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Live Wire: Portland Book Festival Edition with Gary Shteyngart, Omar El Akkad, Atsuko Okatsuka, The Lowest Pair.
November 13, 2021 @ 7:30 pm - 9:30 pm
$30 – $45GARY SHTEYNGART
Gary Shteyngart is not afraid to get satirical when the situation calls for it. An American writer born in Leningrad, Shteyngart’s prose is filled with blistering humor and sharp societal observations powered by masterful storytelling. His work is acclaimed and awarded, best-selling and blurbed, read and translated into twenty-six languages. Our Country Friends is the story of eight friends, one country house, four romances, and six months in isolation to explore love, friendship, family, and betrayal. Twitter • Buy ‘Our Country Friends’
OMAR EL AKKAD
Omar El Akkad is an author and journalist. He began his journalism career at the start of the war on terror, and, over the following decade, he reported from Afghanistan, Guantanamo Bay, and many other locations around the world. His debut novel, American War, is an international bestseller, has been translated into thirteen languages, and was listed as one of the best books of the year by The New York Times and Washington Post, and was selected by the BBC as one of 100 novels that changed our world. His new novel, What Strange Paradise, provides a beautifully written, unrelentingly dramatic, and profoundly moving look at the global refugee crisis through the eyes of a child. Website • Buy ‘What Strange Paradise’
ATSUKO OKATSUKA
Atsuko is the creator & host of Let’s Go, Atsuko! A (woke) Japanese Game Show & OHAYO: Good Morning from Inside A Monster. Her comedy has been covered in Variety, Vulture, New York Times, LA Times, & more. She’s written for Adult Swim’s The Eric Andre Show & Soft Focus with Jena Friedman and is in Season 3 of HBO’s Room 104, as well as HULU’s latest project with ATTN: Mom & Pop. Website • Twitter
THE LOWEST PAIR
The Lowest Pair is a perfect example that good things come in pairs. Dual banjoists Kendl Winter and Palmer T. Lee met on the banks of the Mississippi and have been touring the US ever since in their own version of The Never Ending Tour, racking up over 500 shows across the country from Bellingham, Washington to Bangor, Maine. The American folk duo combines Palmer’s Midwestern charm with Winter’s playfulness on their songs, including four albums of original work and one cover album. They continue to approach their instruments as vehicles for exploration and deepen their poetic and resonant songwriting. This pair is the perfect choice when you’re looking for America’s next great musical duo. Website