The National Writers Series explores all storytelling of all kinds, including writing for movies and television. We are thrilled to welcome two talents from the CBS hit action drama Tracker, who will talk about their writing lives, the endless hours spent in the writers’ room, and how a brainstormed idea goes from script to screen.
Elwood Reid transitioned early on from novel writing to becoming one of TV’s most successful writers. He is the executive producer and showrunner of Tracker and was also producer and showrunner for hits like The Chi, The Bridge, Cold Case, Big Sky, and story writer for The Old Man. Reid grew up in Ohio and played football at the University of Michigan, which inspired his novel If I Don’t Six, loosely based on his own experience. He lives in Los Angeles and Livingston, Montana.
Jai Franklin Sarki is a writer for Season Three of Tracker and previously worked on NBC’s New Amsterdam. She will talk about the resilience it takes to succeed in the ultra-competitive world of screenwriting. Prior to becoming a TV writer, she held a variety of jobs–barista, cocktail waitress, assistant, commercial actor, handyman, Pilates instructor, and model … the list is long. Jai is a 2024 mentee of the Paramount Writers’ program and has completed the three-year UCLA Extension Novel Writing Program.
Doors open at 6:00 p.m. with live music, and the conversation begins at 7:00 p.m. This event includes a Q&A session and a photo line immediately following in the lobby.
Need help getting to the City Opera House? Directions can be found here.
Ticket Information
Additional City Opera House transaction fees are applied at checkout. Service fees may be waived if tickets are purchased over the phone or in-person at the City Opera House.
Tier One indicates premium seating options with the best views, available on the main floor closest to the stage along with premium sections of the balcony.
Tier Two indicates standard seating options, available on the main floor and most of the balcony.
Tier One Ticket: $27
Tier Two Ticket: $17
Student and Teacher Tickets: $12
No age restriction with a valid school ID, student and teacher tickets admit one person to the live event. Books are not included.
Virtual Tickets
Can’t make it to City Opera House? Enjoy the event live or on-demand from home! You can purchase virtual tickets via the “Virtual Ticket” link above.
Each Virtual Ticket includes access to a private YouTube link beginning at 6:50 p.m ET. Virtual attendees may participate in the Q&A via moderated chat. You must be logged into YouTube via a Google account to chat, or email questions to [email protected].
Content Rating
Unless otherwise noted, NWS events are designed for adult audiences and may not be suitable for children.
Group Tickets
For discounted rates on groups of 20 or more, please contact: [email protected]
Doug Stanton is the #1 New York Times best-selling author of In Harm’s Way and 12 Strong, made into a major motion picture by Jerry Bruckheimer, and The Odyssey of Echo Company. His writing has appeared in The New York Times, The New York Times Book Review, Time, The Washington Post, Men’s Journal, The Daily Beast, Newsweek, Esquire, and Outside.
He was awarded the 2021 Steven Ambrose Oral History award. He attended Interlochen Arts Academy, Hampshire College, and received an MFA from the Writers’ Workshop at the University of Iowa. He created the National Writers Series in 2009 with his wife, Anne, and attorney Grant Parsons. He and Anne have three children and live in Traverse City.
