Leif Enger to Speak in Sierra Madre that Evokes his New Novel

The Open Book Series presents a very special literary salon featuring Leif Enger in conversation with John Horn, on Thursday, February 28 from 7:00 – 9:00 pm at the historic Sierra Madre Playhouse. Leif Enger rose to critical acclaim in literary circles with Peace Like a River, which reviewers described as "high-spirited and unflagging," and was the recipient of numerous awards. Enger was a writer and producer for the Public Radio program Mainstreet Radio in his home state of Minnesota. Enger’s recently released book, Virgil Wander, is an enchanting and timeless tale about the owner of a cinema who embarks on a journey of redemption and rediscovery with his fellow townspeople. The New York Times Book Review has praised Enger’s newest novel as “a lush crowd-pleaser about meaning and second chances and magic… just the kind of book and protagonist we’re all searching for.”

Open Book transforms events into experiences by hosting them in locations matching the atmosphere of their corresponding books. Nestled in the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains, between the bustling suburbs of Pasadena and Arcadia, Sierra Madre has that quintessential feel of small-town America which makes it so strongly reminiscent of Greenstone, the town in Minnesota where Virgil Wander takes place. A stroll down Sierra Madre Boulevard reveals all the matching small-town essentials. Just past the local library is Poppy Cake Baking Company, whose delicious croissants invite comparison to those created by the small bakery in Greenstone. Continuing for another block reveals a cluster of tables gently tucked against a doorway accompanied by whimsical signs, which upon closer inspection, declare the establishment to be The Only Place in Town, a cafe whose appearance matches Greenstone’s Agate Café. Along the walk, Sierra Madre’s very own version of Greenstone’s low flying geese might pass overhead in the form of the San Gabriel Valley green parrots, or if it happens to be mid-March, the streets could be filled with the music, food booths, and family activities that accompany Sierra Madre’s Wisteria Festival, the same sights and smells that fill Greenstone during their Hard Luck Days Festival.

As if the similarities between the towns of Sierra Madre and Greenstone were not enough, the Sierra Madre Playhouse, formerly known as the Wisteria Theatre, and the Empress, the cinema owned by the protagonist and the central set piece of Virgil Wander, are striking. The playhouse walls of leaf green and old rose immediately evoke a sense of familiarity to the vintage green and mahogany tones of the Empress. Once into the Playhouse, the more similarities become apparent, from the matching rows of folded seats radiating out from the stage, to the identical full basements and upstairs apartments, up to the porous ceiling above it all that leaks in the rain, which as one former employee recalls, forced those working at the Wisteria to place “buckets on certain seats to catch drips from the leaky roof,” just as the characters “set out buckets and wastebaskets and kept the ark mainly dry”. Through these shared quirks and appearances, the Sierra Madre Playhouse brings to life all the charm and worn beauty of a well-loved, small town theater present in Enger’s Empress Theater.

Join us at this appropriate setting where you can mingle at a hosted happy hour, then enjoy a dynamic exchange between award-winning author Leif Enger and hit radio-host John Horn covering the themes of hope, friendship, love and the relationship between a town and its people prevalent in Enger’s work. John Horn is the host of KPCC’s The Frame, a Southern California radio program covering movies, music, TV, arts, and entertainment. Afterwards, join Enger for a book signing and dessert reception, with books available for purchase.

To purchase tickets, go to www.pasadenaliteraryalliance.org/open-book. The ticket price of $50 for general admission and $35 for Students/Educators includes a pre-program reception with beer/wine and appetizers, a post-program of dessert, coffee, and conversation. Proceeds from this non-profit event will support the Pasadena Literary Alliance grantees.

What is the Open Book Series? Building on the successful Pasadena Festival of Women Authors event which the non-profit Pasadena Literary Alliance has presented annually since 2009, the vision for the new series is to provide opportunities for the community to enjoy authors of all kinds – both established and emerging, national and local, men and women, writers of fiction and non-fiction – in settings that complement the author’s work or background and allow for engagement with the attendees. At Open Book, it’s never just an event, it’s an experience.