The Writer’s Center welcomes authors David Ebenbach and Clifford Garstang for a reading and discussion of their new novels. Book signing to follow.
FREE and open to the public. RSVP below.
DC writer David Ebenbach is the author of ten books of fiction, poetry, and non-fiction, including his new novel Possible Happiness. He lives with his family in Glover Park, and he trains faculty and graduate students in pedagogy and teaches creative writing and literature at Georgetown University. You can find out more at davidebenbach.com.
Clifford Garstang is the author of three novels, Oliver’s Travels, The Shaman of Turtle Valley, as well as his latest, The Last Bird of Paradise. He is also the author of three story collections, In an Uncharted Country, House of the Ancients and Other Stories, and What the Zhang Boys Know, which won the Library of Virginia Literary Award for Fiction. A former international lawyer, he lives in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia.
About The Last Bird of Paradise
Two women, nearly a century apart, seek to rebuild their lives when they reluctantly leave their homelands. Arriving in Singapore, they find romance in a tropical paradise, but also find they haven’t left behind the dangers that caused them to flee. In a lyrical blend of historical and contemporary drama, The Last Bird of Paradise explores the consequences of power imbalances—both domestic and geopolitical—against a lush, tropical backdrop.
About Possible Happiness
Eleventh-grader Jacob Wasserman is just trying to get by. Under the radar, he spends his weekends at home by himself, leaning on TV and video games to distract himself from the weight—these days we would call it depression—inside him. But he’s secretly got a quirky sense of humor, and, when he starts letting it show, he finally gets noticed. In fact, before he knows it, Jacob’s ability to keep people entertained has drawn him into a full-time social life, complete with a circle of friends, parties, and even a girlfriend. But is this newfound acceptance enough to unlock meaningful well-being? Is this entertainer even the real Jacob? Possible Happiness is a funny and tender coming of age story about developing the courage to face and understand yourself. In a starred review, Booklist called the novel “a beautiful coming-of-age novel with a highly empathic, multidimensional character who comes alive on the page.”
If you need an accommodation for this event, please contact us at access@writer.org. We will attempt to fulfill all requests, but advance notice is necessary to arrange for some accessibility services.