• Poetry & Literature

    Doug Dorst - Alive in Necropolis: A Novel

    Doug Dorst - Alive in Necropolis: A Novel

    Kepler's Bookstore

    August 6, 2008

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    A fresh, imaginative debut novel about a young police officer in northern California struggling to keep the peace—and maintain a grip on reality—in a town where the dead outnumber the living.

    Colma, California, is the only incorporated city in America where the dead outnumber the living. The longtime cemetery for San Francisco, it is the resting place of the likes of Joe DiMaggio, Wyatt Earp, and aviation pioneer Lincoln Beachey. It is also the home of Michael Mercer, a rookie cop trying to go by the book as he struggles to navigate a new realm of grownup relationships.

    But instead of settling comfortably into adult life, Mercer becomes obsessed with the mysterious fate of his predecessor in the police unit, Sergeant Featherstone, who seems to have become confused about whether he was policing the living or the dead. And as Mercer delves deeper into Featherstone’s story, it appears that Mercer’s own sanity is beginning to slip—either that, or Colma’s more famous residents are not resting in peace as they should be.

    With all the playful sensitivity of Haruki Murakami and the haunted atmosphere of Paul Auster, but with a voice all his own, Doug Dorst has crafted an irresistible, compelling debut.

    A former Wallace Stegner Fellow at Stanford University and a graduate of the Iowa Writers’ Workshop, Durst has also received fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts, the James Michener/Copernicus Society and the MacDowell Colony.

    • Ticket Info

      Tickets: Free

      Info Phone: 650-324-4321

    • Dates & Times

      Dates:
      August 6, 2008

      Times:
      7:30pm

    • Venue Info

      Kepler's Books

      1010 El Camino Real Menlo Park, CA 94025

      Full map and directions

    • Parking Info

      Free underground and nearby street parking.

    • Accessibility Info
      • Wheelchair Access

    • NOTE: We do our best to ensure all information is accurate, however it's a good idea to visit the website or call the venue to verify the information.