Filthy Loot, a small boutique literary press based in Ames, specializes in what founding editor Ira Rat calls “misfit fictions.” The books published by Filthy Loot push boundaries. “I found that a lot of the writers I like were getting ignored because they didn’t fit into a mold,” Rat said in a phone interview. An […]
Iowa City literature events
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UI announces end to Iowa Summer Writing Festival, Iowa Youth Writing Project
Months after the University of Iowa’s International Writing Program was forced to make drastic cuts following the loss of its federal funding, two other writing programs on the UI campus are coming to an end. The UI College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (CLAS) announced Monday the Iowa Summer Writing Festival and the Iowa Youth […]
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Meet the three queer women of color headlining Mission Creek Festival’s lit section this year
Camonghne Felix, Shelley Wong and Michelle Zauner are among the most innovative writers working today and all happen to be queer women of color which, historically, may have kept them from the spotlight. Zauner, frontwoman for the band Japanese Breakfast and guitarist for Little Big League, became a household name in the literary world with […]
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In-person readings return to Prairie Lights
There was a time, though it seems so very long ago now, when you could count on Prairie Lights to host in-person events with authors on an fairly aggressive schedule. When the pandemic put those events on indefinite hiatus, it felt as though one of the defining features of the City of Literature had been […]
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Music weaves through all aspects of life for poet-critic Hanif Abdurraqib
Music critic, poet and essayist Hanif Abdurraqib has made a career writing about music in both a critical and poetic way. The two aspects that aren’t often mixed, but Abdurraqib has seen renowned successes with his four books. He’ll be reading from them at Prairie Lights on Thursday, Jan. 30 at 7 p.m.
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Five questions with: Author Caite Dolan-Leach
Reading: Caite Dolan-Leach, We Went to the Woods Prairie Lights — Friday, July 19 at 7 p.m. Caite Dolan-Leach’s second novel, We Went to the Woods, focuses on the cyclicity of the young person’s desire to abandon all and run with those who share their beliefs. She will read from her newest work at Prairie […]
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Five questions with: Author Leslie Carol Roberts
Leslie Carol Roberts’ most recent book, Here Is Where I Walk, a meticulous examination of nature, identity and the complex relationship between them. Roberts will be reading at Prairie Lights on Thursday, May 2
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Five questions with: Author Mark Mayer
Mark Mayer, graduate of the University of Iowa Writers’ Workshop and inaugural Robert P. Dana Emerging Writer fellow at Cornell College, will read from his debut collection of short stories, ‘Aerialists,’ at Prairie Lights on Feb. 27 at 7 p.m.
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Mission Creek Festival to bring Mitski, Jenny Lewis, Kevin Young and more to IC
Mission Creek Festival is back for its 14th year, with a new tagline, new pass options and, as always, a top-notch lineup. Top of the bill is Purchase grad and indie superstar Mitski, whose fifth release, Be the Cowboy, scored the second place slot on NPR’s just announced 50 Best Albums of 2018.
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The 10th annual Iowa City Book Festival is underway!
Literature, of course, has never been bound to books — but books have become increasingly unbound through various iterations and innovations.
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Review: ‘Between Gravity and What Cheer’ showcases Iowa’s quirks and charm
Shot over the course of four years, Barry Phipps’ new book, Between Gravity and What Cheer: Iowa Photographs (published by University of Iowa Press), is a lovely 112 page book with 105 color photographs showcasing the quirks and charm found in small towns across the state.
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Cities of Literature take over Thursday Nights at Hancher
Cities of Literature representatives from around the world arrived in town on April 3 and will be here through April 6. Although the majority of their event is private, the gathering will offer one event to the public.
