Charter Books in Newport, R.I., hosted the legendary Joan Baez, Grammy-winning singer-songwriter, social activist, artist, and poet. She was in conversation with bestselling author, poet, and cultural critic Hanif Abdurraqib for her autobiographical poetry collection When You See My Mother, Ask Her to Dance (Godine).
The event took place at the nearby Jane Pickens Theater; it was sold out, with more than 470 guests and a signing line that wrapped throughout the building and lasted well over an hour. Baez has famously retired from musical performance but surprised the crowd by singing "America the Beautiful" at the end of the event.
The authors also stopped by the bookstore beforehand to sign the Author Wall.