Beronda Montgomery in conv with Louise Seamster - When Trees Testify Biologist Beronda L. Montgomery will read from her new book, When Trees Testify: Science, Wisdom, History, and America’s Black Botanical Legacy, and will be joined in conversation with University of Iowa Associate Professor Louise Seamster. Described as a "stunning cultural and personal reclamation of Black […]

Melissa Faliveno in conv with Melissa Febos - Hemlock Melissa Faliveno will read from her new novel, Hemlock, and will be joined in conversation with Iowa Nonfiction Writing Program professor Melissa Febos. Described as a "Butch Black Swan" and featuring "a woman haunted by a dark inheritance returned to the woods where her mother vanished," Hemlock is praised by Febos […]

Amanda Uhle in conv with Nina Lohman - Destroy this House Amanda Uhle will read from her new memoir, Destroy This House, and will be joined in conversation with local author […]

Mary Jane Knight - The Light Between the Lines Iowa City musician Mary Jane Knight will read from and talk about her new book, The Light Between the Lines. This healing poetry collection explores grief, renewal, and the light one can discover within—an intimate companion for anyone seeking comfort, clarity, or spiritual inspiration. Based in Iowa […]

Sam Sussman in conv with Katie Runde- The Boy from the North Country Sam Evan Sussman will read from his debut novel, The Boy from the North Country, and will be joined in conversation with local writer Katie Runde. Described and praised by Kirkus Reviews as "the most beautiful and moving mother-son story in recent memory," The […]

Jake Fournier in conv with Alicia Wright - Punishment Bag Jake Fournier will read from his new poetry collection, Punishment Bag, and will be joined in conversation with Alicia Wright. Described as "In conversation with collections like John Ashbery's Some Trees and Wallace Stevens's Harmonium," Punishment Bag is "a daring poetry debut that carves its own unsettling territory" (simonandschuster.com). D. A. Powell, […]

Jonathan Gleason in conv with Sarah Minor - Field Guide to Falling Ill: Essays Iowa MFA graduate Jonathan Gleason will read from his debut essay collection, Field Guide to Falling Ill, and will be joined in conversation with Sarah Minor. Described by Publishers Weekly as "Enlightening and beautifully written," Field Guide to Falling Ill is also praised by […]

Clare Kinberg in conversation with Lisa Heineman - By the Waters of Paradise Clare Kinberg will read from her new book, By the Waters of Paradise: An American Story of Racism and Rupture in a Jewish Family, and will be joined in conversation with Lisa Heineman. Telling Kinberg's story of how, in 2016, she discovered her […]

Keiichiro Hirano - Eclipse Keiichiro Hirano will read from his bestselling novel Eclipse. Hirano's visit to Iowa City is sponsored by the Japan Foundation and the University of Iowa's Center for Asian and Pacific Studies (CAPS) and Japanese Program. Winner of the 2025 Japan - U.S. Friendship Commission Prize (awarded annually by the Donald Keene Center of […]

Bret Anthony Johnston in conv with Lan Samantha Chang - Encounters With Unexpected Animals Bret Anthony Johnston will read from his new short story collection, Encounters with Unexpected Animals, and will be joined in conversation with Iowa Writers' Workshop director Lan Samantha Chang. Described as "an imaginative, moving collection of stories infused with the magic and […]

Book Matters event with Ashley Howard - Midwest Unrest This event is sponsored by Book Matters of the University of Iowa. (Please see their website for more information.) Ashley Howard earned a PhD in History from the University of Illinois. Her research interests include African Americans in the Midwest; the intersection between race, class, and […]