Events

The Guardian ( London) once wrote that Bernardo Atxaga is "not just a Basque novelist, but the Basque novelist: a writer charged . . . with exporting a threatened culture." Indeed, Atxaga himself has said that the Basque language has only produced 100 books in the last 400 years . . . If Atxaga is indeed the world emissary of Basque culture, then The Accordionist's Son, just published in paperback last spring, is the book to read: called his masterpiece by many, it's an epic tale of the Basque country in the 20th century, both during the dictator Francisco's Franco's rule and after, as ETA terrorists battled with the democratic Spanish government in a struggle to preserve the Basque identity. We'll travel to the bucolic villages of the Basque country (as well as California) and read an author who is quite possibly his language's greatest writer, hopefully on a hot August night reminiscent of Mediterranean Spain.   Join us on the fourth Tuesday of every month for spirited conversation about some of the newest writing hitting the U.S. from all over the globe. No foreign language knowledge necessary and no continental savvy required (but will be appreciated!)  -- just bring your desire to read some excellent new books, hand-selected for you by Scott Esposito, of the Center for the Art of Translation and The Quarterly Conversation, who also fearlessly leads the discussion, brilliantly.. You'll also meet some great new people and chat with them about the best new fiction from around the world.