Richard B. Simon Reading from his Novel

Featuring performances by Sanae Yamada, The Barry Walker Unit, and Serafima Author, rock journalist, and Frisco Freakout co-founder Richard B. Simon reads from his debut novel The Dolphin Ambassador’s Daughter, a finalist for the PEN/Bellwether Prize for Socially Engaged Fiction, with a little help from his psych rock, cosmic country, and freak folk friends. The Dolphin Ambassador’s Daughter is a green fable in the vein of Animal Farm, Watership Down, The Lord of the Rings, and The Odyssey. After a devastating oil spill destroys his homewaters and kills off his entire family, resident orca K’Tangu ShakTii travels to the Great Council of dolphins, whales, walruses, and seals, and demands war to drive the humans from the Ocean. But the Dolphin Ambassador knows that war against the humans would be disastrous, and sends his granddaughter, Zzzwooieee, on a forbidden mission to prevent the war. Along with sets from ambient sound sculptor Sanae Yamada, improvisational psych-country outfit the Barry Walker Unit, and singer-songwriter Serafima, Simon will read selections from the novel with Yamada and then the Barry Walker Unit backing. Serafima will perform a set of songs inspired by the novel. Sanae Yamada is the co-founder of and keyboard player and vocalist in Moon Duo, and has also performed and recorded as Vive La Void. She wrote and performed the musical score for the acclaimed play Is This a Room, about the imprisoned National Security whistleblower Reality Winner. Yamada’s latest album, Room Tone (Music From Line Time), is out now on Jean Sandwich Records. The Barry Walker Unit is a quartet with Barry Walker on pedal steel, along with guitarist Ripley Johnson (Wooden Shjips, Moon Duo, Rose City Band), bassist Jason Willmon (Fruited Planes, Mouth Painter), and drummer John Jeffrey (Moon Duo, Rose City Band). Their live album At the 13 th Moon Gravity Well is on Jean Sandwich Records. Serafima is the frontwoman for the “un-Americana” hunky-tonk six-piece Serafima and the Shakedowns, and performs her wry and heartbreaking songs solo. Serafima and the Shakedowns’ debut album Ride Easy, from BWGiBWGAN Records, has been making waves this year on independent and college radio. Richard B. Simon is a seasoned rock journalist (Rolling Stone, MTV, SonicNet/Addicted to Noise, Relix) and Creative Writing professor, and co-founded the California psych rock and arts festival the Frisco Freakout. The Dolphin Ambassador’s Daughter is out September 1, 2026, and is available for pre-order at brightspiderpress.com .