Canadian author Douglas Coupland studied sculpture in art school, only to become a writer – and it's lucky for us he did. In his 1991 debut novel, Generation X: Tales for an Accelerated Culture, Coupland explored the growing disillusionment of a disenfranchised demographic coming of age at the dawning of the World Wide Web. Coupland has continued to write about the dehumanizing effects of technology and mass culture, as well as the way a WiFi-enabled society affects individual spirituality. His touching, thought-provoking and often biting prose examines the boundary between analog and digital worldviews, with characters caught in the crossfire of consumerism and the practical application of scientific knowledge.Some of Coupland's books are sympathetic character studies; others are cunning satires. Some take yet another direction entirely, featuring profound chunks of wisdom in the form of guidebooks for the soul. The beauty of Coupland's writing is that you never know what to expect. That's true, too, of his new novel, Worst. Person. Ever. The gifted author and accidental cultural critic makes his way down to L.A. for a conversation with Neil Strauss, followed by a Q&A and book signing. Skirball Cultural Center, 2701 N. Sepulveda Blvd., Brentwood; Thu., April 17, 8 p.m.; free. (310) 440-4500, skirball.org/programs/readings-talks/douglas_coupland.

Thu., April 17, 8 p.m., 2014
(Expired: 04/17/14)

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