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# Adventures of a Rogue Shark Scientist
Sharks Don't Sink is the uplifting story of a young Black scientist's challenging journey to flourish outside the traditional confines of academia. She join us at Jacksonville Public Library this August to discuss her love for sharks and her mission to promote diversity in marine biology.
"Sharks Don’t Sink is a riveting, moving, and ultimately triumphant memoir at the intersection of science and social justice: a guidebook to how we can all learn to respect and protect some of nature’s most misunderstood and vulnerable creatures—and grant the same grace to ourselves." - Junior Library Guild
Attend the Lit Chat Author Interview
Documentary filmmaker Natalie Halpern interviews author Jasmin Graham about her book, Sharks Don't Sink, from 1 to 2 p.m. on Saturday, August 16, at University Park Branch Library. A book signing will follow the interview, with books available for purchase on-site from San Marco Books & More.
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Jasmin Graham is a marine biologist in the field of elasmobranch ecology and evolution, currently specializing in smalltooth sawfish and hammerhead sharks. She is the co-founder of Minorities in Shark Sciences (MISS), an organization providing support for women of color in the field of shark biology and ecology, in order to foster greater diversity in marine science. She is a recipient of the WWF Conservation Leadership Award, the Safina Launchpad Center Fellowship, and a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship.
Sharks Don't Sink: Adventures of a Rogue Shark Scientist is Graham's debut book.
Reminder: Reading any book by a Lit Chat author in 2025 counts toward your Jax Stacks Reading Challenge completion. Find out what authors we're hosting and join in on the fun!
Natalie Halpern is an accomplished corporate storyteller and documentary filmmaker originally from South Florida. A firm believer that we are all made of stories, she’s produced videos and films for Mayo Clinic, Nielsen, and nonprofits in Washington, D.C. and Jacksonville, as well as multimedia content for communications campaigns focusing on childhood obesity, teen anti-smoking initiatives, and emergency preparedness for federal government agencies. She is the recipient of numerous awards, including the Atlanta Film Festival Grand Jury Prize for Best Documentary Short for her film “Africa’s Daughters,” which tells the story of two teenage girls who are beating the odds and getting a high school education in Uganda, despite facing numerous cultural, social and economic obstacles.
Halpern's first documentary “Tumaini Letu (Our Hope),” which captures the journey of three women raising some of the hundreds of thousands of children orphaned by AIDS in Kenya, won a CINE Golden Eagle and Special Jury Award.
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Jax Book Fest 2025: September 13 & 20
Held annually at the Main Library in downtown Jacksonville, Jax Book Fest is our biggest, boldest celebration of authors, authorship, and the written word. It's also a great opportunity for Jax readers to find and support local authors.
This year, the event takes place over two Saturdays, starting with Jax Book Fest: Writer's Day from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on September 13. That first weekend will focus on workshops for local writers; the second Saturday will be devoted to young readers and connecting them with books they'll love. If you've got kids and teens who love books and want to know more about the people who make them: Join us at Jax Book Fest: Youth Readers' Day from 9:30 a.m. until 2 p.m. on Saturday, September 20.
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