Benefit/reading Monday for local writer Sarah Alisabeth Fox

(“Trailer” for Sarah A. Fox’s book “Downwind“)
Next Monday at 7 pm at Skylark in North Delridge, it’s your chance to support a local writer whose decade of work has finally culminated in a book. Here’s the announcement:

Local historian and author Sarah Alisabeth Fox is asking for your help. Her recently ­published book, “Downwind: A People’s History of the Nuclear West,” is the culmination of a ten-year research project, yet some of the most important work­ spreading the word about the book­ still remains.

As a first­-time author published through a university press, she received no advance and no institutional support for a book tour. Royalties are 1% (15% for ebooks), paid out once a year. All book events and travel expenses come out of Sarah’s personal funds, and she must often take time off work to commit to these events.

“Downwind” explores the human and environmental cost of nuclear testing and uranium extraction in the American West through the stories of “downwinders,” the residents of the Great Basin region affected by radiological pollution.

Ahead, the announcement continues with more about the book and how you can help at Monday’s event:

These citizens tell of insidious food and water contamination, communities ravaged by cancer epidemics, farmers and ranchers economically ruined by crop failures and massive livestock die­offs, and miners working in dangerous conditions without proper safety equipment while the government surreptitiously studied the effects of radiation on humans.

In chilling detail Downwind brings to light the experiences and concerns of groups whose voices have been silenced and marginalized for decades in the name of patriotism and national security, tracing the evolution of a citizen activist movement that eventually challenged the federal government and powerful military and energy industries.

With the renewed boom in mining in the American West, Fox’s look at this hidden history, unearthed from years of field interviews, archival research, and epidemiological studies, is a must-­read for every American concerned about the fate of our western lands and communities.

We invite the Seattle community to join us on Monday, December 15th at 7 pm at the Skylark in West Seattle for a reading and Q&A with Sarah, appetizers, and a silent auction and dessert grab featuring special flavors by Full Tilt Ice Cream. Tickets are $20 each and are available through Eventbrite. Signed copies of the book are available for an additional cost. The Skylark is located at 3803 Delridge Way SW.

Advance tickets are available online, or you can buy yours at the door Monday.

1 Reply to "Benefit/reading Monday for local writer Sarah Alisabeth Fox"

  • G December 13, 2014 (4:55 pm)

    Wow, that’s a lot of perseverance and hard work. There are similar rumors about high incidences of cancer in places such as Hermiston, OR across the Columbia River and downwind from Hanford.

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