2023 Malibu Library Speaker Series Continues with Bestselling Science and Nature Author David Quammen
The 2023 Malibu Library Speaker Series continues Wednesday, October 18 with bestselling science and nature author David Quammen, whose book “Breathless” tells the story of the worldwide scientific race to understand and find a vaccine for the virus behind COVID-19.
The free event takes place at 7:00 PM at Malibu City Hall’s Civic Theater.
“COVID-19 has been a catastrophic event that impacted the world and all of our lives, and the story of the pandemic and the race to find a life-saving vaccine is a big chapter in modern history,” said Mayor Steve Uhring. “The Malibu Library Speaker Series continues to offer Malibu the opportunity to enjoy live events that educate, inspire and entertain, so I hope you will join us.”
In his presentation, “Dangerous Creatures: From the Covid Virus to the Serengeti Lion,” Quammen will discuss his book “Breathless,” a finalist for the National Book Award. “Breathless” analyzes the SARs-CoV-2 virus and the pandemic as seen by the scientists who study its origin and its ever-changing, deadly nature. Quammen expertly shows how strange new viruses emerge from animals into humans as we disrupt wild ecosystems and how those viruses adapt to their human hosts, sometimes causing global catastrophe.
He explains why this coronavirus will probably be a “forever virus,” destined to circulate among humans and bedevil us endlessly, in one variant form or another.
Quammen’s other books include “The Tangled Tree,” “The Song of the Dodo,” “The Reluctant Mr. Darwin,” and “Spillover,” a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award and recipient of the Premio Letterario Merck, in Rome. He has written for The New Yorker, Harper’s Magazine, The Atlantic, National Geographic, and Outside, among other magazines, and is a three-time winner of the National Magazine Award.
About the Series
Launched in 2013, the Malibu Library Speaker Series is a program in partnership with the Malibu Library, part of LA County Library, and the City of Malibu. It features experts, authors, and other notable figures discussing various subjects, including the entertainment industry, literature, science, motivation, the arts, education, sports, travel, food, and the environment.
The free event includes a reception with a Q&A. Space is limited, and RSVPs are required. Malibu City Hall is located at 23825 Stuart Ranch Road. For more information or to RSVP, visit the Speaker Series webpage or call the Malibu Library at 310-456-6438.