For the past two months all of Pierce County has been reading and talking about Sherman Alexie, featured poet, author and screenwriter of Pierce County READS 2016. We explored the author and his books through a host of special events, ranging from film and book discussions to a stand-up comedy show and a poetry slam.
Now, at the culmination of Pierce County READS, Sherman Alexie will speak directly to an audience of fans. The event is scheduled for 7 p.m. on April 29 at McGavick Conference Center at Clover Park Technical College, 4500 Steilacoom Blvd. S.W. in Lakewood. No tickets are required for this free event. Alexie will sign books after he speaks. Books will be available for purchase.
Live streaming available at other locations
For those who can’t get to the McGavick Conference Center, the event also will stream live at the following locations:
- Key Center Pierce County Library
8905 KPN, Lakebay 98349 • 253-548-3309
- Bonney Lake Pierce County Library
18501 90th St. E. 98391 • 253-548-3308
- Orting Pierce County Library
202 Washington Ave. S. 98360 • 253-548-3312
- Pierce College Puyallup — Arts and Allied Health (AAH 100) Theater
1601 39th Ave. SE, Puyallup 98374
- Nisqually Tribal Library
4820 She Nah Num Dr. SE, Olympia, WA 98513
Binge on Alexie before the event
Sherman Alexie has so many interesting angles. Librarian Jason Anderson of the University Place Pierce County Library sat down with Alexie recently at the Seattle Public Library to talk about his work and influences. See the videos of these lively discussions at piercecountyreads.org. The sixth and final installment will be posted April 26.
The Pierce County READS website also includes librarian-penned blog posts about Alexie. Topics of the 17 posts so far include Alexie’s World Heavyweight Poetry Championship, his comedic tendencies and the Spokane Indian Reservation where he grew up. The final 19th post debuts this week.
About Sherman Alexie
Born on the Spokane Indian Reservation and now living in Seattle, Alexie’s story is intense. He suffered hydrocephalus as a baby and beat a drinking problem in his 20s. He attended Gonzaga University and graduated from Washington State University. A few years later he received WSU’s highest alumni award.
Alexie is one of the most frequently banned authors in America, but he is also one of the most celebrated. The New Yorker named Alexie one of the top 20 writers for the 21st century. His novel “The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian” received a National Book Award and was named the best young adult book of all time by Time
magazine. His novels have won Booklist’s Editor’s Choice Award, the PEN/Malamud Award and Publishers Weekly’s Book of the Year. His anthology, “Blasphemy,” was included on lists of 2012’s best books by Kirkus Reviews, The New York Times and NPR. He wrote the screenplay for the film, “Smoke Signals,” which won two awards at the Sundance Film Festival.
