Bestselling author Peter Orner will read from his newest book, a novel called The Gossip Columnist's Daughter, and will be joined in conversation by Kevin Brockmeier. Narrated by a character named Jed Rosenthal, a struggling writer who hasn't published a book in over a decade and whose wife separated from him and took full custody of their child, The Gossip Columnist's Daughter traces Jed's meticulous search for answers to a cold case murder of a young woman who was the daughter of his...

Amie Barrodale will discuss her newest book, a novel called Trip, with Diane Vadino. Described by Farrar, Straus and Giroux as "an absurd, profound and irresistibly entertaining odyssey," Trip follows a mother named Sandra who, three days after her unexpected death, discovers her son Anthony has run away from a troubled youth center in the American desert, and only she knows where he is and how to keep him from joining her in death too soon. Mary Gaitskill praises Barrodale as "witty, soulful...

Write at the Stanley: A Generative Writing Workshop is back for the Fall Semester!

Join us monthly to generate new creative writing inspired by works in the Stanley collection. Each session will be led by a different talented writer from our area, who will be offering a new prompt and a new approach to ekphrastic writing (writing inspired by visual art). Bring your own notebook and pencil or computer and leave with the beginning of a newly written piece.

Co-sponsored by Iowa City Poetry. Teen and...

Iowa Writers' Workshop alum C. Mallon will read from her debut novel, Dogs, and will be joined in conversation by visiting Iowa Writers' Workshop instructor, Kevin Brockmeier. Described by Simon and Schuster as a story that "traces the fallout of one catastrophic night in the lives of five high school wrestlers, asking what can survive in the blast radius of latent trauma and violence," Dogs is praised by Kevin Brockmeier, author of The Brief History of the Dead, as "equal parts scouring and...