An Evening with Scott Simon - Ulysses S. Cat and Other Animals I Have Known

Please join us for a very special evening with Scott Simon - the host of NPR’s Weekend Edition Saturday - when he comes to Octavia Books to present his new book, . He will appear live and in conversation with actor and author Bryan Batt.

Tickets are required for admission and include a copy of to be signed by Scott Simon following his presentation.

Octavia Books invited WWNO (NPR affiliate) to partner with us. In addition to purchasing your ticket, please use the link provided to make a $100 or more donation the the radio station and join us for a Meet & Greet reception just prior to the event.

Scott Simon’s household does not make much distinction between humans and other animals. Whether two-legged or four-, flesh-covered, fur-covered, feathered, or gilled—everyone is family. Today, Simon lives with the haiku-writing and absolument charmant French poodle Daisy and the daringly audacious foster cat Gato Blanco. But that’s just the start.

In Ulysses S. Cat and Other Animals I Have Known, Simon warmly philosophizes on the unforgettable and utterly ordinary moments between species, along with their joys, worries, love, and humor. Depicting a lifetime of remarkable, enduring relationships with pets, Simon explores the difficulty of expressing the strong ties we feel: a kinship between humans and animals that’s more familial than “owner,” and more mutual than “caregiver” or “guardian.”

Paired with the charming, whimsical illustrations of renowned New Yorker cartoonist Liana Finck, Simon reflects on how pets unlock our hearts and burrow into our lives beginning with his family’s dog guiding his first steps. From a cat who escaped the British Embassy (Simon had to promise to raise her as British) and street dogs during Sarajevo’s siege to a series of beta fish all named Salman Fishdie and an energetic, cage-escaping hamster Bagel, he reveals how our animals change not just our lives but how we see the world. Enchanting and thoughtful, Ulysses S. Cat is a profusion of exuberant memories and musings on a life spent in animal company.

Scott Simon hosts NPR’s Weekend Edition Saturday and Up First, and is special contributor to CBS News Sunday Morning. A winner of Emmy and Peabody Awards, he is in the Radio Hall of Fame and the Illinois Lincoln Academy. He lives in Washington, DC, with his wife and two daughters.

Bryan Batt is an actor and the author of 3 books: She Ain’t Heavy, She’s My Mother; Big Easy Style; and Pontchartrain Beach: A Family Affair. Most known as “Salvatore Romano” on the iconic TV series Mad Men. His Broadway performances include: Sunset Blvd. Saturday Night Fever, La Cage Aux Folles, Cats, Joseph… Dreamcoat, Starlight Express, The Scarlet Pimpernel, Seussical, and Beauty and the Best.

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