Submitted by Griffin Bay Bookstore

Griffin Bay Bookstore will host San Juan Island author David Neiwert reading from his new book, “The Age of Insurrection: The Radical Right’s Assault on American Democracy.” David will read at the Griffin Bay Bookstore Cafe on Wednesday, Jan. 17 at 3 p.m.

From a smattering of ominous right-wing compounds in the Pacific Northwest in the 1970s, to the shocking Jan. 6, 2021 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, America has seen the culmination of a long-building war on democracy being waged by a fundamentally violent and antidemocratic far-right movement that calls itself, without irony, the “Patriot” movement.

Award-winning journalist David Neiwert, who has been following the rise of these extremist groups since the late 1970s, explores how the movement was built over decades, how it was set aflame by Donald Trump and his cohorts, and how it will continue to attack American democracy for the foreseeable future. Neiwert especially studies how the Pacific Northwest has long been a breeding ground of extremist violence, from the time when neo-Nazis migrated to the area from southern California in the 1970s, through the great battles in Portland and Seattle and neighboring towns over the last decade. Laying out how these groups organize their violence and attacks on democratic institutions at every level—including local, state, and federal targets—Neiwert details what their strategies and plans look like for the foreseeable future.

David Neiwert is a local investigative journalist who specializes in writing about right-wing extremism. He was a reporter for the Daily Kos. He has also been an investigator, analyst and reporter for the Southern Poverty Law Center. Neiwert is also the author of several books including “Of Orcas and Men: What Killer Whales Can Teach Us,” “Red Pill, Blue Pill: How to Counteract the Conspiracy Theories That are Killing Us,” and “And Hell Followed With Her: Crossing the Dark Side of the American Border.”

Join us at the bookstore for what will be an informative afternoon, and get your copy of “The Age of Insurrection” signed by the author.