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Dave Eggers

"Zeitoun" with Abdulrahman & Kathy Zeitoun hosted by Wajahat Ali

Thursday, March 11, 2010 |  Herbst Theatre, 8pm

In the four years since Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf Coast in August 2005, books, articles and films have been made to record, bear witness, and understand the aftermath of the storm and the human response. Writer Dave Eggers meticulously researched the story of one family, the Zeitouns, who are long-time members of the New Orleans community. The Zeitouns experienced both the compassion and generosity of their neighbors and great injustice during and after Katrina. Called simply, Zeitoun, the book is a masterful piece of storytelling-journalism. Eggers' spare and unobtrusive prose presents a powerful portrait of Syrian-born Abdulrahman Zeitoun, his wife Kathy, and their four children. When Kathy takes the children to Baton Rouge to ride out the storm, her husband, who runs their general contracting and painting business - stays in the city to check on their properties, minimize damage and eventually rescue humans and animals. As he paddles silently through the city in his canoe, Zeitoun listens for the cries of the trapped. Zeitoun's wrongful arrest and imprisonment is a blood-chilling example of disaster relief gone wrong in the worst of ways.

Wajahat Ali is a Muslim American playwright, journalist, attorney, humorist and consultant. He is a frequent contributor to the Washington Post, The Guardian and The Huffington Post. His blog, Goatmilk: An Intellectual Playground, can be found at goatmilkblog.com

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