[Tom Perrotta] is the Steinbeck of Suburbia. ~ Time magazine
From the New York Times bestselling author of The Leftovers and Mrs. Fletcher, author Tom Perrotta is returning to the City Opera House stage to talk about Ghost Town, a gripping story about a tumultuous summer in 1970s suburban New Jersey, reminiscent of Perrotta’s own hometown. This nostalgic story is told from the perspective of a middle-aged writer looking back on a series of events that changed his life—and the story he finally has the courage to tell.
Jimmy Perrini lives just a few miles from Manhattan, but a world apart. At the end of eighth grade, tragedy strikes and Jimmy finds himself lost in a fog of grief that alienates him from friends and family, drifting instead into troubling friendships with two older teenagers: one a notorious local burnout with a fast car, an endless supply of weed, and a shaky grasp of reality; the other a smart, eccentric girl, whom Jimmy finds himself drawn to as they become entranced by her Ouija board, which may just offer the only salve to their grief.
As a fateful public drama unfolds, Jimmy is torn between the occult beyond and the cold realities of the place he has called home. Narrated by a much older Jimmy, a literary-turned-commercial novelist, Ghost Town reveals how the past haunts the present—the way our ghosts are always with us, even when we think we’ve left them behind.
Tom Perrotta is the bestselling author of eleven novels, including Election and Little Children, both of which were made into Oscar-nominated films, and The Leftovers, which was adapted into a critically acclaimed, Peabody Award-winning HBO series. His other books include Bad Haircut, The Wishbones, Joe College, The Abstinence Teacher, Nine Inches, Mrs. Fletcher, and Tracy Flick Can’t Win. He lives outside of Boston.
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 an author signing 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.
Individual Tickets
Tier One: $44.40
Tier Two: $34.40
Admits one person to the live event and each ticket comes with one signed copy of Tom Perrotta’s Ghost Town (retail value $28). Please note: signed books are only available at the in-person event.
Two-Ticket Package
Tier One: $66.40
Tier Two: $46.40
This two-ticket option admits two people to the in-person event and comes with one signed copy of Tom Perrotta’s Ghost Town (retail value $28). Please note: signed books are only available at the in-person event.
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].
Pay What You Can
We believe great books and inspiring conversations should be available to everyone. Thanks to our generous donors, you can use the code BookChampion (one word) at checkout for a complimentary book, based on the honor system.
About Our Book Sales
One of the most exciting parts of attending our events is getting a signed copy of the author’s latest book along with the chance to meet the writer and have them personalize it after the show.
Each sale benefits our local partner Horizon Books in downtown Traverse City, Michigan. The bundled price of National Writers Series books is always 20 percent below retail, so you also get a great deal.
If you already own the featured book, the one you receive with your ticket makes a great gift for friends and family. Or you can donate it back to us at the National Writers Series, and we’ll distribute it to libraries and young writers in Northern Michigan.
We think a new book is one of the greatest joys of life, and we thank you for helping us make Traverse City one of the premiere destinations for authors through our book sales.
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.
