I mean sure it’s better than anything I’ve ever put together, but in my opinion, this is one of the weakest New Yorker Festival lineups in recent memory. Highlight of the festival, Stephen Colbert talks with Ariel Levy. See the whole schedule after the jump, it should be on newsstands tomorrow.

UPDATE: OK, on second look, Clint Eastwood with Lillian Ross also pops.

FRIDAY | October 3
Fiction Night | Discussions Among Writers

Writing About Home
With Sana Krasikov, Yiyun Li, and Manil Suri. Moderated by Cressida Leyshon.
7 p.m. Acura Stage at Cedar Lake Theatre ($25)

The Devil Within
With Matthew Klam, Elmore Leonard, and Joyce Carol Oates. Moderated by Daniel Zalewski.
7 p.m. Ailey Citigroup Theater
Joan Weill Center for Dance ($25)

The American Dream
With T. Coraghessan Boyle, Jeffrey Eugenides, and Jhumpa Lahiri. Moderated by Leo Carey.
7 p.m. Angel Orensanz Foundation ($25)

Family Secrets
With Roddy Doyle, Anne Enright, and Tobias Wolff. Moderated by Willing Davidson.
9:30 p.m. Acura Stage at Cedar Lake Theatre ($25)

Outlaws
With Peter Carey, Hari Kunzru, and Gary Shteyngart. Moderated by Peter Canby.
9:30 p.m. Ailey Citigroup Theater
Joan Weill Center for Dance ($25)

Where I Come From
With Sherman Alexie, Shalom Auslander, and Junot Díaz. Moderated by Carin Besser.
9:30 p.m. Angel Orensanz Foundation ($25)

Fiction Night | In Conversation With

Alice Munro interviewed by Deborah Treisman
8 p.m. Directors Guild of America ($25)

The New Yorker Town Hall Meeting*

Race and Class in America
With Barbara Ehrenreich, Thomas Frank, John McWhorter, Leslie Sanchez, and Cornel West. Moderated by David Remnick.
7 p.m. Town Hall ($20)

Casual Friday

The Cartoon Caption Game
Hosted by Robert Mankoff.
8 p.m. Festival HQ
Metropolitan Pavilion ($25)

A New Yorker Dance Party

Hosted by Sasha Frere-Jones, with special guest d.j. Ghislain Poirier. Opening set by Megasoid.
10 p.m. Hiro Ballroom and Lounge ($25)

SATURDAY | October 4
Writers and Their Subjects

Alexei Ratmansky and Joan Acocella
1 p.m. Acura Stage at Cedar Lake Theatre ($25)

Clint Eastwood and Lillian Ross
1 p.m. Directors Guild of America ($25)

Richard Brody on the films of Jean-Luc Godard
4 p.m. IFC Center ($25)

In Conversation With

Jean-Michel Dubernard interviewed by Atul Gawande
10 a.m. Acura Stage at Cedar Lake Theatre ($25)

Seamus Heaney interviewed by Paul Muldoon
1 p.m. New York Society for Ethical Culture ($25)

Chuck Hagel interviewed by Ryan Lizza
4 p.m. Acura Stage at Cedar Lake Theatre ($25)

Elizabeth Edwards interviewed by Atul Gawande
4 p.m. New York Society for Ethical Culture ($25)

Lynda Barry in conversation with Matt Groening
4 p.m. Festival HQ
Metropolitan Pavilion ($25)

New Yorker Talks

Malcolm Gladwell: “The Ethnic Theory of Plane Crashes”
2 p.m. Ailey Citigroup Theater
Joan Weill Center for Dance ($25)

Art Spiegelman: “Breakdowns: Comix 101”
4:30 p.m. Ailey Citigroup Theater
Joan Weill Center for Dance ($25)

Panels

If I Were Running This Campaign
With Donna Brazile, Alex Castellanos, Edward J. Rollins, and Joe Trippi. Moderated by Jeffrey Toobin.
10 a.m. Directors Guild of America ($25)

Extreme Sports
With Greg Child, Lynne Cox, and Andrew McLean. Moderated by Nick Paumgarten.
10 a.m. Festival HQ
Metropolitan Pavilion ($25)

Covering the Candidates
With Ta-Nehisi Coates, Bill Keller, Peggy Noonan, and Jack Shafer. Moderated by Ken Auletta.
10 a.m. Cathedral NYC ($25)

The Next Generation of Fashion
With Louise Markey, Makoto Takada, and Joeri Van Yper. Moderated by Judith Thurman.
1 p.m. Cathedral NYC ($25)

The Campaign Trail
With Hendrik Hertzberg, Ryan Lizza, and George Packer. Moderated by Dorothy Wickenden.
1 p.m. Festival HQ
Metropolitan Pavilion ($25)

Political Humor
With Samantha Bee, Andy Borowitz, James Downey, John Oliver, and Allison Silverman. Moderated by Susan Morrison.
4 p.m. Cathedral NYC ($25)

Young Shakespeareans
With Lauren Ambrose, Ethan Hawke, Kristen Johnston, Martha Plimpton, and Liev Schreiber. Moderated by Adam Gopnik.
4 p.m. Directors Guild of America ($25)

About Town

A Governors Island Bike Tour
Adriaan Geuze, Leslie Koch, and Ricardo Scofidio talk with Paul Goldberger.
11 a.m. Governors Island Ferry Terminal ($80)

Early Shift

Saturday Night Sneak Preview: “Frontrunners”
Moderated by Rebecca Mead.
6:30 p.m. Stuyvesant High School ($25)

Paul Rudd talks with Michael Specter
7:30 p.m. Acura Stage at Cedar Lake Theatre ($35)

Dawn Upshaw talks with Alex Ross
7:30 p.m. Ailey Citigroup Theater
Joan Weill Center for Dance ($35)

Stephen Colbert talks with Ariel Levy
7:30 p.m. Cathedral NYC ($35)

Worst Nightmares Part 1: Horror Movies
With Wes Craven and Hideo Nakata. Moderated by Ben Greenman.
7:30 p.m. IFC Center ($35)

Late Shift

Tom Morello talks with James Surowiecki
10 p.m. Acura Stage at Cedar Lake Theatre ($35)

Mary-Louise Parker talks with John Colapinto
10 p.m. Ailey Citigroup Theater
Joan Weill Center for Dance ($35)

Oliver Stone talks with David Denby
10 p.m. Directors Guild of America ($35)

Worst Nightmares Part 2: “Fear(s) of the Dark”
With Charles Burns and Lorenzo Mattotti. Moderated by Françoise Mouly.
10 p.m. IFC Center ($25)

BOOK SIGNINGS

(Click here for schedule.)
11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Metropolitan Pavilion (Free)

SUNDAY | October 5
About Town

Morning at the Frick
With Peter Schjeldahl.
10 a.m. Frick Collection ($65)

Come Hungry
With Calvin Trillin.
11 a.m. Ticket buyers will be contacted concerning the starting point. ($100)

Inside the Artist’s Studio
John Currin talks with Calvin Tomkins.
11 a.m. Ticket buyers will be contacted concerning the location. ($80)

Presto Change-o
With Matthew Holtzclaw, Charles Reynolds, Jamy Ian Swiss, and Johnny Thompson. Moderated by Adam Gopnik.
11 a.m. Spiegeltent-Salon Perdu ($30)

Spice World
Claudia Roden talks with Jane Kramer.
12 noon. Culinary Loft ($80)

Writers and Their Subjects

Tommy Lee Jones and Lillian Ross
11 a.m. Directors Guild of America ($25)

In Conversation With

Haruki Murakami interviewed by Deborah Treisman
4 p.m. Directors Guild of America ($25)

New Yorker Talks

Paul Theroux: “Reliving “˜The Great Railway Bazaar’ ”
1 p.m. Ailey Citigroup Theater
Joan Weill Center for Dance ($25)

Salman Rushdie: “The Composite Artist: The Emperor Akbar and the Making of the Hamzanama”
4 p.m. Ailey Citigroup Theater
Joan Weill Center for Dance ($25)

Master Classes

Political Illustration
With Barry Blitt and Steve Brodner.
10 a.m. Festival HQ
Metropolitan Pavilion ($35)

Humor Writing
With Ian Frazier and Mark Singer.
1 p.m. Festival HQ
Metropolitan Pavilion ($35)

Literary Criticism
With James Wood.
4 p.m. Festival HQ
Metropolitan Pavilion ($35)

BOOK SIGNINGS

(Click here for schedule.)
11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Metropolitan Pavilion (Free)