Books & Talks

Lectures

Ringling College Announces 2027 Town Hall Speakers

What do two journalists, an AI expert, an Olympic gold medalist and the former prime minister of Canada have in common?

04/14/2026 By Staff

Beyond the Beaches

Join Isaac Eger On a Journey Into Florida’s Forgotten Cowboy Culture

Eger will discuss his book "The Great Florida Cattle Drive," which shines a light on Florida's deep-rooted ranching history.

03/17/2026 By Staff

Poetry Life

Aimee Nezhukumatathil on the Power of Poetry

The award-winning poet, whose forthcoming book, "Night Owl," will be published in March, will participate in two talks during Bookstore1Sarasota's annual PoetryLife Weekend.

02/16/2026 By Elizabeth Djinis

Art of the Ark

Joel Sartore’s Images of Endangered Species for the National Geographic Photo Ark May Be Crucial to Saving Wildlife

Sartore will come to Sarasota this month to show some of his images and share stories of his work in a Ringling College Town Hall program at the Van Wezel.

02/07/2026 By Kay Kipling

Q&A

Prolific Writer Harlan Coben Is Coming to Sarasota in February for an Author Luncheon

The event benefits the Library Foundation for Sarasota County. "Libraries are hugely important," Coben says. "A luncheon for a library, about books—that’s a win-win-win."

01/19/2026 By Kay Kipling

Preview

Jennifer Jones, the First Black Rockette, on Her Path to Radio City Music Hall

It's not easy for any dancer. For Jennifer Jones, the first African American Rockette, it was harder. She tells her story in a talk at the Sarasota Art Museum.

12/01/2025 By Kay Kipling

Local Love

Here's Who's Coming to the Next PINC Local on Nov. 4

A shark scientist, a catering legend, an advocate for victims of domestic violence and an international brand ambassador walk into a room...

10/27/2025 By Staff

Take a Look, It's in a Book

Amy Tan Headlines Sarasota's 2025 'Off the Page' Literary Festival

You can also attend talks with Janet Evanovich and her daughter Alex, former FBI special agent Robert K. Wittman, memoirist Anabelle Tometich and Pulitzer Prize-winner Jack E. Davis,

10/03/2025 By Megan McDonald

Rhythms & Roots

Where to Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month in Sarasota and Manatee

Live music, dance, film and food mark a month of culture and community across the region. Plus, fun facts you didn't know.

09/15/2025 By Kim Doleatto

Homegrown Vision

Sarasota Filmmaker Shaun Greenspan Brings His Star-Studded Opioid Drama to Burns Court

His latest film project, "What We Hide," filmed in Tampa Bay and stars McKenna Grace, Dacre Montgomery and Jesse Williams dealing with the aftermath of their mother's overdose.

08/20/2025 By Kim Doleatto

Book Report

What the Sarasota Magazine Team Is Reading This Summer

Need a book rec? We've got one!

08/06/2025 By Staff

Deep Time

World-Famous Paleontologist Kenneth Lacovara Will Speak at Sarasota Climate Conference

A real-life Indiana Jones returns to speak at the Climate Adaptation Center's fifth annual Climate Forecast Conference on Nov. 13, 2025.

06/28/2025 By Bethany Ritz

Lectures

Here's Who's Coming to Ringling College Library Association's Town Hall Next Year

The 2026 speaker series will feature Ken Burns, Laura Coates, Joel Sartore, Rob Reiner and Antony J. Blinken.

04/15/2025 By Staff

Health Care

Approved: Upcoming 'Freedom Fest' in Downtown Sarasota May Feature Florida Surgeon General Dr. Joseph Ladapo

The festival will take place April 14 at Five Points Park; the same day Dr. Anthony Fauci is set to talk at the Van Wezel.

03/05/2025 By Kim Doleatto

Q & A

Pulitzer Prize-Winning Author Jonathan Eig to Speak in Sarasota on Thursday

The acclaimed Martin Luther King Jr. biographer will give a talk as part of the Boxser Diversity Initiative's Building Bridges Discussion Series.

03/04/2025 By Megan McDonald

saddle story

Journalist Isaac Eger on Cowboys, Conservation and the Great Florida Cattle Drive

Eger went from city dweller to cowboy-in-training on an 80-mile cattle drive across Florida’s interior. His new book explores the state’s overlooked ranching heritage and what it means for the future.

03/04/2025 By Kim Doleatto

Take a Look, It's in a Book

Sarasota County Picks 'Remarkably Bright Creatures' as 2025 One Book Selection

The book tells the story of Marcellus, a clever octopus, and his unexpected friendship with a grieving widow.

02/21/2025 By Staff

What Lies Ahead

An Architecture Sarasota Speaker Series Is Bringing in Renowned Urbanists to Discuss Our City's Future

'We want to spark ideas on how we might strategize around affordable housing, climate resilience and the challenges of growing while maintaining Sarasota’s identity.'

02/07/2025 By Kim Doleatto

Gronk the Great

Rob Gronkowski Tackles His NFL Days, Competitive Upbringing and Post-Retirement Career in Wide-Ranging Sarasota Talk

The retired tight end was in town as part of the Ringling College Library Association's Town Hall lecture series.

02/04/2025 By Cooper Levey-Baker

Reel Genius

At Town Hall, Ron Howard Shared Stories of His Long Hollywood Career

The prolific actor, director and film producer says that although the industry has changed, "the core challenge of translating a script into a scene has not."

01/14/2025 By Kim Doleatto