Join us for a virtual reading with Dispatches from Anarres contributing writers Jonah Barrett, Jason LaPier, and Michelle Ruiz Keil. This event is one in a series that celebrates the publication of Dispatches, a short-story collection that “embodies the anarchic spirit of Ursula K. Le Guin’s hometown of Portland, Oregon, while paying tribute to her enduring vision.” Register below for readings with Jonah, Jason, and Michelle, as well as a Q&A and discussion of these writers’ work, the writing process, and the spirit and legacy of Ursula K. Le Guin.
Jonah Barrett is a queer filmmaker, writer, and multimedia artist. Their debut book, Moss Covered Claws, came out from Blue Cactus Press in March 2021. You can order it at bluecactuspress.com. They have also been published in the Forest Avenue Press collections Dispatches From Anarres and City of Weird. They usually find themself in old haunted buildings or overgrown swamps.
Jason LaPier is originally from Upstate New York and moved to Portland in 2007. In 2015, his debut novel, Unexpected Rain, was published by HarperVoyager as the first of a science fiction thriller trilogy, followed by Unclear Skies and Under Shadows. By day he is CTO of a Portland area startup that aims to promote and empower volunteerism. By night he continues to dabble in science fiction, fantasy, horror, and anything weird.
Michelle Ruiz Keil is the author of the critically acclaimed young adult novels Summer In The City of Roses and All of Us With Wings. Her fiction for adults can be found in Cosmonauts Avenue, The Buckman Journal, and the anthology Dispatches from Anarres. She is a 2021 Tin House Scholar and her work has been supported by Hedgebrook, The Sitka Center for Art and Ecology, and The Bloedel Reserve. Born in San Francisco, Michelle has lived in Portland, Oregon for many years where she curates the fairytale reading series All Kinds of Fur and lives with her family in a cottage where the forest meets the city.