Last month, author Laurie Halse Anderson set out on tour in celebration of her new YA book, Shout (Viking), a memoir in verse about surviving sexual assault. This year also marks the 20th anniversary of Anderson’s groundbreaking teen novel, Speak, which addresses similar themes. The events culminated in an event on April 13 at the Los Angeles Times Book Festival with Roxane Gay. We’ve gathered a selection of highlights from the tour.
Jason Reynolds and Laurie Halse Anderson at the Virginia Festival of the Book in Charlottesville, during a panel titled “Writing Tough Topics.” Photo: Peter Hedlund, Virginia Humanities.
Sabaa Tahir, author of the An Ember in the Ashes series, joined Anderson at Cowell Ranch Hay Barn in Santa Cruz for an event hosted by Bookshop Santa Cruz.
Following the attacks on Muslims in Christchurch, New Zealand, Anderson requested that booksellers provide books by Muslim authors at her tour events.
Boulder Bookstore hosted Anderson and Evette Dionne, editor-in-chief of Bitch Media, at the Boulder Public Library in Denver.
(From l.): Robin Acarian of the Los Angeles Times moderated a discussion with Roxane Gay and Anderson at the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books.
At the Houston Teen BookCon with Angie Thomas, author of The Hate U Give and On the Come Up; the event was hosted by Blue Willow Bookshop.
Anderson signs her tour poster at Fairfield University Bookstore in Fairfield, Conn.
The author stopped by Barnes & Noble in Tulsa.
In conversation with Meg Wolitzer (co-author of To Night Owl, from Dogfish) at Fairfield University Bookstore.
When the signing at Brattle Theatre in Cambridge, Mass., ran past closing, fans followed Anderson to the nearby Harvard Book Store.
Anderson and author Jandy Nelson at Kepler’s Books in Menlo Park, Calif.
A reading at Joseph-Beth Booksellers in Cincinnati.
Anderson and moderator Jessica Strawser, editor at large of Writer’s Digest, at Joseph-Beth.
In conversation with author and lawyer Jill Filipovic at George Washington University in Washington, D.C., during an event hosted by Politics & Prose.
Anderson and author/actor Mara Wilson appeared at Housing Works Bookstore in New York City, in an event co-hosted by WORD Bookstore.
Central Presbyterian Church in Austin welcomed the author and Wendy Davis, former Texas State Senator and founder of Deeds Not Words, during an event hosted by BookPeople.
Signing books at Changing Hands in Phoenix. Photo: Adam Vitcavage.
CHANGE, a student organization from Loyola University dedicated to preventing gender-based violence and empowering survivors, at an event organized by Women & Children First at the Swedish American Museum in Chicago. Photo: Ying Dai.
Anderson embraces a fan at the Swedish American Museum. Photo: Ying Dai.
