Quirky and engaging, funny and serious at once, ‘Bowlaway’ is a book that makes you think. The story of a bowling alley and the family which owns it is part historical novel, part family saga and part pure whimsy.
Prairie Lights
Posted inArts & Entertainment
Five questions with: Author Tom Hunt
A disastrous accident embroils a family in terror in Iowa native Tom Hunt’s new thriller, ‘One Fatal Mistake.’ When 18-year-old Joshua hits a man with his car, he has no idea that his choices will be the catalyst for a chain of horrifying events. Hunt will read from his novel at Prairie Lights.
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Q&A: Jamie Quatro speaks in-depth about ‘Fire Sermon,’ faith and fascination
Prairie Lights will host author Jamie Quatro on Monday, Feb. 5 at 7 p.m. for a presentation of her novel in conversation with novelist Garth Greenwell. Quatro has quickly developed a reputation for being an author of penetrating acumen and lyrical grace.
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Peter Heller brings his engaging protagonist Celine to Iowa City
Celine Watkins is 68 years old, suffering from arthritis and emphysema and brokenhearted over the loss of her two sisters — one older, one younger — in quick succession. She is also a private eye, a crack shot and by turns fearsome and consoling.
Posted inCommunity/News
Celebrating the jólabókaflóð tradition this year? Here’s how!
Jólabókaflóð, roughly translated as “Yule book flood” and pronounced (again, roughly) /yo-la-bok-a-flot/, originated in Iceland during World War II. Paper, unlike many other commodities, was not rationed during the war, making books a perfect option for gift exchanges.
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Interview: Reza Aslan on humanizing God
Reza Aslan will appear on Thursday, Dec. 7 at the First United Methodist Church (214 E Jefferson St, Iowa City) for a conversation with Iowa Public Radio host Charity Nebbe about his newest book, God: A Human History.
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‘Education is a currency for survival’: Jon Kerstetter on politics, war and recovery
Iowa City Book Festival Presents: Jon Kerstetter Prairie Lights — Saturday, Oct. 13 at 1 p.m. In July of 2003, Jon Kerstetter, a U.S. Army National Guard combat physician, found himself in a rather bizarre situation. Despite a lack of training or certification in forensic pathology, Kerstetter was commanded to identify the dead bodies of […]
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A-List: Bruce Campbell’s new book charts the second phase of his career
Actor, director and writer Bruce Campbell has crafted a career out of a certain kind of off-beat character. As an actor, he doesn’t disappear into a role, but rather imbues each with an almost ludicrous uniqueness, a deeply specific sense of self. This kind of interplay between the fantasy and reality of his existence is a perfect precursor to his alternate career as a memoirist.
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Author faces ‘ghosts’ of family separated by World War Two
Among the Living and the Dead: A Tale of Exile and Homecoming on the War Roads of Europe, the recently published book by University of Iowa Assistant Professor Inara Verzemnieks, explores her family’s diverging journeys as war descended on their Latvian home — resulting in trauma and loss that would reverberate through the generations.
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Just announced: Prairie Lights brings Bernie Sanders to Hancher on Aug. 31
Vermont senator and former Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders is coming to Iowa City. Prairie Lights is hosting his appearance at Hancher Auditorium on Thursday night, August 31. Tickets will be available through the Hancher box office starting on July 14 at 10 a.m.
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Taylor Brorby to read from ‘Crude,’ ‘Coming Alive’ at Prairie Lights
Author and activist Taylor Brorby is a longtime voice for progressive environmentalism. Hailing originally from North Dakota, he brings a passionate love of the earth to his writing. Last year, as co-editor of the anthology Fracture, he spoke to Little Village about the value of creating new perspectives — in his more recent work, he does just that.
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A week of activities dedicated to Iowa expat musician Arthur Russell
Arthur Russell Week various venues — Tuesday, April 25 through Friday, April 28 When Arthur Russell was a teenager, he ran away from his home in Oskaloosa, Iowa. A pioneer in cross-genre composition during the 1970s and ’80s, Russell released just one solo album during his lifetime: World of Echo in 1986. He collaborated with […]
