An Evening with Susan Orlean

Schedule

Fri Dec 12 2025 at 07:00 pm to 08:00 pm

UTC-05:00

Location

Books & Books | Coral Gables, FL

Advertisement
New Yorker staff writer Susan Orlean joins us for her highly-anticipated new memoir JOYRIDE
About this Event

The Books & Books Literary Foundation is proud to present an evening with Susan Orlean discussing Joyride: A Memoir (Avid Reader Press/Simon & Schuster, $32).

“For anyone who’s asked—and haven’t we all—‘How does she write like that?,’ this wise and exuberant book is the answer. It’s funny, as well. Just masterful.”—David Sedaris


🎟️Please note:

  • The 1 Guest + 1 Book ticket ($32 + tax) includes admission for ONE (1) guest and ONE (1) copy of JOYRIDE upon entry.
  • The 2 Guests + 1 Book ticket ($37+ tax) includes admission for TWO (2) guests and ONE (1) copy of JOYRIDE upon entry.

*Tickets are NON-REFUNDABLE. Please email [email protected] with any questions.


Can't make the event?



About the Book:

From the beloved New Yorker writer Susan Orlean, New York Times bestselling author of The Orchid Thief and The Library Book and hailed as “a national treasure” by The Washington Post, Joyride is a masterful memoir of finding her creative calling and purpose that invites us to approach life with wonder, curiosity, and an irrepressible sense of delight.

“The story of my life is the story of my stories,” writes Susan Orlean in this extraordinary, era-defining memoir from one of the greatest practitioners of narrative nonfiction of our time. Joyride is a magic carpet ride through Orlean’s life and career, where every day is an opportunity for discovery and every moment holds the potential for wonder. Throughout her storied career, her curiosity draws her to explore the most ordinary and extraordinary of places, from going deep inside the head of a regular ten-year-old boy for a legendary profile (“The American Man Age Ten”) to reporting on a woman who owns twenty-seven tigers, from capturing the routine magic of Saturday night to climbing Mt. Fuji.

Not only does Orlean’s account of a writing life offer a trove of indispensable gleanings for writers, it’s also an essential and practical guide to embracing any creative path. She takes us through her process of dreaming up ideas, managing deadlines, connecting with sources, chasing every possible lead, confronting writer’s block and self-doubt, and crafting the perfect lede—a Susan specialty.

While Orlean has always written her way into other people’s lives in order to understand the human experience, Joyride is her most personal book ever—a searching journey through finding her feet as a journalist, recovering from the excruciating collapse of her first marriage, falling head-over-heels in love again, becoming a mother while mourning the decline of her own mother, sojourning to Hollywood for films based on her work including Adaptation and Blue Crush, and confronting mortality. Joyride is also a time machine to a bygone era of journalism, from Orlean’s bright start in the golden age of alt-weeklies to her career-making days working alongside icons such as Robert Gottlieb, Tina Brown, David Remnick, Anna Wintour, Sonny Mehta, and Jonathan Karp—forces who shaped the media industry as we know it today.

Infused with Orlean’s signature warmth and wit, Joyride is a must-read for anyone who hungers to start, build, and sustain a creative life. Orlean inspires us to seek out daily inspiration and rediscover the marvels that surround us.



About the Author:

Susan Orlean has been a staff writer at The New Yorker since 1992. She is the New York Times bestselling author of seven books, including The Library Book, Rin Tin Tin, Saturday Night, and The Orchid Thief, which was made into the Academy Award–winning film Adaptation. She lives with her family and her animals in Los Angeles and may be reached at SusanOrlean.com and on Substack at SusanOrlean.Substack.com.


Event Photos
Event Photos
Advertisement

Where is it happening?

Books & Books, 265 Aragon Avenue, Coral Gables, United States

Event Location & Nearby Stays:

Tickets

USD 6.68 to USD 42.63

Books & Books

Host or Publisher Books & Books

It's more fun with friends. Share with friends

Discover More Events in Coral Gables

Parking Louisiana Monroe Warhawks at Miami Hurricanes Mens Basketball
Sat, 13 Dec at 08:30 am Parking Louisiana Monroe Warhawks at Miami Hurricanes Mens Basketball

Watsco Center

TRIPS-ADVENTURES
5k Beer Run x Bay 13 | 2025 Florida Brewery Running Series
Sat, 13 Dec at 10:00 am 5k Beer Run x Bay 13 | 2025 Florida Brewery Running Series

Bay 13 Brewery and Kitchen

WORKSHOPS MUSIC
Averly Morillo - Le\u00f1a Nueva Tour
Sat, 13 Dec at 08:00 pm Averly Morillo - Leña Nueva Tour

James L. Knight Center

CONCERTS MUSIC
NC State Wolfpack at Miami Hurricanes Womens Basketball
Sun, 14 Dec at 08:30 am NC State Wolfpack at Miami Hurricanes Womens Basketball

Watsco Center

TRIPS-ADVENTURES
Parking NC State Wolfpack at Miami Hurricanes Womens Basketball
Sun, 14 Dec at 08:30 am Parking NC State Wolfpack at Miami Hurricanes Womens Basketball

Watsco Center

TRIPS-ADVENTURES
TRIVIA NIGHT IN CORAL GABLES!
Tue, 08 Apr at 09:00 pm TRIVIA NIGHT IN CORAL GABLES!

Books & Books

CONTESTS TRIPS-ADVENTURES
An Afternoon with Larry Little and Joe Zagorski
Tue, 07 Oct at 05:30 pm An Afternoon with Larry Little and Joe Zagorski

Books & Books

SPORTS ART
An Evening with Elena Sheppard
Tue, 07 Oct at 07:00 pm An Evening with Elena Sheppard

Books & Books

ART LITERARY-ART
An Evening with John U. Bacon
Wed, 08 Oct at 07:00 pm An Evening with John U. Bacon

Books & Books

ART LITERARY-ART
WAR GAMES | An Evening with Alan Gratz
Wed, 08 Oct at 07:00 pm WAR GAMES | An Evening with Alan Gratz

Coral Gables Congregational United Church of Christ

ART LITERARY-ART
An Evening with Daniel Rivero
Thu, 09 Oct at 07:00 pm An Evening with Daniel Rivero

Books & Books

ART LITERARY-ART
An Evening with Adam Johnson, Pulitzer Prize-Winner
Fri, 10 Oct at 07:00 pm An Evening with Adam Johnson, Pulitzer Prize-Winner

Books & Books

ART LITERARY-ART
En Espa\u00f1ol: Una tarde con Wendy Guerra
Sat, 11 Oct at 05:00 pm En Español: Una tarde con Wendy Guerra

Books & Books

ART THEATRE
An Afternoon with Mya Guarnieri and Ilene Prusher
Sun, 12 Oct at 05:00 pm An Afternoon with Mya Guarnieri and Ilene Prusher

Books & Books in Coral Gables

ART LITERARY-ART
Clayre Benzad\u00f3n, Mia Leonin, Jarrett Moseley, & Caridad Moro-Gronlier
Sun, 12 Oct at 07:00 pm Clayre Benzadón, Mia Leonin, Jarrett Moseley, & Caridad Moro-Gronlier

Books & Books

ART LITERARY-ART
An Evening with Jeff Weiss and Alfred Soto
Tue, 14 Oct at 07:00 pm An Evening with Jeff Weiss and Alfred Soto

Books & Books

ART LITERARY-ART
An Evening with Daniel Kehlmann
Wed, 15 Oct at 07:00 pm An Evening with Daniel Kehlmann

Books & Books

ART LITERARY-ART
An Evening with Seth Neblett
Thu, 16 Oct at 07:00 pm An Evening with Seth Neblett

Books & Books

ENTERTAINMENT MUSIC
An Evening with Katie Simon
Fri, 17 Oct at 07:00 pm An Evening with Katie Simon

Books & Books in Coral Gables

HEALTH-WELLNESS ART
En Espa\u00f1ol: Una tarde con Valeria Hinojosa
Sat, 18 Oct at 05:00 pm En Español: Una tarde con Valeria Hinojosa

Books & Books

HEALTH-WELLNESS

What's Happening Next in Coral Gables?

Discover Coral Gables Events