Young Mungo (fiction – hardbound) by Douglas Stuart
A story of queer love and working-class families, Young Mungo is the brilliant second novel from the Booker Prize-winning author of Shuggie Bain, which was the winner of the 2020 Booker Prize and is one of the most successful literary debuts of the century so far. Published or forthcoming in forty territories, it has sold more than one million copies worldwide. Now Stuart returns with Young Mungo, his extraordinary second novel. Both a page-turner and literary tour de force, it is a vivid portrayal of working-class life and a deeply moving and highly suspenseful story of the dangerous first love of two young men.
Happy Go Lucky (nonfiction/memoir- hardbound) by David Sedaris
David Sedaris, the “champion storyteller,” (Los Angeles Times) returns with his first new collection of personal essays since the bestselling Calypso. Back when restaurant menus were still printed on paper, and wearing a mask—or not—was a decision made mostly on Halloween, David Sedaris spent his time doing normal things. As Happy-Go-Lucky opens, he is learning to shoot guns with his sister, visiting muddy flea markets in Serbia, buying gummy worms to feed to ants, and telling his nonagenarian father wheelchair jokes. But then the pandemic hits, and like so many others, he’s stuck in lockdown, unable to tour and read for audiences, the part of his work he loves most. To cope, he walks for miles through a nearly deserted city, smelling only his own breath. He vacuums his apartment twice a day, fails to hoard anything, and contemplates how sex workers and acupuncturists might be getting by during quarantine. As the world gradually settles into a new reality, Sedaris too finds himself changed.
Boys and Oil (nonfiction- hardbound) by Taylor Brorby
From a young, gay environmentalist, a searing coming-of-age memoir set against the arid landscape of rural North Dakota, where homosexuality “seems akin to a ticking bomb.” In visceral prose, Brorby recounts his upbringing in the coalfields, his adolescent infatuation with books, and how he felt intrinsically different from other boys. Now an environmentalist, Brorby uses the destruction of large swathes of the West as a metaphor for the terror he experienced as a youth. From an assault outside a bar in an oil boom town to a furtive romance, and from his awakening as an activist to his arrest at the Dakota Access Pipeline, Boys and Oil provides a startling portrait of an America that persists despite well-intentioned legal protections.
Upcoming Events
Thursday, June 9 @ 4 pm (ticketed, in-store/Corte Madera) David Sedaris, Author of Happy Go Lucky
The famed humorist will deliver his unique brand of storytelling and comedy when he returns to the Book Passage in-store stage to read from his latest books … and much laughing will ensue. Sedaris is the author of twelve previous books, including, most recently, A Carnival of Snackery, The Best of Me, and Calypso. He is a regular contributor to The New Yorker and BBC Radio 4.
Sunday, June 19 @ 4 pm & Monday, June 20 @ 5:30 pm (free, online) Juneteenth Special Commemorative Event
Juneteenth, also known as Freedom Day, is a holiday commemorating the emancipation of those who were enslaved in the United States. Until very recently, this historical milestone, which originated in Texas, was only observed in that state. Thankfully and rightfully, it is garnering more attention, official recognition, and is celebrated annually on June 19th throughout the country and as a nationally observed federal holiday on Monday, June 20. Not surprising, many Black writers, authors, and activists are embracing and elevating this special demarcation of the end of slavery. As such, Book Passage is giving a platform to invited guest writers of acclaim to share their thoughtful reflections about Juneteenth, through the written and spoken word. Please access these commemorative written pieces on our website throughout most of the month, and on Sunday, June 19, at 4 pm, join us for a special presentation when some of those writers will present their essays as spoken word. Guest participants include Kia Corthron, Anna Malaika Tubbs, Robert Jones, Jr., and many more. YouTube.com/BookPassageTV
Tuesday, June 21–Thursday, June 23 @ 5:30 pm (free, online) Pride Programming 2022
In celebration of Pride Week 2022, Book Passage is proud to uplift LGBTQ voices and stories with a special series within the Conversations with Authors programming. This 3-night series will feature emerging authors on the literary landscape discussing their writings, the importance of Queer books—fiction and nonfiction—and issues within the community. Whether you are part of the LBTQ community or an ally, these special conversations are for you!
Published on June 9, 2022
Recent Comments