Olympia Reads Comics Together

The Olympia Timberland Library, in collaboration with the Olympia Comics Festival, presents its first annual “Olympia Reads Comics Together” book discussion. After a short talk, some music, and a bit of readers’ theater, festival guests of honor, David Lasky and Frank M. Young, will lead a conversation on their multiple award-nominated graphic novel, “The Carter Family: Don’t Forget This Song.” The event is on Friday, June 7 from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at the library.

Carol Lay, the festival’s third guest of honor, will talk for a few minutes at the beginning of the evening. Her website is www.carollay.com. Special musical guests, Skrill Meadow (Markly Morrison), 1985 and Vince Brown/Monica Peabody, will perform Carter Family music. More information about the music is at http://cartertributetape.bandcamp.com.

Lasky, Young and others will perform a readers’ theater-style reading of one of the chapters in The Carter Family, and then facilitate a discussion of the book. The Friends of the Olympia Timberland Library will provide snacks and beverages.

The Carter Family is the story of Virginia’s seminal country music family who made hundreds of recordings and sold millions of records between 1927 and 1944. It reveals the family’s rise to success, their struggles, their impact on contemporary music and the enduring power of music and love. The novel is nominated for two Eisner awards, a Slate Cartoonist Studio Prize and a Golden Toonie. The book includes a music CD of Carter Family radio recordings. More information is at http://carterfamilycomix.blogspot.com.

Born in the Deep South, Young is a writer, editor and former managing editor of Comics Journal who has contributed to newspapers and magazines across the country. Lasky, originally from Virginia, has written and illustrated a number of acclaimed comic books. Both live in Seattle.

The Olympia Timberland Library has helped with the Olympia Comics Festival event for six years and plans to make a related book discussion an annual tradition. The festival website ishttp://olympiacomicsfestival.org. The library is at 313 8th Ave. For more information, contact the library at (360) 352-0595 or visit www.TRL.org.