True patriots will celebrate Presidents’ Day with books and magic

Hey bibliophiles! Presidents’ Day weekend isn’t just about big boats and expensive arts. It also kicks off a couple of unique book events, too.

On Sunday, you can observe the national holiday with short story master George Saunders, who will appear at Books & Books for a performance of his first novel “Lincoln in the Bardo,” which delves into the mind of the 16th president after the death of his son.

But then you can squeeze a little magic into your celebrations, too, because Saunders is just the literary opening act.

The most eclectic and intriguing event is “Music, Magic & The Muse: An Evening With Paul Auster” Tuesday at the Arsht Center, which includes a reading from Auster’s critically acclaimed new novel “4321,” music by Auster’s singer/songwriter daughter Sophie and a set from illusionist David Blaine.

“We wanted to do something special for Paul,” says Books & Books owner Mitchell Kaplan, who produced the event. “His birthday was earlier this month, and this is a major, major book. I wanted to bring the event out of the realm of just reading.”

George Saunders and ‘Lincoln in the Bardo’: 4 p.m. Sunday, Books & Books, 265 Aragon Ave., Coral Gables

Paul Auster (with Sophie Auster and David Blaine): 8 p.m. Tuesday, Knight Concert Hall, Adrienne Arsht Center, 1300 Biscayne Blvd., Miami; $15-$40; www.arshtcenter.org

Read more here: http://hrld.us/2lrESoF.

This story was originally published February 17, 2017 at 7:02 AM.