In partnership with Eagle Harbor Books, BIMA celebrates the latest publications of acclaimed writers Sasha LaPointe and Tayi Tibble in a reading with audience Q&A moderated by island writer B.L. Crook.

Sasha LaPointe, winner of the 2023 Pacific Northwest Book Award for her memoir, Red Paint, will read from Thunder Song, a new collection of essays that navigate the complexities of indigenous identity, challenge stereotypes, and address cultural displacement and environmental concerns. Unapologetically punk, the essays in Thunder Song segue from the miraculous to the mundane, from the spiritual to the physical, as they examine the role of art and community in helping a new generation of indigenous people claim the strength of their heritage while defining their own path in the contemporary world.

Māori poet Tayi Tibble, deemed “one of the most startling and original poets of her generation” by Joy Harjo, will present her second book of poetry, Rangikura.

Although they grew up on opposite sides of the globe, both writers touch on themes of cultural identity, generational trauma, urban and pop culture from Twilight to Twin Peaks, rewritten mythologies, gender, and how art, community, and nature can help us heal.

Both authors will host a book-signing during the reception in BIMA Bistro that follows this event. Books will be available for sale, courtesy of Eagle Harbor Books.