AMERICAN SPIRITS | A Busboys and Poets Books Presentation

Thirty-eight-year-old Blue Velour has finally achieved the critical acclaim she's long been chasing. Over the last decade, she's released six studio albums to mixed reviews, landing her somewhere between performance artist and niche legend. But her latest album, Blue's Beard--a cheeky reference to the subreddit fanatically dedicated to her suspected secret relationship with longtime producer Sasha Harlow--has rocket-launched her reputation. Blue hires nerdy superfan Rose Lutz as her assistant to handle the pressures of the upcoming tour.

When the pandemic shuts down the tour, however, Blue decides to hole up in the redwoods with Sasha to make another album. An aspiring singer herself, Rose is frothing at the mouth to be isolated in a cabin with these two legends, but what begins as a creative retreat spirals into a flurry of chaos and betrayal--culminating in a tragic act that changes their lives forever.

Smart, entertaining, and edgy, American Spirits is a compelling exploration of the dark side of fame.

Anna Dorn is joining us on the Busboys stage to share more about the inspiration for this novel and its “profound understanding of the relationship between an artist and her work” (Kirkus Reviews). Copies of the book will be available for purchase during and after the event, and Dorn will be signing following the program.

This event is free and open to all. Our program begins at 6:00 pm, and will be followed by an audience Q&A. Copies of AMERICAN SPIRITS will be available for purchase before and after the event. Please note that this event is in person. 

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Anna Dorn is the author of the novels Perfume and Pain, Exalted, Vagablonde, and American Spirits. She was a Lambda Literary Fellow and Exalted was a finalist for the Los Angeles Times Book Prize. She lives in Los Angeles.

BOOK DETAILS

American Spirits

By Anna Dorn

April 14, 2026 | Hardcover, 352 pages, $29

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