BEA Benefit Features Bob Newhart, Paula Poundstone

Bob Newhart will headline and Paula Poundstone will perform the opening act at this year's Book Industry Foundation Benefit at BookExpo America. Both comedians will take the stage to entertain BEA's audience of booksellers and book industry professionals in an exclusive performance on Saturday, May 20, at 9:00 p.m. in Ballroom A at the Washington Convention Center. The event benefits the American Booksellers Foundation for Free Expression (ABFFE) and the Association of American Publishers Get Caught Reading Campaign.

"We are thrilled to have the services of two of the funniest comedians in the country," ABFFE President Chris Finan said. "It will be a hilarious night."

Bob Newhart's new book, I Shouldn't Even Be Doing This, will be published by Hyperion in September 2006. The book will be organized thematically and will include stories and anecdotes from throughout Newhart's life and career on The Bob Newhart Show and Newhart.

Paula Poundstone's book, There Is Nothing In This Book That I Meant To Say (Harmony Books), is described by her publisher as "part memoir, part monologue, with a pinch of self-deprecation and a dash of startling honesty."

Newhart and Poundstone join a list of notable celebrities, including Bill Maher, George Carlin, Ellen DeGeneres, and Wynton Marsalis, who have performed at past BEA Book Industry Foundation benefits.

Tickets for the performance may be purchased in advance via the BEA registration form, which can be found online at www.bookexpoamerica.com. Tickets are $25 for one ticket, $45 for two tickets, or $100 for five tickets.