Ben Fountain

Acclaimed Dallas writer Ben Fountain joins Hay Festival Forum Dallas to discuss his new novel, Rasputin Swims the Potomac, a sharp political satire that turns its attention to the spectacle, absurdities, and contradictions of contemporary American politics. Known for fiction that combines humor, political observation, and an interest in the forces shaping American life, Fountain brings that distinctive perspective to a story about power, ambition, celebrity, and the increasingly blurred boundaries between politics and entertainment.

The conversation will explore the ideas behind the new novel, Fountain’s approach to satire and political fiction, and how a writer turns the strangeness of contemporary public life into literature, while also looking back at a body of work that has consistently examined America at moments of tension and change.