By Lookout Staff

May 3, 2013 -- “What’s live in time but still not here where clocks chime three hours in arrears?” Answer: a live broadcast of author Dan Brown in New York at the Santa Monica Main Library.

A 7:30 p.m. (EST) appearance in New York of the best selling author of “The Da Vinci Code” – known for littering his novels with secret codes and riddles – will be broadcast live in Santa Monica at 4:30 p.m. Wednesday, May 15 in the library’s Martin Luther King, Jr. Auditorium.

Brown’s talk -- "An Evening of Codes, Symbols and Secrets" -- at New York's Lincoln Centercomes on the eve of the release of his latest novel, “Inferno,” and will touch on topics such as “science, codes, religion, book publishing (and) movie making,” according to library officials. 

“This will be Brown's only public U.S. appearance,” officials said.

Following the broadcast, “Inferno” audiobook narrator Paul Michael will take the stage for a reading and audience Q&A. A stage, film, radio and television actor Michael has narrated more than 200 audiobooks including “The Da Vinci Code” and another Brown novel, “The Lost Symbol.” 

Based on Amazon’s brief description, “Inferno’s” plot – which has been a well-kept secret -- seems to closely resemble that of the “The DaVinci Code,” one of the best-selling novels of all time.

"In the heart of Italy, Harvard professor of symbology, Robert Langdon, is drawn into a harrowing world centered on one of history's most enduring and mysterious literary masterpieces... Dante's Inferno.

“Against this backdrop, Langdon battles a chilling adversary and grapples with an ingenious riddle that pulls him into a landscape of classic art, secret passageways, and futuristic science. Drawing from Dante's dark epic poem, Langdon races to find answers and decide whom to trust... before the world is irrevocably altered."
      
The fourth book in his Robert Langdon series focuses on a literary master Brown had, until now, shown little interest in.

"Although I studied Dante's Inferno in high school, it wasn't until recently, while researching in Florence, that I came to appreciate the enduring influence of Dante's work on the modern world," Brown said in a statement.

"With this new novel, I am excited to take readers on a journey deep into this mysterious realm... a landscape of codes, symbols, and more than a few secret passageways."

The Santa Monica event is free and open to the public. Seating is limited and on a first arrival basis.  The Santa Monica Public Library is wheelchair accessible. 

For special disabled services, call Library Administration at (310) 458-8606 at least one week prior to event.  For more information on Santa Monica Public Library programs, visit smpl.org or contact the Santa Monica Public Library at (310) 458-8600.