“Bethanne Patrick has long been a hero in the literary world – a tireless supporter of writers and writing.” —Luis Urrea
Bethanne Patrick is a writer, cultural critic, and journalist whose career in publishing began along with the Internet. She maintains a storied place in the publishing industry as a critic and as @TheBookMaven on Twitter, where she created the popular #FridayReads and regularly comments on books and literary ideas to over 200,000 followers.
Throughout her career, Bethanne has held editorial positions at Pages, AOL, Shelf Awareness, Book Riot, Lit Hub, and the Washingtonian and was a host of “The Book Studio,” an author interview show that ran on the PBS station WETA in the Washington, D.C., area for four years. She is the co-author of An Uncommon History of Common Courtesy: How Manners Shaped the World and editor of The Books That Changed My Life: Reflections by 100 Authors, Actors, Musicians, and Other Remarkable People. In 2021, Bethanne also became a podcaster, as host and producer of “Missing Pages” from The Podglomerate. “Missing Pages,” which debuted in August 2022, is currently in production on its second season.
Bethanne has served on the boards of the National Book Critics Circle and the Smith College Libraries. She is currently on the board of the PEN/Faulkner Literary Foundation and serves as the chair of its programs committee. A frequent interview and moderator of live author and book events, Bethanne regularly appears at The Virginia Festival of the Book, The Annapolis Book Festival, The Gaithersburg Book Festival, and George Mason University’s Fall for the Book, and others. Her live conversations have included Jodi Picoult, Piper Kerman, Angie Thomas, Rainbow Rowell, Liane Moriarty, and Elizabeth Strout. Bethanne’s debut memoir Life B: Overcoming Double Depression is forthcoming (Counterpoint Press, 2023).
Bethanne is a graduate of Smith College and received her master’s degree in English from The University of Virginia. She is a 2021 Virginia Center for the Creative Arts Fellow. She has lived in Germany, Texas, Kansas, and finally, Virginia, where she makes her home in McLean with her family, their miniature schnauzer, and far too many books.
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