Tickets

Renowned Writer Ta-Nehisi Coates to Visit Des Moines — On tour to discuss his newest book, The Message.

Beaverdale Books will host writer Ta-Nehisi Coates at a ticketed event at 6:30 p.m. on Monday, October 14 at Franklin Event Center. He will be joined in conversation by Rekha Basu and there will be a special poetry reading by Iowa City poet, Caleb “The Negro Artist” Rainey.

In his new book, The Message, the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Between the World and Me journeys to three resonant sites of conflict to explore how the stories we tell–and the ones we don’t–shape our realities.

Ta-Nehisi Coates originally set out to write a book about writing, in the tradition of Orwell’s classic “Politics and the English Language,” but found himself grappling with deeper questions about how our stories–our reporting and imaginative narratives and mythmaking–expose and distort our realities.

In the first of the book’s three intertwining essays, Coates, on his first trip to Africa, finds himself in two places at once: in Dakar, a modern city in Senegal, and in a mythic kingdom in his mind. Then he takes readers along with him to Columbia, South Carolina, where he reports on his own book’s banning, but also explores the larger backlash to the nation’s recent reckoning with history and the deeply rooted American mythology so visible in that city–a capital of the Confederacy with statues of segregationists looming over its public squares. Finally, in the book’s longest section, Coates travels to Palestine, where he sees with devastating clarity how easily we are misled by nationalist narratives, and the tragedy that lies in the clash between the stories we tell and the reality of life on the ground.

Written at a dramatic moment in American and global life, this work from one of the country’s most important writers is about the urgent need to untangle ourselves from the destructive myths that shape our world–and our own souls–and embrace the liberating power of even the most difficult truths.

• Doors will open to ticket holders at 5:30 p.m.
• Seating is first come, first served.
• Tickets are $40 per person, plus service fees.
• Each ticket holder will receive a copy of his new book, The Message.
• There will not be a book signing following the program.
• Free parking is available in the lots north, west, and south of the building.
• The program will be held at Franklin Event Center located at 4801 Franklin Avenue in Des Moines.
• The northeast entrance has a ramp for wheelchair access.
• Copies of Coates’ other books will be available for purchase.
• All bags, backpacks, briefcases, etc. entering and exiting the event will be subject to inspection by security personnel. No large bags.

Ta-Nehisi Coates is an American author, journalist, and comic book writer. He gained a wide readership during his time as national correspondent at The Atlantic, where he wrote about cultural, social, and political issues, particularly regarding African Americans and white supremacy. Coates is known for his essays and journalism exploring contemporary race relations in the United States, most notably in his book Between the World and Me, which won the National Book Award for nonfiction.

This event will be moderated by Rekha Basu, a retired opinion columnist for The Des Moines Register. She is the author of Finding Her Voice, a compilation of her Register columns on women. Basu has an MS in journalism from Columbia University, an MA in political economy from Goddard-Cambridge Graduate School, a BA in sociology from Brandeis University and an honorary doctorate of humane letters from Grinnell College.

Caleb “The Negro Artist” Rainey is an author, performer, and producer. He hails from Columbia, Missouri, and holds a B.A. in English (Creative Writing) from the University of Iowa. His debut book, Look, Black Boy, became Amazon’s #1 new release in African American poetry, and was awarded first prize in the North Street Book Prize. His second book, Heart Notes, was published in 2019 and was featured on Iowa Public Radio.