Join us for an afternoon with Sarah Stark, author of the novel Out There. Sarah will give a reading, answer questions, and sign copies of the book.

Out There is the story of a young Army veteran of Native descent (Jefferson Long Soldier) who returns home safely to New Mexico after two tours of duty in Iraq convinced that the book he carried with him (One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel García Márquez) saved his life. But when he can’t get the medical care he needs to heal from the dark memories of war, he borrows his cousin’s motorcycle and rides south across the border to Mexico in search of the famous writer behind the magic of the life- saving classic novel. Humorous, redemptive, and awash in magical realism, Out There exalts the process of healing, the power of literature and the very real possibility of hope and love emerging from tragedy. It is also a beautiful homage to García Márquez, who recently passed away at the age of 87.

Sarah Stark grew up in the Austin, Texas area among readers and teachers and football enthusiasts. After graduating cum laude with a B.A. in Foreign Service from Baylor University, she earned an M.A. in Foreign Affairs from the University of Virginia. Afterwards she worked as a foreign policy analyst in Washington, D.C., writing about international security issues, including nuclear nonproliferation and peacekeeping. For the last fourteen years Sarah has made her home in Santa Fe, New Mexico, where she currently teaches literature and creative writing at the Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA).