An American writer of Argentine, Syrian, and Iraqi Jewish descent and Princeton alum from the Class of 2019, Jordan Salama tells the story of the Río Magdalena, nearly one thousand miles long, in the heart of Colombia. Hear the tale of lively adventure following a legendary river with Salama and writer Michael Lemonick. Presented by Labyrinth Books in-person at the bookstore and via live-stream; registration required.
Following the river from its source high in the Andes to its mouth on the Caribbean coast, journeying by boat, bus, and improvised motobalinera, Salama writes against stereotype and toward the rich lives of those he meets. Among them are a canoe builder, biologists who study invasive hippopotamuses, a Queens transplant managing a failing hotel, a jeweler practicing the art of silver filigree, and a traveling librarian whose donkeys, Alfa and Beto, haul books to rural children. Joy, mourning, and humor come together in this astonishing debut, about a country too often seen as only a site of war, and a tale of lively adventure following a legendary river.
Jordan Salama’s work has appeared in outlets including The New York Times, National Geographic, and Scientific American. A 2019 graduate of Princeton University, he lives in New York. Michael Lemonick was the long-time opinion editor at Scientific American, a former senior staff writer at Climate Central, and a former senior science writer at Time. He is the author of many popular books on science, including Echo of the Big Bang; Other Worlds: The Search for Life in the Universe; and Mirror Earth: The Search for Our Planets Twin. He teaches science writing at Princeton University.
This event is cosponsored by Princeton Universitys Program in Journalism, Lewis Center for the Arts, and Department of Spanish and Portuguese.
Join the Event
This is a hybrid event. Register for the live-stream or join at the bookstore. Proof of vaccination and masks are required to attend in-person.