JEN FAWKES
TUESDAY 7/9. WordsWorth Books. 6:30 P.M. Free.
“Daughters of Chaos,” Little Rock writer Jen Fawkes’ “wildly original” (Publishers Weekly) debut novel, has a lot of moving parts. Set in Civil War-era Nashville, the book’s protagonist is Sylvie Swift, a young woman drawn to the city by an anonymous benefactor, only to get involved in the clandestine, anti-war efforts of a group of women alternatively masquerading as prostitutes and docile humanitarians. Interspersed between Sylvie’s story are excerpts from “Apocrypha,” a lost play by Aristophanes that she’s been tasked with translating. As the ancient narrative and present goings-on begin to resemble one another, Sylvie realizes that she’s embroiled in a badass, millenia-long conspiracy of feminine empowerment. “Daughters of Chaos” comes out July 9, and WordsWorth Books is hosting a launch party on the same day, where Fawkes — also the author of short story collections “Mannequin and Wife” and “Tales the Devil Told Me” — will be in conversation with Arkansas magic realism master Kevin Brockmeier. RSVP here.