Death Valley

This is a two-part evening held at two locations, both within 3 minutes walking distance of each other. We hope you attend both. Special thanks to Union Station and Union Hall for their partnership and support of literature and the arts! About the Program When literature meets art, a story finds new ways to unfold. AfterWord is a series that explores what happens when a story moves beyond the page. At each gathering, an author meets an artist from another creative discipline to reimagine literature through sound, movement, image, and conversation. For this edition, author Melissa Broder joins creative producer and interdisciplinary artist Courtney Ozaki-Durgin for an evening where literature and immersive performance meet. Part One — Author Conversation & Discussion 6:30 PM | Lower Level, Denver Union Station | 1701 Wynkoop St, Denver, CO 80202 Broder will discuss her novel Death Valley — a darkly funny and surreal story of a writer who escapes to the desert seeking solitude, only to find herself confronting grief, desire, and the strange expansiveness of the natural world. Blending existential reflection with Broder's signature wit and magical realism, the novel explores what it means to search for meaning in moments of disorientation and transformation. In conversation with Ozaki-Durgin, the two will explore themes of landscape, interiority, and imagination. Part Two — Immersive Installation & Reception 7:55 PM | Union Hall | 1750 Wewatta St, Suite 144, Denver, CO 80202 The evening continues at Union Hall with an immersive live performance installation and reception created by Courtney Ozaki-Durgin. Check in at an inconspicuous Best Western motel in Death Valley and travel through the magically real memories of Broder's quirky protagonist as she navigates grief and mortality on an unexpected journey through the Mojave Desert. This experiential installation expands the novel's emotional terrain beyond the page — and the reception is woven right into the experience. 📚 Book signing with Melissa Broder will take place during Part Two. Books provided by Petals and Pages. Getting from Part One to Part Two It's just a 3–5 minute walk. From the back of Union Station (near the Wewatta Pavilion or commuter train tracks), walk northwest toward Chestnut Street and cross over. Union Hall is on the ground floor at 1750 Wewatta St, Suite 144, just next to the Wewatta Street Plaza behind the station