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CHICAGO — Judith Shulevitz, author of the 2011 Sophie Brody Medal-winning title “The Sabbath World: Glimpses of a Different Order of Time,” will speak at the in New Orleans — an author event hosted by the Reference and User Services Association (RUSA) and open to all book lovers.

The Literary Tastes Breakfast is an Annual Conference tradition hosted by the Collection Development and Evaluation Section (CODES) of the . The event, which will be held from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. Sunday, June 26, features authors from RUSA’s 2011 literary book award selections, including the for outstanding fiction, non-fiction and poetry; for the best genre fiction of the year and the for achievement in Jewish literature. Authors read from their work and discuss their creative process, while attendees enjoy a scrumptious breakfast. A book sale and signing follows the event. Shulevitz joins Nathaniel Philbrick, author of 2011 Notable Book “The Last Stand: Custer, Sitting Bull, and the Battle of Little Bighorn,” and Guy Gavriel Kay, author of 2011 Reading List Fantasy winner “Under Heaven” as part of the exciting author lineup for this event.

In "The Sabbath World," Shulevitz explores the long history of the Jewish and Christian day of rest, from its ancient origins to its complicated relationship with the modern world. Using ideas from nonreligious sources and drawing upon her personal experiences, Shulevitz weaves a tapestry of this shared day of nonwork that has built communities, sustained cultures and connected us to the memory of our ancestors and to our better selves, while also arousing as much resentment as love.

In addition to winning RUSA’s Sophie Brody Medal for achievement in Jewish literature, the book has received rave reviews from many notable sources. Jeffrey Goldberg of The Atlantic praised the book’s relevance for all readers, saying, “This is not a book merely for practitioners of Judaism — it is for anyone who is looking for transcendence within the confines of the time and the space that we have been granted.” Author Jonathan Safran Foer said “The Sabbath World is not merely riveting, wise and at times breathtakingly beautiful, it just might change your life.” The Los Angeles Times also calls the book “a brilliant idea…Ultimately, "The Sabbath World" suggests, the Sabbath offers a way to live outside of time, even for a day a week — an act not just of renewal but of resistance in an obsessively over-scheduled and over-networked world.”

Conference participants can add the breakfast to their registration by locating it on the list of ticketed events in the (event code RUS2) located at . Those not attending the conference are invited to purchase tickets for the breakfast only by selecting “Preconferences and Ticketed Events Only” as their registration type, then selecting the Literary Tastes Breakfast from the event list. Additional authors will be announced throughout the spring at the , and . Registration for the breakfast and conference is now available at .

Breakfast tickets start at $50 for RUSA members, who receive the best price on this and other RUSA events throughout the conference. Join 91��ý and RUSA or add 91��ý and RUSA to your membership by calling the 91��ý membership team at 1-(800)-545-2433, option 5.

The Reference and User Services Association, a division of the 91��ý, represents librarians and library staff in the fields of reference, specialized reference, collection development, readers’ advisory and resource sharing. RUSA is the foremost organization of reference and information professionals who make the connections between people and the information sources, services, and collection materials they need. Learn more at .