A Night with Willy Vlautin

Please join us and Washoe County Libraries for a night with songwriter and novelist Willy Vlautin. Born and raised in Reno, Nevada, Vlautin is the author of seven novels and founder of the bands Richmond Fontaine and The Delines. Inspired by songwriters and novelists Paul Kelly, Willie Nelson, Tom Waits, William Kennedy, Raymond Carver, and John Steinbeck, Vlautin works diligently to tell working-class stories.

In his latest release, The Horse, Vlautin explores loneliness, art, regret, and hard-won empathy in this poignant novel that captures the life of a journeyman musician unable to escape the tragedies of his past. It is the story of Al Ward, who lives on an isolated mining claim in the high desert of central Nevada fifty miles from the nearest town. A grizzled man in his sixties, he survives on canned soup, instant coffee, and memories of his ex-wife, friends and family he’s lost, and his life as a touring musician. Hampered by insomnia, bouts of anxiety, and a chronic lethargy that keeps him from moving back to town, Al finds himself teetering on the edge of madness and running out of reasons to go on—until a horse arrives on his doorstep: nameless, blind, and utterly helpless.

Doors open at 6pm with a reception and book signing until 6:30pm. Reading, Q&A, and live musical performance to follow.