Library Speakers Consortium Virtual Author Talks

Each talk features the opportunity to participate in author Q&A or pre-submit questions during registration. Read on for details on how to register for these and other upcoming talks.

Saturday, July 15, @ 2 PM:
Charles Soule, The Endless Vessel

The Endless Vessel transports us to a few years from now, in a world similar to ours, where there exists a sort of “depression plague” that people refer to simply as “The Grey.” No one can predict whom it will afflict or how, but once infected, there’s no coming back. A young Hong Kong-based scientist, Lily Barnes, is trying to maintain her inner light in an increasingly dark world. The human race is dwindling, and people fighting to push forward are increasingly rare. One day, Lily comes across something that seems to be addressing her directly, calling to her, asking her to follow a path to whatever lies at its end. Is this the Endless Vessel that leads to happiness? She leaves her life behind and sets out through time and space to find out.

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Thursday, July 20, @ 1 PM:
Ethan Kross, Chatter: The Voice in Our Head

In Chatter, author Ethan Kross uses a blend of cutting-edge science (from his own lab) and real-world case studies to help us harness the power of our inner voice. This talk is a lively exploration of how we can use those tools to make our inner voice work in our favor, and it answers some valuable questions along the way. For instance, why do we seem immune to toxic chatter when we attempt to advise other people? What factors determine whether we receive—and provide—helpful or harmful social support? An expert storyteller, Kross brings his research to life in a way that is fascinating, accessible, and immediately applicable to our daily lives.

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Tuesday, July 25, @ 4 PM:
Erika L. Sánchez, Crying In The Bathroom

Growing up as the daughter of Mexican immigrants in Chicago in the nineties, Erika Sánchez was a self-described pariah, misfit, and disappointment—a foul-mouthed, melancholic rabble-rouser who painted her nails black but also loved comedy, often laughing so hard with her friends that she had to leave her school classroom. Twenty-five years later, she’s now an award-winning novelist, poet, and essayist, but she’s still got an irrepressible laugh, an acerbic wit, and singular powers of perception about the world around her. In these essays, Sánchez writes about everything from sex to white feminism to debilitating depression, revealing an interior life rich with ideas, self-awareness, and perception. Raunchy, insightful, unapologetic, and brutally honest, Crying in the Bathroom is Sánchez's best—a book that will make you feel that post-confessional high that comes from talking for hours with your best friend.

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