Ben Fountain&rsquo\ ;s work has received the National Book Critics Circle Award for Fiction\, the PEN/Hemingway Award\, the Los Angeles Book Prize for Fiction\, and a W hiting Writers Award\, and has been a finalist for the National Book Award and runner-up for the Dayton Literary Peace Prize. He lives in North Caro lina.
\nIn Rasputin Swims the Potomac\, reporter Clarence T homas Jr. is looking for a great story\, former country music teen star Fa ith Spack has parlayed her fame into a job at the White House\, and the tw o-term incumbent president is campaigning for a constitutionally dubious t hird term. After an outbreak at a campaign rally\, a mysterious new pandem ic of &ldquo\;weeping sickness&rdquo\; sweeps the nation\, threatening the president&rsquo\;s hold on the Oval Office. Desperate to retain power\, h e enlists the mystical pro wrestler Rasputin to help ensure his reelection and guarantee additional seasons of his presidential reality TV show\,&nb sp\;The Real West Wing. But as Rasputin&rsquo\;s appeal threatens to excee d the president&rsquo\;s\, and the wrestler&rsquo\;s supposedly supernatur al powers start to seem like the real thing\, the campaign finds itself tr apped in a spandex-clad destiny no number of executive orders can control\ , one in which both Clarence and Faith are compelled to play increasingly large parts. Hilarious\, compelling\, and tragically relevant\, \;Rasp utin Swims the Potomac \;is both an escape and a warning\, a scathing satire that explores the twists and turns of American democracy as it hurt les toward authoritarianism.
\nPaige Lewis is
the author of the poetry collection \;Space Struck \;and
the novel \;Canon. \;They teach at the University of Iowa
and \;coedited \;Another Last Call: Poems on Addiction and De
liverance \;along with Kaveh Akbar. \; \;
\;
In \;Canon\, two unlikely heroes embark on quests to win G
od&rsquo\;s favor in this outrageously entertaining\, profoundly heartfelt
novel. \;Yara \;can&rsquo\;t \;comprehend \;why God has c
hosen them to slay Dominic\, the ruthless leader of the army of Bad Guys.
Cast out by their family and reeling from a destructive relationship\, Yar
a reluctantly embarks on a perilous odyssey designed to prepare them for t
he daunting mission ahead. Meanwhile\, Adrena\, a disillusioned prophet wi
th a terrifying secret power\, is determined to become the hero of this st
ory. As their journeys unfold in a series of unforgettable adventures\, Ya
ra and Adrena are propelled toward each other and transformative revelatio
ns about life\, death\, and destiny in this intensely captivating\, irreve
rent epic. \;
ASL interpretation will be provided for all Six Bridges sessions held in CALS Ron Robinson Theater. ASL interpreta tion for sessions at other CALS locations and Six Bridges venues (includin g CALS Main Library) will be provided by request. To request ASL interpret ation\, please submit an ASL Interpretation Request form.
\nCALS will validate parking in the CALS Library Square surface lot and the CALS Parking Deck. The entrance to the surface lot is located on 2nd \;Stre et near River Market Ave. The entrance to the parking deck is located on R ock Street and can be accessed from President Clinton Ave. Street parking is also available throughout the River Market District (free after 6pm and on weekends).
\nhttps://centralarkansaslibrarysystemcals.libnet.info/e vent/17323794 URL;VALUE=URI:https://centralarkansaslibrarysystemcals.libnet.info/event/1 7323794 ATTACH:https://static.libnet.info/images/events/centralarkansaslibrarysyst emcals/CALS_6B_2026.png END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR