Sarah Kendzior

Sarah Kendzior

Sarah Kendzior is the New York Times bestselling author of Hiding in Plain Sight and The View from Flyover Country. She is known for her reporting on St. Louis, her coverage of the 2016 election, and her academic research on authoritarian states. Kendzior is the co-host of the acclaimed podcast Gaslit Nation with Andrea Chalupa and was named by Foreign Policy as one of the “100 people you should be following on Twitter to make sense of global events.” Her reporting has been featured in many publications, including Politico, Slate, The Atlantic, Fast Company, The Chicago Tribune, Teen Vogue, The Globe and Mail, and The New York Times. She lives in St. Louis.

Website: sarahkendzior.com
Twitter: @sarahkendzior

The pathos of truth-seeking left me thinking of Herman Melville. I can’t remember the last time I read a book where every sentence delivered.” –Timothy Snyder

FESTIVAL BOOK

Hiding in Plain Sight: The Invention of Donald Trump and the Erosion of America

The rise of Donald Trump may have shocked Americans, but it should not have surprised them. His anti-democratic movement is the culmination of a decades-long breakdown of U.S. institutions. The same blindness to U.S. decline – particularly the loss of economic stability for the majority of the population and opportunity-hoarding by the few – is reflected in an unwillingness to accept that authoritarianism can indeed thrive in the so-called “home of the free”.As Americans struggle to reconcile the gulf between a flagrant aspiring autocrat and the democratic precepts they had been told were sacred and immutable, the inherent fragility of American democracy has been revealed. Hiding in Plain Sight exposes this continual loss of freedom, the rise of consolidated corruption, and the secrets behind a burgeoning autocratic United States that have been hiding in plain sight for decades. In Kendzior’s signature and celebrated style, she expertly outlines Trump’s meteoric rise from the 1980s until today, interlinking key moments of his life with the degradation of the American political system and the continual erosion of our civil liberties by foreign powers. 

 

BE CURIOUSER 

  •   Sarah Kendzior Predicted the Rise of Trump Years Ago- Here’s What She Thinks Now Vogue
  • The election shows the United States is a broken country – The Globe and Mail

GET THE BOOK  

Owl’s Nest Books (Calgary) | Calgary Public Library 

 

Dictatorship: It’s Easier Than You Think

Co-hosts of the popular podcast Gaslit Nation outline the authoritarian playbook, illuminating five steps every dictator needs to take to successfully amass and maintain power.

Do you crave the power to shape the world in your image?

Can you tell lies without blinking an eye?

Do you see enemies all around you?

If you answered yes to all of the above, then this is the job for you! And if becoming a dictator sounds intriguing, well, you’ve just stumbled upon the playbook that will guide you step by step towards making your big lie a reality.

Join Gaslit Nation co-hosts Sarah Kendzior and Andrea Chalupa, with artist Kasia Babis, on a journey from riches to even more riches. They’ll show you how to consolidate your authority, silence your critics, weaponize your citizens, and even prolong your inevitable downfall!

Dictatorship! It’s easier than you think.

 

GET THE BOOK 

Owl’s Nest Books (Calgary) 

 

They Knew: How a Culture of Conspiracy Keeps America Complacent

In They KnewNew York Times bestselling author Sarah Kendzior explores the United States’ “culture of conspiracy,” putting forth a timely and unflinching argument: uncritical faith in broken institutions is as dangerous as false narratives peddled by propagandists. Conspiracy theories are on the rise because officials refuse to enforce accountability for real conspiracies.

The truth may hurt – but the lies will kill us.

They Knew discusses conspiracy culture in a rapidly declining United States struggling with corruption, climate change, and other crises. As the actions of the powerful remain shrouded in mystery – like the Jeffrey Epstein operation – it is unsurprising that people turn to conspiracy theories to fill the informational void. They Knew exposes the tactics these powerful actors use to placate an inquisitive public.

In Kendzior’s signature whip smart prose and eviscerating arguments, They Knew unearths decades of buried American history, providing an essential and critical look at how to rebuild our democracy by confronting the political lies and crimes that have shaped us.

GET THE BOOK

Owl’s Nest Books (Calgary)

BE CURIOUSER

  • Podcast: Gaslit Nation with Andrea Chalupa and Sarah Kendzior. -gaslitnation
  • Sarah Kendzior Predicted the Rise of Trump Years Ago – Here’s What She Thinks Now. -Vogue

ALL EVENTS WITH Sarah Kendzior

10 AM
What They Knew with Sarah Kendzior
Oct 01 @ 10 AM MT - 11:15 AM MT

Memorial Park Library, 2nd Floor

1221 2 St SW
3 PM
Damn Lies & the Power of Truth
Oct 02 @ 3 PM MT - 4:15 PM MT

DJD Dance Centre

111 12 Ave SE

More Shows by Wordfest

1 PM
CANCELLED: Wordfest Presents Roméo Dallaire
Apr 21 @ 1 PM MT - 2:15 PM MT

Patricia A. Whelan Performance Hall, Central Library

800 3 Street SE
7 PM
Wordfest Presents Denise Chong & Rumana Monzur
Apr 29 @ 7 PM MT - 8:15 PM MT

Memorial Park Library, 2nd Floor

1221 2 St SW
Add To Cart
7 PM
Wordfest Presents Cory Doctorow
May 03 @ 7 PM MT - 8:15 PM MT

Memorial Park Library, 2nd Floor

1221 2 St SW
Add To Cart
7 PM
A Celebration of Trans Storytelling
May 22 @ 7 PM MT - 8:15 PM MT

Memorial Park Library, 2nd Floor

1221 2nd Street SW
RSVP
7 PM
Wordfest Presents Jeff Rubin
May 23 @ 7 PM MT - 8:15 PM MT

Patricia A. Whelan Performance Hall, Central Library

800 3 Street SE
Add To Cart