Join us for an evening of all things SNM (Southern New Mexico) - with Joshua Wheeler, author of Acid West and current exhibiting artist, Carissa Samaniego. For the first installment of the Coloradan Speaker Series at Union Hall, Josh will read from his book of essays which outlines the radical evolution of American identity, from cowboys to drone warriors to space explorers, a story rooted in southern New Mexico. Acid West illuminates this history, clawing at the bounds of genre to reveal a place that is, for better or worse, home. By turns intimate, absurd, and frightening, Acid West is an enlightening deep-dive into a prophetic desert at the bottom of America. In addition to the reading, Josh and Carissa will discuss the parallels between their work in exploring the cultural landscape of Southern New Mexico, and delve into the inspiration behind their collaborative work in The Spirit in The Flame, currently on view at Union Hall.
Joshua Wheeler is from Alamogordo, NM. He lives in New Orleans and teaches creative writing at Louisiana State University. He's written journalistic feature stories for BuzzFeed News and Harper's and publishes essays in literary journals such as Southern Review, Iowa Review, and Gulf Coast. He co-edited the anthology We Might As Well Call it a Lyric Essay. His first book, Acid West: Essays, was published in 2018 by FSG. Los Angeles Review of Books says Acid West is "fluorescent...brilliant...worth reading more than once." Publisher's Weekly says it is "mesmerizing". Acid West was a finalist for the New Mexico Book Award and the Western Writers of America Spur Award.
Tickets to the Coloradan Speaker Series cost $15 per person, and can be purchased through Union Hall’s website. Coloradan residents can reserve their own ticket for free by using the discount code provided via email. Any questions about ticketing for this event can be directed to info@unionhalldenver.com.
Tattered Cover will be on hand with copies of Acid West for sale. The books cost $17 each, plus tax. Cash, card, check or Apple Pay will be accepted.