Ordinary, working-class people are at the heart of Willy Vlautin’s novels. The plainspoken, honest storytelling about how poverty, abuse, alcohol and bad luck shape lives is unsentimental but always hopeful.
The Cannon Beach Library welcomes award-winning author and musician Willy Vlautin at 2 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 11. Vlautin will discuss his latest novel, “The Night Always Comes,” and he also will play original tunes that accompany his works. The presentation is part of the library’s NW Authors Series.
This is a hybrid event; attend the talk at the library on the day of the event or watch online:
www.cannonbeachlibrary.org. Come early for the best seats.
Telling the stories of America’s unsung working class, Vlautin’s novels have been described as brave, scorching and remarkable.
Vlautin started writing stories and songs at the age of 11 after receiving his first guitar. 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 novels and songs.
Vlautin is the founder of the bands Richmond Fontaine and The Delines. He wrote six novels: “The Motel Life,” “Northline,” “Lean on Pete,” “The Free,”
“Don’t Skip Out On Me” and “The Night Always Comes.”
Vlautin received three Oregon Book Awards and The Nevada Silver Pen Award, and he was inducted into the Nevada Writers Hall of Fame and the Oregon Music Hall of Fame.
His novels were translated into 11 languages, and two novels were adapted as major motion pictures.
Vlautin teaches writing at Pacific University and lives near Portland.
