Get Lit April Book Club: Stephen Graham Jones with musical guest Frank Waln

Join WNYC's Jordan Lauf and Simon Close as they speak with author Stephen Graham Jones in a live conversation about his book, My Heart is a Chainsaw, for NYPL's World Literature Festival. The conversation will followed by a special musical performance from Frank Waln.

The New York Public Library and WNYC—two indispensable New York institutions—are partnering to host a book club that brings New Yorkers together and fosters community.

The April title is Stephen Graham Jones' My Heart is a Chainsaw, a homage to slasher films that also manages to defy and transcend genre. On the surface is a story of murder in small-town America. But beneath is its beating heart: a biting critique of American colonialism, Indigenous displacement, and gentrification, and a heartbreaking portrait of a broken young girl who uses horror movies to cope with the horror of her own life.

Jade Daniels is an angry, half-Indian outcast with an abusive father, an absent mother, and an entire town that wants nothing to do with her. She lives in her own world, a world in which protection comes from an unusual source: horror movies… especially the ones where a masked killer seeks revenge on a world that wronged them. And Jade narrates the quirky history of Proofrock as if it is one of those movies. But when blood actually starts to spill into the waters of Indian Lake, she pulls us into her dizzying, encyclopedic mind of blood and masked murderers, and predicts exactly how the plot will unfold.me their friendship matures and changes, their definitions of success become complicated, and their sense of what matters evolves.

Throughout the month, All of It guest hosts and the Library will accompany readers, providing touchpoints on-air and on social media at @allofitwnyc and @nypl. Borrow the book (and more than 300,000 others) for free through the Library’s e-reader app SimplyE, available for iOS and Android devices.

Join the special guest hosts Jordan Lauf and Simon Close along with author Stephen Graham Jones and readers everywhere for a live conversation, in-person or online, on Monday, April 29 at 6 PM. The conversation will be followed by a special musical performance from Frank Waln who will be speaking with Get Lit producer Simon Close.

To join in person | Please be sure to register for an In-Person Ticket. Doors will open 30 minutes before the program begins. For free events, we generally overbook to ensure a full house. Priority will be given to those who have registered in advance, but registration does not guarantee admission. If you register for multiple tickets, please provide the name of each person who will be attending the event or arrive with your entire party present. Only registered patrons will be granted entry into the event space. All registered seats are released shortly before start time, and seats may become available at that time. A standby line will form 30 minutes before the program.

To join the livestream | A livestream of this event will be available on the NYPL event page. To receive an email reminder shortly in advance of the event, please be sure to register!

If you have symptoms consistent with COVID-19 or suspect you have been in close contact with someone who has tested positive, please stay home.

ACCESSIBILITY

In-Person | Assistive listening devices and/or hearing loops are available at the venue. You can request a free ASL (American Sign Language) interpretation or CART (Communication Access Real-Time Translation) captioning service by emailing your request at least two weeks in advance of the event: email accessibility@nypl.org or use this Gmail template. This venue is fully accessible to wheelchairs.

Livestream | Captions and a transcript will be provided. You can request a free ASL (American Sign Language) interpretation by emailing your request at least two weeks in advance of the event: email accessibility@nypl.org or use this Gmail template.

GET THE BOOK

• Borrow: NYPL Catalog


• E-Book app: SimplyE, soon available on iOS and Android

Don't have a New York Public Library card? Get one here!

To see all of our previous WNYC Get Lit titles check out our book club page here!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Stephen Graham Jones is the New York Times bestselling author of The Only Good Indians. He has been an NEA fellowship recipient and a recipient of several awards including the Ray Bradbury Award from the Los Angeles Times, the Bram Stoker Award, the Shirley Jackson Award, the Jesse Jones Award for Best Work of Fiction from the Texas Institute of Letters, the Independent Publishers Award for Multicultural Fiction, and the Alex Award from American Library Association. He is the Ivena Baldwin Professor of English at the University of Colorado Boulder.

ABOUT THE PERFORMER

Frank Waln is an award winning Lakota multi-genre music artist, public speaker and educator representing the Lakota Nation from on the Rosebud Reservation in South Dakota. With a Bachelor of Arts in Audio Arts & Acoustics from Columbia College Chicago, he has garnered recognition for his commitment to building community through his work and has received numerous awards, including three Native American Music Awards. He has made appearances on MTV, CNN and ESPN for his work, making him a leading voice in fostering a deeper understanding of Indigenous history, culture and art.

CONNECT

Please submit all press inquiries to Sara Beth Joren at least 48 hours before the event: email press@nypl.org.

For all other questions and inquiries, please email adultprogramming@nypl.org or use this Gmail template.

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