geographic Traveler magazine and one of America's premier consumer travel broadcasters, Rudy Maxa to Opus & Olives as our Master of Ceremonies. He deftly led the presentations from one mood to another without skipping a beat. Bob Greene, a columnist for Life, Esquire, the Chicago Sun-Times and the Chicago Tribune, and a contributing correspondent for ABC News, and Nightline, shared a highly personal and moving true story of friendship and remembrance from his book, And You Know You Should Be Glad: A True Story of Lifelong Friendship. Shira Nayman discussed her book, Awake in the Dark, a beautiful collection of short stories about the devastating heritage that separates and yet links the descendants of Holocaust victims and perpetrators. Sena Jeter Naslund, author of the sensational Ahab’s Wife, joined us with her new novel, Abundance: A Novel of Marie Antoinette, a hypnotically intimate and sympathetic portrayal of the much-maligned French queen. Phillip Margolin, author of twelve New York Times best-selling criminal thrillers, including Proof Positive, talked about the writing process and shared some of the sources for his stories.

In 2007, we welcomed Katherine Lanpher as our Emcee.  She brought her book, Leap Days: Chronicles of a Midlife Move, about her transition in 2004 from mild-mannered Midwesterner to savvy New Yorker. The tone of her essays mixes emotional depth with quirky wit. Lanpher kept things moving, and eased the transition between authors of varied styles and subjects. We heard Nikki Giovanni — world-renowned poet, writer, commentator, activist, and educator. Always insisting on presenting the truth as she sees it, her focus is on the individual; specifically, on the power one has to make a difference in oneself, and thus, in the lives of others.  Bringing a softer and funnier side to the evening was Dorothea Benton Frank, the New York Times best-selling author of Sullivan’s Island and The Land of Mango Sunsets. She writes about heartbreak and loss with humor and a gabby, just-between-us tone, slyly teaching life lessons while entertaining and comforting her growing legion of readers. Dave Zirin, Press Action’s 2005 and 2006 Sportswriter of the Year, has been called “an icon in the world of progressive sports.” His book, Welcome to the Terrordome: The Pain, Politics, and Promise of Sports, has been called “the sports primer for our time.”  Zirin is more concerned with sports' place in the political and sociological arenas than scores-and-sweat stories.  You can read his work online each week at Edge of Sports. Perhaps the most "literary" of our presenters was Frank Delaney, a former judge for the Booker Prize who enjoyed a prominent career in BBC broadcasting before becoming a full-time writer. A prolific author of history and fiction, his work includes Ireland: A Novel (2004) and James Joyce’s Odyssey: A Guide to the Dublin of Ulysses (1983).  Delaney brought with him his latest epic, Tipperary, a vivid portrait of late-nineteenth-century Ireland offering well-crafted characters who intermingle with real-life events.

2008's Opus & Olives author line-up had a distinctly "thrilling" flavor! We were pleased to have as our Master of Ceremonies the perennially bestselling author of political thrillers, Vince Flynn - lauded for his research and prescient warnings about the rise of Islamic Radical Fundamentalism and terrorism. Pulitzer Prize-winning Civil War historian, James M. McPherson (Battle Cry of Freedom) discussed his latest book, Tried By War, illuminating how Abraham Lincoln worked with—and often against—his senior commanders to defeat the Confederacy and create the role of Commander-in-Chief as we know it. McPherson is known for presenting the complexities of history while maintaining a narrative that makes it appealing to the general public. One-half of the writing team known as Jefferson Bass, Jon Jefferson came to share the story behind The Body Farm, which was created by his partner, Dr. Bill Bass, and is the world's first laboratory dedicated to the study of human decomposition. Jefferson Bass have authored four novels and three works of nonfiction about the Body Farm, including their latest - The Devil's Bones—a page-turning, nail-biting thriller. We also welcomed the "Tartan Noir" writer, Val McDermid, author of the award-winning The Grave Tattoo and Beneath the Bleeding, as well as several books which were adapted for television in the UK, in a highly successful series known as The Wire in the Blood. The internationally acclaimed McDermid's books have been translated into 30 different languages. And finally, we closed out the evening with a funny and engaging presentation by Brad Meltzer, the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Book of Fate, and The Tenth Justice. His latest thriller, The Book of Lies, was published just before Opus & Olives. Meltzer is also the author of several comics, including the the murder-mystery, Identity Crisis, a critically acclaimed and all-too-human look into the lives of DC superheroes, and the terrible price they pay for doing good.

In 2009 we welcomed 800 guests to meet Michael Connelly author of The Scarecrow, featuring crime-beat reporter Jack McEvoy, and his then-latest, Nine Dragons, featuring detective Harry Bosch, which debuted days before our event. "9 Dragons is a gritty, coffee-and-cigarettes crime thriller full of smart twists and generous helpings of suspense. Fans of Michael Connelly can expect another exceptional thrill ride, while newcomers will be immediately engaged by the tortured and unrelenting Bosch." — Dave Callanan, Amazon.com  
Jeffrey Toobin presented The Nine: Inside the Secret World of the Supreme Court, which presidential historian Doris Kearns Goodwin called, “...a remarkable, riveting book. So great are Toobin's narrative skills that both the Justices and their inner world are brought vividly to life.”  He was remarkably candid and timely, with a new Supreme Court Justice - Sonia Sotomayor - having just been confirmed weeks before.
National Book Award-winner Julia Glass (Three Junes) talked about her love of libraries and her latest book, I See You Everywhere, which the New York Times hailed as “rich, intricate and alive with emotion.... an honest portrait of sister-love and sister-hate—interlocking, brave and forgiving—made whole through art.”
John Grisham said, "Few stories of wrongful convictions have happy endings, but the one told by Ronald Cotton and Jennifer Cannino is far different. It is the powerful account of violence, rage, redemption, and, ultimately, forgiveness." Jennifer Thompson-Cannino & Ronald Cotton, co-authors of Picking Cotton: Our Memoir of Injustice and Redemption held the room spellbound and emotionally riveted as they told their story of a rape, a wrongful identification and conviction, and years later, the exoneration and ultimate friendship they shared.
And our Emcee, Mike Walsh, the author of Bowling Across America: 50 States in Rented Shoes, showed that being an 'ad man' is great practice for keeping a group of disparate writers on a seemingly cohesive and similar groove. And it just may be the best foundation for finding the humor in every situation and being able to write about a quirky journey with wry wisdom and heart.

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Opus & Olives Reservations

Tickets for this exciting annual event are limited, and early reservations are encouraged.  Reservations for Opus & Olives may be purchased as follows:

  • on-line through our secure server with a major credit card
  • by phone during regular office hours with a major credit card at 651/222-3242
  • by mail with a major credit card or check at: The Friends of the Saint Paul Public Library,
    325 Cedar Street, Suite 555, Saint Paul, MN 55101

Confirmation will be mailed to participants. Reservations include attendance at the event, dinner, wine, and valet parking. 

TICKET OPTIONS:

Purchase individual tickets, or receive priority seating by purchasing a table of ten at this year's Opus & Olives.  Tables are available at the $1,250, $2,500 and $3,500 levels. Sponsorship opportunities are also available. 

Bookplate Table Seats - $125 per person

Bookplate Table - $1,250

—  •  —

Recommended Read Table Seats - $250 per person
            (Includes preferred seating)

Recommended Read Table - $2,500
            (Includes preferred seating)

—  •  —

First Edition Table Seats - $350 per person
            (Includes preferred seating and recognition in Friends publications)


First Edition Table - $3,500
            (Includes preferred seating and recognition in Friends publications)

After you have made your ticket reservations, please email THE FRIENDS the following additional information:

If you have purchased more than 1 ticket, please provide the names and address of the other people who will be attending. If you would like to be seated at a table with particular people who are purchasing their tickets separately, list these other individuals. (Please note: every effort will be made to honor your seating preferences, but we cannot guarantee seating for individual ticket purchasers. Tables seat 10.)

ARE YOU PURCHASING A TABLE OF TEN? Please fill out the table attendee information form and return it to The Friends’ office by September 30, 2010. Thank you!

SUPPORTING OPUS & OLIVES IS GOOD BUSINESS.  Sponsored tables (which include recognition in various venues as well as priority seating) are available beginning at the $2,500 level.  For more information, please contact Wendy Moylan at 651-366-6484 or by email at wendy@thefriends.org.

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Opus & Olives Sponsors

The Friends of the Saint Paul Public Library thanks our sponsors for their generous support of the sixth annual Opus & Olives: Fine Print & Fine Food. Get your name on the list for this year's O&O - we're looking forward to seeing you on Sunday, October 10, 2010!

2009 Presenting Sponsor: 

RBC Dain logo

Co-host and Media Sponsor:

Pioneer Press Logo

2009 Bestseller Partner
Hubbard Broadcasting, Inc., and the Hubbard Broadcasting Foundation

2009 Recommended Read Partners
Mairs and Power
MGM Wine & Spirits of East Saint Paul and Woodbury
Travelers
Vanguard Travel Unlimited
Xcel Energy

2009 Additional Sponsors
3M
Bank Cherokee
Bremer Banks
Drake Bank
Frauenshuh HealthCare Real Estate Solutions
Guy Carpenter & Company, LLC
Leonard, Street and Deinard
McGrann Shea Carnival Straughn & Lamb, Chartered
Metropolitan State University Foundation
Modern Press
R. F. Moeller Jeweler
Robins, Kaplan, Miller & Ciresi, LLP
The Red Balloon Bookshop
St. Paul Radiology Foundation
Wellington Management, Inc.
Western Bank
Wilkerson Associates
Winthrop & Weinstine

2009 Table Hosts
Gay Bakken
Tanya Bell and Lee Schafer
Doug and Dana Bruce
Ann D. Ceislak and Tom H. Swain
Susan Dowd and the Magnolia Book Club
Mari Oyanagi Eggum
Anne and Litton Field
Sue Hall and Lloyd Grooms
Paul and Michelle Hirschboeck
Lani Jordan and the Women Who Book
Elizabeth J. Keyes
Karen Larsen
Diana Lewis
Margaret M. Marrinan
Debra Mitts-Smith and Marschall Smith
Moore, Costello & Hart, PLLP
Morgan Stanley – Waterbury Group
Judy Nelson
Richard and Nancy Nicholson
Bonnie Palmquist
Peter and Mary Ann Pearson
Jim and Sharon Toscano
Susan L. Vento
Janice B. Walsh
Jean M. West
Annette Whaley
Jerry Woelfel and Becky Garthohner
Billie Young

For more information on any of The Friends' giving opportunities, please contact
The Friends at 651/222-3242 or friends@thefriends.org.

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