(BLOOMINGTON) – The community is invited to join Sam Quinones, the author of Dreamland: The True Tale of America’s Opiate Epidemic, on Wednesday, May 20 at the Buskirk-Chumley Theater. An investigative journalist, Quinones will present his experiences researching and writing Dreamland, and the lessons he learned throughout the process.
Since the book’s publication in 2015, the author has served as a subject matter expert at universities, public health and public safety conferences, and municipal events around the country, and has testified before the United States Congress. The event is sponsored by Centerstone, the City of Bloomington, and Indiana University’s Grand Challenge initiative, Responding to the Addictions Crisis.
“Sam’s insight into the opioid epidemic provides us with an unfiltered view of how deeply the opiate crisis impacts our communities,” said Linda Grove-Paul, Vice President of Adult Services at Centerstone, a not-for-profit health care organization specializing in mental health and substance use disorder treatment. “His reports are powerful, compelling, and give us more understanding of the root cause of our nation’s crisis and hope for how our community can help uncover solutions.”
In anticipation of broad community engagement with the topic, the Monroe County Public Library (303 E Kirkwood Avenue) has ordered multiple copies of Dreamland for patrons who wish to prepare for the discussion. The book is available for purchase locally at The Book Corner (100 N Walnut Street).
Dreamland was selected as one of the best books of 2015 by Amazon.com, Slate.com, The Seattle Times, The Boston Globe, St. Louis Post-Dispatch, and in The Wall Street Journal and Bloomberg Business. A former Los Angeles Times reporter, Quinones is the author of two additional highly acclaimed narrative nonfiction books set in Mexico and along the US-Mexico border. He was selected as a 2008 recipient of the Maria Moors Cabot prize and is a 1998 recipient of an Alicia Patterson Fellowship.
“Quinones’ work has dramatically enhanced understanding of the opioid crisis, and helps reduce the stigma associated with addiction by telling the stories of people affected by it,” said Faith Kirkham Hawkins, IU’s associate vice president for strategic research initiatives. “His recognition that we’ll be able to address this crisis through community engagement has shaped IU’s Grand Challenge, and we’re excited to join Centerstone and the City in bringing him to Bloomington.”
“An array of factors have interacted to produce this national epidemic, from which Bloomington has not been spared,” said Mayor John Hamilton. “Tackling it requires an equally integrated network of community stakeholders. We are pleased to join our partners at the university and in the community in bringing one of the nation’s leading voices into our local conversation and plan of action.”
Quinones’ remarks begin at 6:30 p.m.; doors open at 6 p.m. Reservations for the free, but the ticketed event may be made at bctboxoffice.org.
