Bill Smoot with Kate Isenberg: San Quentin Exodus

James, a still-water-runs-deep boy, struggles to navigate the rough streets of Oakland, California, in the 80s. His only friend is a pit bull he rescues from dog fighting. On the cusp of college, James commits a crime that results in a prison term of thirty to life. San Quentin Exodus by Bill Smoot is a braided novel about two people whose lives cross in a quest to reset an ill-fated life. It is a story infused with misfortune and pain, but also with hope and a fierce humanity. Bill will be joined in conversation by New Yorker cartoonist and multimedia artist Kate Isenberg.