Los Angeles Book Club: How to Survive a Summer

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PEN America and The Edison hope to see you at our August Book Club to discuss How to Survive a Summer by Nick White. Hosted by YA author Amy Spalding.

Free and open to all, both PEN America Members and non-Members. Specialty cocktails will be offered all night, and happy hour prices are available.

“Call it a psychological thriller or a deeply felt chronicle of childhood trauma or a bold query into an identity crisis. No matter how you categorize the novel, How to Survive a Summer is a winning debut, and Nick White is a powerful, fearless, cerebral writer.” —Benjamin Percy, author of The Dead Lands

Members of the Book Club receive a 15 percent discount when purchasing the current book club title at The Last Bookstore. For more information, email [email protected].

A native of Mississippi, Nick White is the author of the novel How to Survive a Summer (Blue Rider/Penguin, 2017). He is an assistant professor of English at The Ohio State University’s MFA Program in Creative Writing. His short stories, poems, and essays have appeared in a variety of places, including The Kenyon Review, Guernica, The Hopkins Review, Indiana Review, The Literary Review, Lit Hub, and elsewhere. His short story collection, Sweet & Low, was published this year by Blue Rider/Penguin.

Amy Spalding grew up in St. Louis, but now lives in the better weather of Los Angeles. She has a B.A. in advertising and marketing communications from Webster University, and an M.A. in media studies from The New School. Amy studied long-form improv at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre. By day, she manages the digital media team for an indie film advertising agency. By later day and night, Amy writes, performs, and pets as many cats as she can. She is the author of five young adult novels, including her latest, the best-selling The Summer of Jordi Perez (and the Best Burger in Los Angeles).