Meet author Tim DeRoche and illustrator Daniel Gonzalez.
An American classic becomes a modern adventure. In this retelling of Mark Twain’s The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Tim DeRoche dares to imagine that Huck Finn is alive today. Chased by his vengeful and psychotic father, Pap, Huck escapes down the concrete gash that is the Los Angeles River with his friend Miguel, a migrant who has been falsely accused of murder. Riding the dangerous waters of a rainstorm, the two fugitives meet a strange cast of Angelenos both animal and human who live down by the river. And they learn the true value of love and loyalty. The Ballad of Huck & Miguel is not only a thrilling urban adventure, but also an inspired tribute to one of the most beloved novels ever written.
Max Borenstein, screenwriter of Kong: Skull Island and Godzilla says: The Ballad of Huck and Miguel breathes new life into Mark Twain’s most enduring and iconic character, setting the inimitable and indomitable Huck Finn loose in modern Los Angeles on an adventure every bit as thrilling, provocative, humane, and laugh out loud funny as the original. DeRoche channels Twain’s winking, laconic prose with effortless aplomb, but it’s what’s new about this timeless tale that makes it such an urgent and worthwhile read. DeRoche imagines the Los Angeles River as a dark, magical underworld inhabited by all sorts of extraordinary beasts and characters – a place where anything can happen. Above all this is a story about America through the eyes of an outsider and an immigrant. In short, through the eyes of those Real Americans too often and too easily overlooked. The text is illustrated with woodcuts by Daniel Gonzalez, who finds beauty and hope in the darkest, dingiest corners of the American dream. Together, DeRoche and Gonzalez have crafted a tour-de-force that captures the feral, beating heart of a mythical Los Angeles where Twain himself would certainly have felt at home.
Sponsored by the Friends of the Library. The lecture is part of "(in)visible: Negotiating the US-Mexico Border" @ ReflectSpace, an exhibition that explores physical, emotional and socioeconomic narratives across the US-Mexico border. <Read More>
Copies of The Ballad of Huck & Miguel will be on sale (cash, check, credit). Please use Eventbrite.com to RSVP for the event and help the Friends of the Library determine the number of books to bring for sales and autographs. Search Tim DeRoche Friends of the Library.
Visitors receive 3 hours FREE parking across Harvard Street at the Marketplace parking structure with validation at the service desk. Handicapped parking is available on the east side of the building. Short term parking spaces are available on the east and south sides of the building. Metered parking is available on Harvard Street and on the west side of the building in Lot #10.
