The big reading of the night is at University Book Store. Popular local author Ivan Doig, who produces a novel every year and a half or so, will read tonight. His new book Work Song is about Montana, as many of his books are. It is also about unions. Doig is one of an older generation of authors who write about the American West in a particular way; they're kind of the myth-makers of realism, if that makes any sense. They write about real people—people who are more likely to exist in real life than, say, Steinbeck characters—but they are in many ways carrying on the tradition of "selling" the west to the east. It's been interesting to watch Doig grow in this tradition.
The full readings calendar, including the next week or so, is here. And if you're planning on staying in and you're looking for personalized book recommendations, feel free to tell me the books you like and ask me what to read next over at Questionland.
