Iowa Writers' Workshop alum Lee Cole will read from his newest novel, Fulfillment. Set in contemporary Kentucky and featuring both the successes and failures of two half brothers returning home, Fulfillment is praised by Publishers Weekly as "An evocative tale of ambition, lust, and sibling rivalry in western Kentucky," while Kirkus Reviews says, "Cole mixes the angst and insecurity of class and poverty to craft a Molotov cocktail he lobs with exacting precision."Lee Cole was born and grew up in...

Iowa Writers' Workshop alum and former visiting instructor Michelle Huneven will read from her newest novel, Bug Hollow. Featuring and examining the lives of a family rocked by the tragic death of their oldest child Ellis shortly after he graduated from high school, Bug Hollow is praised by Booklist as "a gift" and "a family story that speaks of the joys, sorrows, and surprising possibilities of human connection," while Ann Napolitano, bestselling author of Hello Beautiful, says, "Reading the...

Iowa Writers' Workshop alum Madeline McDonnell will read from her newest novel, Lonesome Ballroom, and will be joined in conversation with fellow Writers' Workshop alum and current director of the Iowa Young Writers' Studio, Stephen Lovely. Set in a bar in the early-aughts and featuring a far-ranging conversation between patron/protagonist Betty Block and bartender Lizzie about everything from "gender’s relationship to popular aesthetics that swirls from ancient epics to turn-of-the-millennium...

Our 100-Word Microstory Contest is a free online writing competition for a variety of age groups. Writing prompts here on Monday, July 14, 2025, at 9 a.m. CDT.You don’t have to be an Iowa Writers’ Workshop grad—or even have participated in a writing contest before—to join in the fun. Just create a story in 100 words or less that uses one of two specific writing prompts.The age categories are:· Grades 3 & 4· Grades 5 & 6· Grades 7 & 8· Grades 9–12· Adult (University of Iowa Alumni)· Adult (Friend...

Former Iowa Nonfiction Writing Program director Robin Hemley will read from his newest book, How to Change History: A Salvage Project. Described as a grappling with "the individual’s navigation of history and the conflict between personal and public histories," How to Change History meditates on a range of media, from photos and historical markers to "incontinent dachshunds," and attempts to "restore, resurrect, and reclaim what might otherwise be lost" (robinhemley.com). Lia Purpura, author of ...

Our 100-Word Microstory Contest is a free online writing competition for a variety of age groups. Writing prompts here on Monday, July 14, 2025, at 9 a.m. CDT.You don’t have to be an Iowa Writers’ Workshop grad—or even have participated in a writing contest before—to join in the fun. Just create a story in 100 words or less that uses one of two specific writing prompts.The age categories are:· Grades 3 & 4· Grades 5 & 6· Grades 7 & 8· Grades 9–12· Adult (University of Iowa Alumni)· Adult (Friend...