Thursday, August 31st: 7pm at Bent Northrop Memorial Library

Join us as local author, Tyrone Shaw of Bakersfield, discusses his recently published non-fiction book "Bastard Republic: Encounters Along the Tattered Edge of Fallen Empire".

Bastard Republic takes us inside two of the defining developments of the 20th century--the collapse of communism in Europe and the implosion of the Soviet Union. Through a compelling mix of memoir, reportage, history and travel writing, this collection of immersion essays accomplishes what facts alone cannot by drawing us into the lives of people propelled towards a future of sudden, rough transformation. Shaw probes recent history through their voices as they struggle for identity and equilibrium amidst revolution and massive social upheaval.