Author Talk
Alexandria—Virginia Humanities, the state humanities council, is hosting a talk by bestselling author Matthew Quick in Old Town Alexandria on Saturday, September 26 at 7:00 PM. The event is presented in partnership with the Alexandria Festival of the Book and Old Town Books.
Quick, the author of the bestselling novel The Silver Linings Playbook which inspired an Academy Award winning film, will be discussing a new work of nonfiction, Dad, Love, Me: A Memoir. Written in the form of a letter to his father who suffers from dementia, this book examines the harm of some traditional masculinity models, the author’s memories of living in an abusive household, and what it means to make a roadmap towards redemption and healing.
Matthew Quick will be in conversation with Kalela Williams, the director of the Virginia Center for the Book, a program of Virginia Humanities. “Really, the whole day is about connection with the people we hope to hold close,” Williams says. ”Dad, Love, Me is as resonant as it is relevant. It’s a voice in the conversations that people of all generations are having about models of masculinity and fatherhood, as well as the ways our parents raised us and the chain-breaking and chain-making we can effect.”
Really, the whole day is about connection with the people we hope to hold close.
Kalela Williams
“When we think of the humanities, we think of storytelling,” says Virginia Humanities’ Executive Director, Matthew Gibson. “And an expert storyteller who can speak to what empathy truly means is an author who we, along with our Alexandria partners, are proud to host in Northern Virginia.”
Carolyn Fuller, the coordinator of the Alexandria Festival of the Book which will next take place on March 13, 2027, sees the talk by Matthew Quick as an opportunity to bring literary-minded people together. “We are so fortunate to have Virginia Humanities and their collaborations in our area. The opportunity to connect with noted authors, discuss books and explore our history and culture is a special one that the entire community can enjoy and benefit from.”
The opportunity to connect with noted authors, discuss books and explore our history and culture is a special one.
Carolyn Fuller
Matthew Quick will appear on Saturday, September 26 at 7:00 p.m. at the Alexandria History Museum at the Lyceum and his talk will be followed by a book signing, with sales by Old Town Books.
The author talk, which is free and open to the public, is preceded by another Virginia Humanities hosted program at 1:00 p.m., “Rekindling a Lost Art,” a workshop during which participants can sit and write letters to loved ones together. Registration for both events is required at VaBook.org/events/.
About Virginia Humanities
As Virginia’s humanities council, we create programs and provide grants to connect Virginians with ideas and stories that help them better understand one another and the communities where they live and work. Learn more at VirginiaHumanities.org.
