Register 120 Seats Remaining
A bestselling author and presidential historian discusses his vivid eyewitness account of the first criminal trial of a president with Dale Russakoff, longtime former Washington Post reporter
The event is free but registration is required. Doors open at 6:00 p.m. After the discussion, there will be a Q&A period and a book signing and sale with Watchung Booksellers.
Open Book / Open Mind is sponsored by Montclair Public Library Foundation, Watchung Booksellers, the New Jersey Council on Humanities, Anonymous, David and Mary Lee Jones, Dr. Alex and Doris Malaspina and our Underwriters. We are also grateful for the generous support of our in-kind sponsors, First Congregational Church of Montclair, The George, and Amanti Vino. To support Open Book / Open Mind and other library programs, click here to donate.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Jonathan Alter is an award-winning author, political analyst, documentary filmmaker, columnist, television producer and radio host. He has written four books on American presidents, three of which were New York Times bestsellers. A former senior editor and columnist at Newsweek, Alter is a longtime political analyst for NBC News and MSNBC. He co-produced and co-directed the HBO documentary “Breslin and Hamill: Deadline Artists,” which won the 2020 Emmy for Outstanding Historical Documentary. Over the years, Alter has written for the New York Times, the Washington Post, the Washington Monthly, the New Yorker, Bloomberg, the Daily Beast and other publications. In 2021, he launched a weekly Substack newsletter called “OLD GOATS, Ruminating with Friends,” which includes frequent columns and his conversations with accomplished people of wisdom and experience. Since 2016, he has hosted “Alter Family Politics“ each week on Sirius XM, 102 with his three adult children. He is a longtime resident of Montclair and a member of the Open Book / Open Mind advisory committee.
ABOUT THE BOOK
"As one of a handful of journalists allowed in the courtroom, for 23 days Jonathan Alter sat just feet away from the most dangerous threat to democracy in American history, watching the spectacle of the century: the felony trial of Donald Trump. Highly publicized but untelevised and thus largely hidden from public view, this landmark trial offered hope of real justice amid a grueling eight-year national ordeal and foreshadowed the drama of the 2024 presidential election...Deeply personal and passionate, American Reckoning is an eye-opening book from a journalist with a front row seat on history, offering a troubled yet hopeful look at our national moment of truth."—Penguin Random House
“[There were] No cameras in the courtroom but Jonathan Alter’s brilliant book is the next best thing or better…He brought his whole life as a journalist into that courtroom and delivers the historic drama as no one else could.” —Lawrence O’Donnell of MSNBC
ABOUT THE CONVERSATION PARTNER
Dale Russakoff served as a reporter at The Washington Post for almost 30 years and is author of “The Prize: Who’s In Charge of America’s Schools?.” She is a longtime resident of Montclair and serves on the Open Book / Open Mind advisory committee.
Mon, Sep 23 | 10:00AM to 6:00PM |
Tue, Sep 24 | 10:00AM to 8:00PM |
Wed, Sep 25 | 10:00AM to 8:00PM |
Thu, Sep 26 | 10:00AM to 8:00PM |
Fri, Sep 27 | 10:00AM to 6:00PM |
Sat, Sep 28 | 10:00AM to 6:00PM |
Sun, Sep 29 | 1:00PM to 6:00PM |
50 South Fullerton Avenue
Montclair, NJ 07042
Tel: 973-744-0500
Email: reference@montclairlibrary.org
185 Bellevue Avenue
Montclair, NJ 07043
Tel: 973-744-0500 ext. 2283
Email: reference@montclairlibrary.org