BookPeople Presents: Shefali Luthra - Undue Burden
BookPeople welcomes Shefali Luthra in conversation with Emily Ramshaw to celebrate the release of Undue Burden.
Date and time
Location
BookPeople
603 North Lamar Boulevard Austin, TX 78703About this event
- 2 hours
Please welcome Shefali Luthra and Evan Smith to celebrate Undue Burden!
This event is free and open to the public.
- Start time: 7:00 P.M.
- Run time: 45-60 minutes, followed by a signing line.
- Location: The second floor of BookPeople.
The author will be signing and personalizing copies of the book after the speaking portion of the event.
- To get a book signed, a copy of the event book or an item of equal value must be purchased from BookPeople.
Guidelines:
- Seating will be on a first-come, first-served basis.
- There will not be a live stream or recording available.
- BookPeople reserves the right to cancel or postpone this event if necessary.
- If you have any other questions, please visit our Eventbrite FAQ. If your question isn't covered in the FAQ, feel free to email us at online@bookpeople.com.
About the book:
"An absolute must-read; tell your friends; buy it for your family; sit with it on your own. This is storytelling we need."
—Rebecca Traister
An urgent, intimate investigation into the experience of seeking an abortion after the fall of Roe v. Wade, and the economic, emotional, and life-threatening consequences of being denied reproductive freedom.
On June 24, 2022, Roe v. Wade was overturned, and the impact was immediate: by 2023, abortion was virtually unavailable or significantly restricted in 21 states. As other nations largely expand legal abortion access, the U.S. has gone backwards; the bans being enforced in many states are some of the most severe in the entire world.
In Undue Burden, reporter Shefali Luthra traces the unforgettable stories of patients faced with one of the most personal decisions of their lives. Outside of Houston, there’s a 16-year-old girl who becomes pregnant well before she intends to. A 21-year-old mother barely making ends meet has to travel hundreds of miles in secret to access care in another state. A 42-year-old woman with a life-threatening condition wants nothing more than to safely carry her pregnancy to term, but her home state’s abortion bans fail to provide her with the options she needs to make an informed decision. And a 19-year-old trans man struggles to access care in Florida as abortion bans radiate across the American South.
Before, it was a common misconception that abortion restrictions affected only people in certain states, but left one's own life untouched. Now, patients forced to travel to access care creates a domino effect across the entire country. As the landscape of abortion rights continues to shift, the experiences of these patients—those who had to cross state lines to seek life-saving care, who risked everything they had in pursuit of their own bodily autonomy, and who were unable to plan their reproductive future in the way that they deserved—illustrates how fragile the system is, and how devastating the consequences can be.
Through the perspectives of patients, providers, activists, and lawmakers, Undue Burden is a revelatory portrait of human rights, healthcare, and economic and racial inequality in America.
About the author:
SHEFALI LUTHRA has covered national health policy for the past decade, most recently at The 19th. Her coverage of abortion rights has been cited in Congressional testimony and Supreme Court briefings and in 2023 received an Online Journalism Award. Luthra’s writing has appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, NPR, and more. She lives in Washington, D.C.
About the moderator:
Evan Smith is a senior advisor at Emerson Collective, working closely with journalists and funders around the country to address the local news crisis. He’s also a professor of practice at the LBJ School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas at Austin, where he teaches a course on the politics and issues of the election season. He previously spent more than thirteen years at The Texas Tribune, which he co-founded and led as CEO, and nearly eighteen years at Texas Monthly, including nine years as editor in chief and a year as president. Evan is the host of “Overheard with Evan Smith,” a weekly half-hour interview program that airs on PBS stations from coast to coast. He serves on the boards of St. Stephen’s Episcopal School, the Austin Film Society, and the LBJ Foundation. A native of New York, he's a graduate of Hamilton College, which awarded him an honorary degree in 2023, and Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism, which inducted him into its Hall of Achievement in 2006.
By purchasing a book from BookPeople, you are not only supporting a local, independent business – you’re showing publishers that they should continue sending authors to BookPeople.
Thank you for supporting Shefali Luthra, Evan Smith, and your local independent bookstore!
Frequently asked questions
For most events, we will begin with an introduction at the start time, followed by a reading or moderated author conversation, an audience Q&A, and finally our book signing portion of the event. However, please check the Eventbrite details for each event for further information.
RSVPs are encouraged in order to reserve a spot at the event. While most of our events won't reach the capacity of our event space, certain titles and/or authors may surpass what our space can hold. In this case, customers with RSVPs will be prioritized for entry to the event.
MOST of our events take place at our store at 603 N Lamar Blvd. However, please make sure you check the location for each event, as some larger events are put on in conjunction with outside venue partners. Please note that our events program is not affiliated with the BookPeople at the AUS airport.
For free events, you may proceed to the 2nd floor and find a seat whenever you arrive, though you may wish to make your book purchase downstairs before start time. For ticketed or large events, an events staff member will be waiting near the front door to check you in.
To attend the talk/Q&A portion of the event, you do not need to purchase a copy of the event book. To participate in the signing line after the talk, you WILL need to purchase a copy of the book OR make a purchase of equal value from BookPeople. Thank you for supporting our events program!
If you already own a copy of the event book and would like to join the signing line, we ask that you make a purchase of equal value from BookPeople and be prepared to present your receipt to an events staff member upon joining the line. Thank you for supporting our events program!
For free events, you may pick up your book at BookPeople on the night of the event (or on release date, if you keep your receipt to bring on event night). For ticketed events, if you preordered BEFORE the event was announced, please contact us at online@bookpeople.com. Thank you!
If we have a waitlist available, Eventbrite will give you an option to join it on the ticket purchase or RSVP page. If the event is sold out AND the waitlist option is unavailable, the waitlist has unfortunately met its cap and we are not accepting further names in an effort to avoid false hope.
For free events, we ask that you cancel your RSVP via Eventbrite so another customer may have your spot. For ticketed events, we ask that you submit a refund request 7+ days in advance. You may also keep your ticket and pick up your book at the registers within 30 days of the event night.
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