What better way to celebrate the DMA’s birthday and Arts & Letters Live’s new season than with a celebration full of cocktails and literary puns? Tim Federle’s whimsical and witty book Tequila Mockingbird: Cocktails with a Literary Twist has readers rethinking everything they learned in high school English. It was the winner of the Goodreads Best Cookbook of 2013 and has been described by Mystery Scene magazine as being “handsomely illustrated, full of literary trivia, summaries and snappy patter.”

His newest book, Hickory Daiquiri Dock, is filled with nursery-rhyme–inspired cocktails for parents who’ve finally put the baby to sleep and are ready to make a drink and throw themselves “an extremely quiet party.” You don’t have to be particularly bookish to enjoy Tequila Mockingbird, or be a parent to relive the nostalgia of childhood in Hickory Daiquiri Dock.

Before he transitioned to writing, Federle enjoyed a career as a dancer on Broadway. His experiences in The Little Mermaid and Gypsy helped inspire his two children’s books: Better Nate Than Ever and its sequel Five, Six, Seven, Nate! Federle’s second appearance at the DMA is certain to inspire laughter, a trip to the liquor store, and, hopefully, a renewed interest in the classics.