I will give a talk at Washburn Public Library on the evolution of my style from my first novel to my fourth, and on what I am attempting to accomplish as an artist.
I hope you can attend my talk Thursday, June 5, at 6:00, at Washburn Public Library on the evolution of my style from my first novel, Whiteout, to my (recently completed) fourth, Day Brings Back the Night and on what I am attempting to accomplish as an artist. I gave this talk on January 30th at Nokomis Public Library, and it received a very strong ovation from the audience. Jane Boss, the librarian who helped organize the event and attended it, liked it so much that she communicated with other librarians in Hennepin and Ramsey counties to relay her enthusiasm for it. All three of my published novels will be available at a special price. Attendees will have the opportunity to participate in a drawing, and the winner will receive a free copy of one of my novels.
Washburn Library is located at 5244 Lyndale Avenue S., Minneapolis, 55419
I will give a talk at Nokomis Public Library on the evolution of my style from my first novel to my fourth and on what I am attempting to accomplish as an artist.
I hope you can attend my talk Thursday, January 30, at 6:30, at Nokomis Public Library on the evolution of my style from my first novel, Whiteout, to my (recently completed) fourth, Day Brings Back the Night, and on what I am attempting to accomplish as an artist. All three of my published novels will be available at a special price. You will find below a link to the library’s event page here.
Thursday, January 16, at 6:30, I will participate in a reading, organized by Literary Locavore, at Nokomis Public Library. The library is located at 5100 34th Ave. S., Minneapolis.
I will join four other writers who are also participating in this event: Bill Burleson, Ed Sheehy, Steve Wilbers, and Vince Wyckoff. I will read a passage, featuring a scene in which the main character, Richard, still a young boy, is working in his father’s studio, where he learns to draw and paint. This is a blog entry, dealing with art and the novel, that I wrote for the website of Guernica Editions: “Why Did I Write IVORY BLACK? Brian Duren on art, exploring through writing, and anti-war activism.”
I will again participate in Rain Taxi’s Twin Cities Book Festival, from 10:00 to 5:00, on the Minnesota State Fairgrounds.
I will again have a table in the Progress Center of the Minnesota State Fairgrounds where I will sign copies of Whiteout, Ivory Black, and The Gravity of Love and discuss my work with readers. I hope you can join me. I look forward to talking with you about my work. The Progress Center is located at 1621 Randall Avenue, St. Paul 55108.
Book Signing at the 29th Annual Hackensack Art and Book Festival on Saturday, August 10.
I will be signing and selling copies of Whiteout, Ivory Black, and The Gravity of Love at the Hackensack Art and Book Festival from 9:00 to 3:00. The festival is at 3rd Street and Lake Avenue in Hackensack, MN. I hope to see you there.
Reading of the Gravity of Love and of the opening from my novel-in-progress, Day Brings Back the Night at the Barnes & Noble in Roseville at 7:00.
I will do a reading at 7:00, March 22, of The Gravity of Love and of the opening pages of my novel-in-progress, Day Brings Back the Night, at the Barnes & Noble located at HarMar Mall, 2100 Snelling Avenue, Roseville, MN 55113. The store will also have for sale copies of Ivory Black, my other novel published in 2023. I will arrive an hour before the reading to do signings of both books. I hope you can attend the reading and/or the signing. I look forward to talking with you about my work.
On September 12, Euan Kerr, of Minnesota Public Radio, interviewed me about my books, in particular The Gravity of Love and Ivory Black.
Monday, December 4, at 3:00 and 5:00, that interview aired on National Public Radio’s All Things Considered.
https://www.mprnews.org/story/2023/12/04/novelist-brian-durens-new-gravity
Signing of copies of Ivory Black and The Gravity of Love at Barnes & Noble at Greenway Lakes Commons, starting at 1:00.
At 1:00, I will begin signing copies of Ivory Black and The Gravity of Love and discussing my work with customers at the Barnes & Noble at Greenway Lakes Commons, located at 3216 W. Lake Street, Minneapolis, 55416. I will probably be at the store for about three hours. I hope to see you.
Reading of The Gravity of Love at Comma, a Bookshop, at 7:00 in Minneapolis.
I will read passages from The Gravity of Love at Comma, a Bookshop, located at 4250 Upton Ave. South, in the Linden Hills neighborhood of Minneapolis. Immediately following my reading, I will talk briefly about the evolution of my style from Whiteout and Ivory Black (which will also be available for purchase) to The Gravity of Love and Day Brings Back the Night, my novel-in-progress.
I will participate in RAINTAXI’s Twin Cities Book Festival, from 10:00 to 5:00, on the Minnesota State Fairgrounds.
I will have a table in the Progress Center of the Minnesota State Fairgrounds where I will sign copies of Whiteout, Ivory Black, and The Gravity of Love and discuss my work with visitors. The Progress Center is located at 1621 Randall Avenue, St. Paul 55108.
Reading of Ivory Black at Big Hill Books at 2:30.
Sunday, September 10, at 2:30, I will do a reading of Ivory Black at Big Hill Books, located at 405 Penn Ave. S., Minneapolis, 55405.
Reading of the The Gravity of Love at Subtext Books at 7:00.
I will do a reading hosted by Subtext Books, located at 6 W. 5th Street, St. Paul, 55102. After the reading, I will have a conversation about The Gravity of Love with playwright and novelist Rosanna Staffa.
Signing at The Bookstore at Fitger’s, Duluth, 12:00 – 2:00
I will be signing copies of Ivory Black, Whiteout, and The Gravity of Love at Fitger’s from 12:00 to 2:00. Fitger’s is located at 600 East Superior Street, right on Lake Superior.
NB: Shortly after the signing, a friend forwarded to me a copy of Fitger’s newsletter, in which the store manager, Jennifer Jubenville, made the following recommendation to customers:
If your book club is looking for a good book to “dissect” and discuss then we’ve got a great suggestion for you! Ivory Black by Brian Duren is a multi-layered novel that deals with grief and guilt in a complex and emotional way. It’s 2005 and Dick Rayburn returns home from four months in the hospital with injuries and a whole lot of pain—both physical and emotional. Their son Jamie is missing in Iraq, and Dick and Valerie are at each other’s throats. As they’re waiting for news, Dick’s memories are triggered by things around the house and he reflects on his transformation from a young artist, graduate student, and left-wing activist to the war profiteer that Valerie resents and blames for Jamie signing up for service. Dick returns to painting as a means to cope with what he saw in Falluja and the person he feels he has become over the years. He processes the horrors of war and yearns to feel something beyond the pain. It’s a story that gets under your skin and you find yourself thinking of it again and again.
Reading of The Gravity of Love at Magers & Quinn Booksellers at 7:00.
Wednesday, August 30, at 7:00, I will do a reading hosted by Magers & Quinn, located at 3038 Hennepin Avenue, Minneapolis, 55408. After the reading, I will have a conversation about The Gravity of Love with Cary Griffith, award-winning author of Cougar Claw and Killing Monarchs.
Reading of Ivory Black at Comma, a bookshop, at 7:00, in Minneapolis.
Wednesday, July 12, at 7:00, I will do a reading hosted by Comma, a bookshop, located in Linden Hills. The event will take place in the nearby Bremer Bank Community Space, located at 4278 Sheridan Ave. S., Minneapolis. After the reading, I will have a conversation about Ivory Black with Cary Griffith, award-winning author of Cougar Claw and Killing Monarchs.
Reading of Ivory Black at 2:00, at Eat My Words Books, in Northeast Minneapolis
Sunday, June 11, I will do a reading at 2:00 at Eat My Words Books. Eat My Words is located at 214 13th Ave. N.E., Minneapolis, less than a mile from the California Building.
Reading of Ivory Black at 1:00, at the California Building, in Northeast Minneapolis
Saturday, June 10, I will do a reading at 1:00 at the California Building, located at 2205 California Street N.E., in Minneapolis. The event will take place in the ON2 Gallery, on the second floor. This event is scheduled on the Second Saturday Open Studio Day, when the studios of the nearly 100 artists in the building are open to art lovers and prospective clients.
Reading of Ivory Black at 7:00, at Subtext Books in downtown St. Paul.
Tuesday, June 6, I will do a reading of Ivory Black at 7:00, at Subtext Books, located at 6 West 5th Street, in downtown St. Paul, a few blocks from Lowertown. I will discuss the book with surrealistic painter, Nancy Robinson.
Reading of Ivory Black at Guernica Editions’ Launch ceremony in Toronto, Canada
I will participate, along with seven other Guernica authors, in the Launch ceremony at 3:30 PM, on Sunday, May 28, 2023, at the Supermarket, an arts venue located at 268 Augusta Avenue, Toronto, Ontario.