Tucson Festival of Books

Bruce Handy



Phoebe Jones

Bruce Handy is a journalist, critic, humorist, and children’s author whose work has appeared in The New Yorker, Vanity Fair, The New York Times, and The Atlantic. His book "Wild Things: The Joys of Reading Children’s Literature as an Adult" was published in 2017. He is also the author of five picture books, including "The Balloon," "The Happiness of a Dog with a Ball in Its Mouth" and "What If One Day." He began his career as a writer and editor at Spy magazine and also spent the 1992-1993 season writing for Saturday Night Live.

Awards: Have had three picture books named New York Times Best Children's Books of the Year


Scheduled events:
Joy, Fame and a Little Rock ’n’ Roll
Join authors Tiffany Moon, Bruce Handy and David Leaf as they dive into the many ways we chase joy--through small daily rituals, the wild world of teen fame or the music that shaped a generation.

Integrated Learning Center Room 150 (Seats 155, Wheelchair accessible)  View this venue on the Festival map
Sat, Mar 14, 11:30 am - 12:25 pm
Memoir / Essays / Creative Nonfiction
Signing area: Sales & Signing Area - Integrated Learning Center (following presentation)  View this venue on the Festival map

Panelists: Bruce Handy, David Leaf, Tiffany Moon
Moderator: Simmons Buntin
Sponsors: Session made possible courtesy of Hughes Federal Credit Union, Kimberly Peters and Bruce Peters, Betsy and Michael Boxer
Reinventing American Entertainment
Join Bruce Handy, Daniel Pollack‑Pelzner and Todd Purdum for a lively look at the creative leaps that reshaped TV, film and stage, from Broadway’s turn to hip‑hop to teen stardom and the Cuban bandleader who helped invent the modern sitcom. Follow the unexpected choices that turned bold ideas into pop-culture history.

UA Mall Tent (Seats 250)  View this venue on the Festival map
Sun, Mar 15, 10:00 am - 10:55 am
Memoir / Essays / Creative Nonfiction
Signing area: Sales & Signing Area - Central Mall (following presentation)  View this venue on the Festival map

Panelists: Bruce Handy, Daniel Pollack-Pelzner, Todd Purdum
Moderator: Jonathon Crider
Sponsors: Session made possible courtesy of Pepper Viner Homes, Stephen Golden and Susan Tarrence, Karen Randolph
Flights of Imagination and Discovery
Immerse yourself in flights of imagination and discovery in three visually stunning and creative picturebooks. In one, a playful cat journeys through multiple pieces of art, while in another a boy finds companionship as he searches for a lost orange balloon. The third is a love poem to the desert as two children follow the blazing trail of sundust.

Education Room 353 (Seats 92, Wheelchair accessible)  View this venue on the Festival map
Sun, Mar 15, 2:30 pm - 3:25 pm
Children
Signing area: Signing Area - Children (following presentation)  View this venue on the Festival map

Panelists: Bruce Handy, Brian Lies, Zeke Peña
Moderator: Heather Carlson
Sponsor: Session made possible courtesy of Helios Education Foundation

Books:
Hollywood High
A Totally Epic, Way Opinionated History of Teen Movies
Memoir / Essays / Creative Nonfiction
Simon and Schuster
May 2025
ISBN 9781501181177
384 pages
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Balloon
Children
Chronicle Books LLC
October 2025
ISBN 9781797215044
44 pages
Buy now