1968 The Age of Reason is the debut novel from award winning poet, playwright and storyteller Kerry Zagarella. She will celebrate its release with a reading and performance on April 2nd at High Street Studio in Ipswich that will include a short film from her son Gus and a set of sixties music performed by her son Henry’s band the Far Out.

Zagarella is no stranger to the stage. As a storyteller she has performed at the Huntington Theater, won a Moth Storyslam and was grand champion of Newburyport’s Full Moon Story Slam. She’s also a former New Hampshire state poetry slam champion and was a member of the inaugural Boston poetry slam team. Two of her plays have been produced at the Firehouse Theater in Newburyport.

1968 The Age of Reason, her first full length novel, traces the turbulence of 1968, Vietnam, racism and assassination, through the eyes of a Catholic school girl approaching her seventh birthday and first communion. Young Katherine’s optimism and innocence is tested continually by her dysfunctional home life and an increasingly cynically and chaotic outside world. Katherine’s absurd attempts to make sense of what’s happening around imbue the story with a sinister kind of humor that is at once engaging and troubling.

At the High Street book release Zagarella will be reading from the text and sharing related stories. Having her sons’ participation in the evening is a natural outgrowth of their upbringing.

“My husband Neal and I ran coffeehouse open mics and published cut and paste arts magazines as Gus and Henry were growing up. Creative expression was deeply revered in our home. It’s been very inspiring to watch our sons turn into very disciplined artists in their own right.”

Zagarella’s  performance will kick off with a ten minute video collage “1968 in Technicolor” and end with a dance party to live music from the Far Out. Admission will include a signed copy of her novel.

Tickets are available online at Thisworkspress.org and highstreet.studio, and via email at thisworkspress@gmail and at Zenobia in Ipswich. If you have any questions, please email thisworkspress@gmail.com.