NOVELIST WARREN GETLER, LYRICAL ROCK BAND Social Void and PSYCHOLOGIST NEIL BERNSTEIN TO APPEAR AT FULL ASSEMBLY OF WASHINGTON, DC’S DUKE ELLINGTON SCHOOL OF THE ARTS
Tuesday, March 3rd Morning Event Launches National “Age of Anxiety Tour,” and is Open to Coverage
BACKGROUND – The e-novel PANIC is an uplifting tale of a young man navigating the emotional peaks and valleys of panic disorder. And according to its Washington, DC-based author Warren Getler, PANIC is as much a story about this era – what he calls “the Age of Anxiety” – as it is about one teen’s battle to overcome debilitating mental health challenges. Panic and anxiety disorders afflict millions – young and old – around the world, leading Getler and partner band Social Void to launch the “Age of Anxiety Tour.”
WHO: More than 550 Duke Ellington school students will participate in this DC Public School Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) event, the first-ever to be part of a full school assembly at the prestigious DC public high school. Students, faculty members, and school and district administrators will hear from and ask questions of:
· PANIC author Warren Getler, former journalist with The Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg News and Discovery Channel;
· Chip Cooley, lead performer for Social Void, an alternative rock band based in Charleston, SC, which will also perform as part of the assembly; and
· Dr. Neil Bernstein, practicing clinical psychologist, author and speaker based in Washington, DC.
WHAT: After opening remarks by Duke Ellington School for the Arts Principal Sandy Logan, author Warren Getler will speak to students about his novel, a highly imaginative, wildly fanciful coming-of-age story, set in and around Manhattan landmarks such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art and Central Park. Then band leader Chip Cooley (who has suffered from panic disorder himself) will speak and, as a bonus, he and his band Social Void will perform. A musical soundtrack from the band is embedded in the e-book. Following the band performance, Dr. Neal Bernstein, a nationally recognized expert on guiding students through difficult times, will speak. Following the presentations, Duke Ellington students will be able to ask questions.
WHEN: The full school assembly will take place on Tuesday, March 3, 2020 from 10 AM – 11:30 AM. There will be media opportunities to interview participants beginning at 9:30 AM or immediately following the event. Additional phone or in-person interview may be possible the evening prior.
WHERE: The main theatre at Duke Ellington School of the Arts., 3500 R St NW, Washington, DC 20007
WHY: The theme of Getler’s e-novel is reinforced by a 2019 Pew Center study, which finds that 70% of American teenagers see depression and anxiety as the leading “major problem” among their peers. This trailer explains the storyline of the book in greater detail: https://youtu.be/kGcJFgFj51w
ABOUT THE NOVELIST: Prior to writing PANIC with its unique embedded soundtrack, Getler co-wrote the non-fiction Rebel Gold, One Man’s Quest to Crack the Code Behind the Hidden Treasure of the Confederacy (2004, Simon & Schuster), which served as the backdrop to Disney’s National Treasure: Book of Secrets. PANIC, which includes multiple songs from Social Void, is available on Apple Books/iTunes, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Google Play, Walmart (Kobo) and BookBaby.
CONTACT: James A. Boyle, Boyle Public Affairs, jim@boylepublicaffairs.com