Award Winning Journalist and Author McKay Coppins to Speak at Free CALS Event

Little Rock, AR – The Central Arkansas Library System (CALS) is excited to host McKay Coppins through the CALS Speaker Series. Coppins will be discussing his New York Times bestselling book, Romney: A Reckoning, on Thursday, February 29, at 6:30 p.m. at Ron Robinson Theater, 100 River Market Ave. The CALS Speaker Series is free; registration is required at CALS.org.

His New York Times bestseller, Romney: A Reckoning, illuminates the life of one of America’s most fascinating political figures. Drawing from personal journals, emails, and exclusive interviews with Romney, his family, and his inner circle, Coppins unveils the enigmatic politician’s private thoughts as he wrestles with the choices he has made over his career.

The book traces Romney’s early life and rise through the ranks of a fast-transforming Republican Party and exposes how a trail of seemingly small compromises by political leaders has led to a crisis in democracy. Ultimately, Romney: A Reckoning is a redemptive story about a flawed politician who summoned his moral courage just as fear and divisiveness were overtaking American life. The book was named one of the best books of 2023 by the New Yorker and NPR. Coppins is also the author of The Wilderness, a 2015 book about the battle for the future of the Republican Party which was excerpted in the Washington Post and named one of the best nonfiction books of the year by Buzzfeed.

Coppins will discuss his book with moderator Nate Coulter, Executive Director of CALS, followed by a book signing. McKay Coppins is a staff writer at The Atlantic, where he is a leading voice in the magazine’s coverage of politics, religion, and national affairs. This event is free but requires registration. Event details and registration can be found here.

The CALS Speaker Series is an endowed series of programs. This program honors John Netherland (J. N.) Heiskell, who served as editor of the Arkansas Gazette for more than seventy years.