Visitors to the National Book Festival wander along the mall. Note the war protest sign in the middle of the photo. At right is a shot of the Smithsonian castle rising fantastically behind the book festival tents.

The mall was packed with both book-lovers and protestors, and many people who were there for both events. We listented to Neil Gaiman speak and at one point a group of protesters walked by outside the fiction tent banging their drums and chanting—and drowning Gaiman out. He paused and let them pass, then said something like, “That doesn't seem like a very good way to make friends. A lot of people who would probably agree w/them are just now thinking 'shut up!'” He was, I believe, correct. Time and place for everything, people.