Birmingham Public Library Blog

Chef Ryan Champion of Hotbox at Parkside (right) participates in the  Eat Drink Read Write Human Library event on October 6. At the event, chefs,  restaurateurs, and food bloggers became "human books" to be "checked out" for a limited amount of time  by people interested in learning about the food business.  What: 2015 Eat Drink Read Write Festival When: Wednesday, October 7–Friday, October 9, 2015 Where: Central Library, 2100 Park Place, downtown Birmingham (Wednesday, October 7, Friday, October 9), Vulcan Park & Museum , Thursday, October 8) Details: Complete schedule online at www.bplonline.org/EatDrinkFest Free Wednesday and Friday, Baked event is $15, buy tickets at http://baked.eventbrite.com An evening of international food stories will highlight the second night of the 2015 Eat Drink Read Write festival taking place tonight, Wednesday, October 7, at the Central Library in downtown Birmingham. From 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. at the Central ...

What: 2015 Eat Drink Read Write Festival When: Tuesday, October 6 – Friday, October 9, 2015 Where: Central Library, 2100 Park Place, downtown Birmingham (Tuesday-Wednesday, October 6-7, Friday, October 9), Vulcan Park & Museum, Thursday, October 8) Details: Four-day schedule online at www.bplonline.org/EatDrinkFest Free Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday, Baked Event is $15, buy tickets at http://baked.eventbrite.com It’s a concept known as the “Human Library,” a concept about offering people as “books” to be lent out to curious readers who will ask them questions and learn about the profession or background of the person who has been “checked out.” This may be the first time a Human Library event has been held in the state of Alabama, and it makes its debut as part of Eat Drink Read Write on Tuesday, October 6, at the Central Library . The festival will conclude with its popular Bards & Brews poetry slam on Friday, October 9. The Human Library concept originated ...

What: 2015 Eat Drink Read Write Festival When: Tuesday, October 6 – Friday, October 9, 2015 Where: Central Library, 2100 Park Place, downtown Birmingham (Tuesday-Wednesday, October 6-7, Friday, October 9), Vulcan Park & Museum, Thursday, October 8) Details: Four-day schedule online at www.bplonline.org/EatDrinkFest Free Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday, Baked Event is $15, buy tickets at http://baked.eventbrite.com Birmingham has built a national reputation as home of many incredible restaurants, from fine dining to barbecue. On Tuesday, October 6, the Birmingham Public Library will shine the spotlight on food by hosting its fourth annual Eat Drink Read Write festival. “The festival combines food, culinary arts, and literature in an engaging format focused on cultural enrichment and entertaining the public,” said Brandon C. Smith, the Eastwood Branch Library manager who is serving as coordinator of the 2015 Eat Drink Read Write festival. This year the Birmingham Publi...

The Birmingham Public Library’s popular Bards & Brews spoken word poetry and craft beer tasting event will close the four-day Eat Drink Read Write festival at the Central Library Friday, October 9 . Doors open at 6:15 p.m. , and poets wanting to participate can sign up beginning at 6:30 p.m. The Poetry Slam will begin at 7:00 p.m. Beer will be donated from a number of local breweries, including Cahaba Brewing, Good People Brewing, and Avondale Brewing. Brian “Voice Porter” Hawkins, a performance artist and experienced poetry slam emcee, will host the free evening event. Poets will compete in a slam for $500 in cash prizes while attendees sample beer, coffee, tea, and snacks. Poems for the first round of the slam must be about food, eating or drinking, said Brandon C. Smith, manager of the Eastwood Branch Library and Coordinator of the 2015 festival. “This event will be a great way to celebrate our food and culture in Birmingham,” Smith said. “I am pleased that we will be ...

What: 2015 Eat Drink Read Write Festival When: Thursday, October 8, 2015, 7:00-9:00 p.m. Where: Vulcan Park & Museum, 1701 Valley View Dr., Birmingham Details: Complete four-day schedule online at www.bplonline.org/EatDrinkFest . Baked Event is $15, 18 or older to enter, 21 or older to drink. Buy tickets at http://baked.eventbrite.com . The Bards & Brews poetry slam event taking place at Central Library, 2100 Park Place, Friday, October 9, 6:30-9:00 p.m., is free. The co-owners of two popular New York City bakeries will celebrate an evening of desserts and baked goods at Vulcan Park & Museum Thursday, October 8, on the third day of the Birmingham Public Library’s 2015 Eat Drink Read Write festival. “The festival combines food, culinary arts, and literature in an engaging format focused on cultural enrichment and entertaining the public,” said Brandon C. Smith, the Eastwood Branch Library manager who is serving as coordinator of the 2015 Eat Drink Read Write...

What: 2016 Eat Drink Read Write Festival When: Saturday, October 1–Friday, October 7, 2016 Where: Central Library Details: Six-day schedule online at www.bplonline.org/EatDrinkFest If you’re the type of person who relishes eating adventurous foods, mark your calendar for October 1-7 when the Birmingham Public Library (BPL) hosts its 2016 Eat Drink Read Write festival (EDRW). This year’s EDRW festival is dedicated to the idea that taking a risk and seeking out adventurous foods can result in great culinary experiences, said Brandon C. Smith, coordinator of the event. “Whether it’s trying a Thai restaurant located in a gas station, buying ribs that have been cooked in a 55-gallon steel drum smoker in a parking lot, or foraging for wild blackberries along an old fence line, some of the best meals I have ever had involved taking a little risk,” said Smith, manager of the Eastwood Branch Library. Headlining the 2016 festival is Chef Bryant Terry of Oakland, California,...

Barry Estabrook, award-winning jouralist and author of Tomatoland: How Modern Industrial Agriculture Destroyed Our Most Alluring Fruit , opens Birmingham Public Library's Eat Drink Read Write Festival by leading a discussion about tomatoes. James Beard Award winner and Alabama native, chef Frank Stitt , will discuss tomato varieties and offer samples of tomato-based dishes. This event promises to launch the festival with thought-provoking conversation and appetizing fare. Foodies Book Club Central Library Tuesday, September 13, 2011 6:00 p.m. The Birmingham Public Library (BPL) is planning to feed the mind, body, and soul during its upcoming Eat Drink Read Write Festival planned for September 13-17, 2011. BPL and event partners Desert Island Supply Company (DISCO), Foodies Book Club, and Slow Food Birmingham will present a series of FREE programs bringing food, culinary arts, and literature to the table in a stimulating format. The goal of the Eat Drink Read Write Festival is to...

The Birmingham Public Library’s Eat Drink Read Write festival is a culinary and literary experience that highlights Birmingham’s burgeoning food landscape. The 2017 festival brings together food, culinary arts, and literature in a fun and engaging format. Come and sample amazing dishes from all over the globe and hear the wonderful stories behind them! 2017 FESTIVAL SCHEDULE Sunday, October 1, 2017, 6:00-8:00 p.m., Central Library  Food Stories: A Cultural & Culinary Journey How do cultural experiences inform culinary creations? Join chefs from the Pizitz Food Hall as they discuss their culinary journeys and the experiences that shaped their palates and inspired their passions. Sample “off menu” selections created especially for the evening. REV Birmingham ’s Dion Gordon moderates the discussion. Chefs participating in the food panel are: Abhi Sainju of MoMo; Amanshiva Takele of Ghion Hall Ethiopian Restaurant ; Kimberly McNair Brock of Bitty’s Living ...

Poster by Debra Riffe  The Birmingham Public Library kicked off its Eat Drink Read Write Festival on October 3 with a soul food-themed poetry slam and beer tasting at the Central Library. Friday night's Bards & Brews event was the first of several set around a theme of food, drink, and literature. This is the third year for the festival, which will end on October 10. Other events during the week will include: A panel discussion on living off the land A cocktail competition at The Collins Bar A latte art and story event at The Red Cat Coffeehouse A finale party at BPL's Central Library with Food Network Star Martie Duncan and some of her local restaurant friends. The October 10 party with Duncan will be $10. All other events are free. The Central Library will also host two art displays with food themes. Debra Riffe 's poster exhibit, Everybody's Gotta Eat , highlights Southern culture and its food. The posters feature Riffe's linoleum block re...

The Birmingham Public Library will present its annual Eat Drink Read Write Festival, a combination of literacy, food, and drink, on October 3-10, 2014 . During that week, recipes for the dishes we've come to love will be revealed in a new book that will be called Birmingham's Best Bites . The library is currently accepting restaurant nominations for the book. The deadline to enter is July 1, 2014 . The book will be available for sale during the Eat Drink Read Write Festival and will be the main highlight on the finale night, also known as Birmingham’s Best Bites. Restaurants should send their name, recipe, and contact info to bhambestbites@gmail.com by July 1. Food Network Star finalist Martie Duncan of www.martieknowsparties.com and Connie Blalock, a Birmingham Originals board member, are helping to produce the book. Birmingham photographer Arden Ward Upton will photograph the food. Recipes may cover anything from an entree, sandwich or appetizer, to a dessert, drink, or...

The deadline to enter the Birmingham Public Library (BPL)’s Six-Word Food Contest is fast approaching. Entries must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. on September 30 in order to be eligible. Stories will be judged on creativity and originality. The judges are storyteller Dolores Hydock and culinary writer Fletcher Harvey. As part of our annual celebration of food, drink, and literature the BPL is having a six-word story contest. In only six words, tell us about your adventures with food and submit it to BPL’s Twitter, Instagram, or website via e-mail. View details at the Eat Drink Read Write page . Four winners will be announced and prizes awarded on Friday, October 6 , during the Bards & Brews poetry event taking place at the Central Library as part of the 2017 Eat Drink Read Write Festival. Ever since legend recorded that Ernest Hemingway won a bet by writing his famous story, “For sale: baby shoes, never worn,” writers have been challenging themselves to squeeze as much emoti...

The Birmingham Public Library (BPL) is planning to feed the mind, body, and soul during its upcoming Eat Drink Read Write Festival planned for September 13-17, 2011. BPL and event partners Desert Island Supply Company (DISCO), Foodies Book Club , and Slow Food Birmingham will present a series of FREE programs bringing food, culinary arts, and literature to the table in a stimulating format. The goal of the Eat Drink Read Write Festival is to raise awareness of food-related issues in our community by exploring these concerns from a variety of perspectives. The festival opens on Tuesday, September 13 at BPL’s Central Library with a discussion led by Barry Estabrook, an award-winning journalist and author of Tomatoland: How Modern Industrial Agriculture Destroyed Our Most Alluring Fruit . James Beard Award winner and Alabama native, Chef Frank Stitt , will discuss tomato varieties and offer samples of tomato-based dishes. This 6:00 p.m. event promises to launch the festival with ...

Food Stories, hosted by DISCO (Desert Island Supply Company) will be a live storytelling event modeled after NPR’s popular program, “The Moth.” Local storytellers will have five minutes to tell a true story in the first person—the story subject must involve food. Cash bar and light snacks. Food Stories Woodrow Hall, 5504 1st Ave North, Woodlawn Wednesday, September 14, 2011 7:00 p.m. The Birmingham Public Library (BPL) is planning to feed the mind, body and soul during its upcoming Eat Drink Read Write Festival planned for September 13-17, 2011. BPL and event partners Desert Island Supply Company (DISCO), Foodies Book Club, and Slow Food Birmingham will present a series of FREE programs bringing food, culinary arts, and literature to the table in a stimulating format. The goal of the Eat Drink Read Write Festival is to raise awareness of food-related issues in our community by exploring these concerns from a variety of perspectives.

Screening of a montage of short food-related films by Joe York, filmmaker for the University of Mississippi Center for Documentary Projects. York works with the Southern Foodways Alliance (SFA) and has created SFA films on topics ranging from artisanal cheese producers in the South to the journey of Vietnamese fishermen to the Gulf Coast of Mississippi and Louisiana. Refreshments provided by local area restaurants. The event is FREE; reservations are required via Eventbrite . Food Films Central Library Thursday, September 15, 2011 6:30 p.m. The Birmingham Public Library (BPL) is planning to feed the mind, body and soul during its upcoming Eat Drink Read Write Festival planned for September 13-17, 2011. BPL and event partners Desert Island Supply Company (DISCO), Foodies Book Club, and Slow Food Birmingham will present a series of FREE programs bringing food, culinary arts, and literature to the table in a stimulating format. The goal of the Eat Drink Read Write Festival is...

DISCO (Desert Island Supply Company) will lead informal food writing workshops for children and adults at Pepper Place Saturday Market . Library staff will offer food-related craft activities for kids. Food Writing Workshop Pepper Place Saturday Market Saturday, September 17, 2011 9:00 a.m. The Birmingham Public Library (BPL) is planning to feed the mind, body and soul during its upcoming Eat Drink Read Write Festival planned for September 13-17, 2011. BPL and event partners Desert Island Supply Company (DISCO), Foodies Book Club, and Slow Food Birmingham will present a series of FREE programs bringing food, culinary arts, and literature to the table in a stimulating format. The goal of the Eat Drink Read Write Festival is to raise awareness of food-related issues in our community by exploring these concerns from a variety of perspectives.

Don't miss the final program in the Eat Drink Read Write food festival on Tuesday, October 10, 5:30-8:00 p.m., at the Central Library . During the event students involved in the culinary program will show off their cooking skills by performing a demonstration and food tasting of delectable dishes they have mastered during the school year. The Wenonah High Culinary Arts team members, all seniors, performing the cooking demo at the Central Library will be: Asia Tatum, Jordan Young, Drusilla Foster, Juahmun Sturgeon, Janiya Wright, Aaron Harris, and Alejandro Guzman. Another member of the team, Tytianna Day, will help serve attendees. The students will demonstrate a fruit salad with honey dressing, cinnamon sweet potatoes, and a chicken vegetable stir-fry. Attendees will get samples and recipes to take home. On October 2 students in the Wenonah High Culinary Arts Program visited the nearby Powderly Branch Library to research books on food to prepare for the cooking demo. Th...

The Birmingham Public Library has joined forces with several Birmingham food organizations to present the second Eat Drink Read Write Festival, September 8-15, 2012. Presentations will include good food and good conversation from national and local food and beer experts. All events are free and will feature food tastings, a cooking class, a food documentary, and more. Events will be held at the Central Library, Pepper Place, and the Desert Island Supply Co. in Woodlawn. "It's going to be a fun way to explore food, literature, books and film," said Shaun Chavis, founder of the Birmingham Foodie Book Club, one of the participants in this year's festival. "There will be opportunities to taste things that you read about here in Birmingham and opportunities to tell your own food stories." EDRW coordinator and BPL employee Haruyo Miyagawa said last year's festival had a large attendance and proved that food is a topic that's near and dear to many. She sa...

Warning! You may get really hungry after reading this. Everything from Junior Mint brownies and Conecuh sausage corn dogs to beer samples and gourmet popcorn will be offered during the second Eat Drink Read Write Festival at the Birmingham Public Library, September 8-15. A cooking class, food documentary, children's crafts, poetry slam, writing workshops, and more will be featured during the free festival, which will explore the glorious worlds of the written word and Alabama foods. Reservations are required for each event. Food will be provided by member restaurants of Birmingham Originals, MIX Bakery and Cafe, Whole Foods Market, and Yellow Moon Cheese Company. But that's not all. Registered EDRW attendees will be eligible to enter a drawing for a pair of tickets to see renowned chef and author Anthony Bourdain —the bad boy of cuisine—on November 1 at UAB's Alys Stephens Performing Arts Center. His show is called Anthony Bourdain: Guts & Glory . You must attend an EDR...

What: Bards & Brews spoken word poetry slam When: Friday, October 6, 6:30-9:30 p.m. Where: Central Library Details: BPL’s popular spoken word poetry and craft beer event returns in a poetry slam format as part of the 2017 Eat Drink Read Write festival. Shaheed & DJ Supreme will be performing live at 6:30 p.m. and poetry will begin to flow just after 7:00 p.m. Must be 18 or older to enter and 21 or older to drink beer. Join us October 6 at the Central Library for the return of the poetry slam format of Bards & Brews, the Birmingham Public Library’s popular spoken word poetry and craft beer event. The Bards & Brews poetry slam will be a part of BPL’s 2017 Eat Drink Read Write  festival. The slam will include cash prizes of $300 and $200 for the first and second place winners. BPL will be observing Southern Fried Slam rules for this event: poets will be competing over three rounds until only two poets remain for the final round. The judges will be chosen ...

by Pat B. Rumore, board member of the Friends Foundation of the Birmingham Public Library Pat Rumore Say you’re interested in Abraham Lincoln , and you want to read the new historical novel by George Saunders, Lincoln in the Bardo . You stop by your Birmingham neighborhood library , but the book is not there. But there’s no problem. You can go online and request it and ask that it be delivered to your library. And usually, in a matter of days, you’ll have it. The above example is just one way in which the Birmingham Public Library (BPL) system works. The system has 18 branches throughout the city, all of which serve many purposes in their particular communities, but the BPL system’s beating heart is the Central Library complex downtown. Central acquires, catalogs, and circulates the books, magazines, DVDs, and CDs that you’re accustomed to finding in the branches. But it also acquires a vast array of electronic media offerings such as downloadable films, e-books, magaz...