Events

2026
Sun 6.28.26, 2-6:00pm, GR Lit Fest Book Fair, 6th Street Polish Hall, Grand Rapids MI.
W 6.24.26, 6pm, Historical Fiction Author Panel for GR Lit Fest, Fountain Street Church, Grand Rapids MI. With Janyre Tromp, Angela M. Shupe, and Sammy Beuker
Th 5.28.26, Living Here, Exploring Elsewheres: a roundtable discussion with Brandon Smith, Aaron Ponce, Taylor Oberhausen, Kassidi Mott, at the Symposium of the Society for the Study of Midwestern Literature (SSML), East Lansing MI.
Th 5.21.26, The Influence of Bonnie Jo Campbell, a roundtable discussion with Lisa DuRose, Doug Sheldon, and Sara Kosiba, at the American Literature Association annual conference, Chicago IL.
Th 5.14.26, 7pm, reading and discussion with Laura Hulthen Thomas, at Books & Mortar, 966 Cherry St SE, Grand Rapids MI
1.17.26, graduation address, for the Alma College MFA in Creative Writing Winter Residency, Alma College MI
1.16.26, 6:30, reading with Amanda Uhle at Ballyhoo Books, 111 W. Superior St, Alma MI. 
Past Events
11.14.25, 6pm, in conversation with Lindsay Merbaum about her new book Vampires at Sea, at Books & Mortar, 966 Cherry St SE, Grand Rapids MI
7.23.25, 6:30pm, in conversation with Matthew Gavin Frank about his new book Submersed: Wonder, Obsession, and Murder in the World of Amateur Submarines, at Schuler Books, 2660 28th Street SE, Grand Rapids
5.29-30.25, presentation at Symposium of the Society for the Study of Midwestern Literature, East Lansing, MI.
5.9.25, 7pm, Fountain Street church in Grand Rapids, MI: Keynote speaker for Mom Always Says, a storytelling event celebrating motherhood for Mother’s Day, raising funds for CASA: Court Appointed Special Advocates. Tickets get you lots of great stories by local storytellers, and support an important cause!
4.12.25 Sticking the Landing: Endings in Short Fiction. Session for A Rally of Writers writing conference, Lansing, MI
3.20.25 Author Q+A, University of Montevallo, Montevallo, AL. (virtual)
10/12/24: Publishing Short Fiction workshop, presented for Write Michigan Day of Learning, Kent District Library, Cascade Township Branch
4/10/24 It Lives!: Revision and Re-vision, workshop presented for the Festival of Faith & Writing, Calvin University, Grand Rapids MI
5/30/24 presentation at American Literature Association national conference, Chicago IL
9/28/23 online salon delivered for the American Friends of Musée de Montmartre
5/11/23, 6pm: Books & Mortar, Grand Rapids MI, with Oindrila Mukherjee (on Writing and Publishing Your Debut Novel)
4/15/23, 1pm: Kent District Library Service Center, Write Michigan Short Story Contest Awards Ceremony, Keynote Address
1/3-13/23: The MFA Program for Writers at Warren Wilson College, Winter Residency Faculty
11/0/22: The Bookman, Grand Haven MI, with Jonathan Geltner (in person)
W Oct 19, 4pm: Merrimack College, North Andover MA (in person)
Fri May 6, 4pm: Knox College, Galesburg IL (in person)
Th April 7, 7pm ET: Writer-in-Residence, Warren Wilson College (virtual)
T March 29, 6pm CT: Southern Illinois University Edwardsville (virtual)
Th March 3, 7pm ET: In conversation with Nathaniel Ian Miller, hosted by Odyssey Bookshop (virtual)
Th March 3, 9:30-12 CT: Workshop followed by Q+A with Jennifer Egan, Off Campus Writers Workshop (virtual)
Th February 3, 7pm: Contemporary Writers Series, Aquinas College, Grand Rapids MI (in person)
2021
M January 18, 7pm EST: A conversation with Bear Pond Books‘s SciFi+ Book Club, open to all. RSVP here
Th January 21, 7pm EST: Hosted by Schuler Books and Nicola’s Books, open to all. Info/registration here
Sat Feb 5: Douglas Anderson Writers’ Festival, Jacksonville, FL (virtual)
Th Feb 18, 1pm CST: DMACC Celebration of the Literary Arts, with Kate Wisel, Des Moines, IA (virtual, register here)
Th Feb 18, 7:30pm EST: REO Town Reading Series, Lansing MI (virtual, watch via FB Live)
March 1-5: Visiting Writer, Montgomery College/Potomac Review (virtual)
March 3-7: AWP Conference, Time Passes: When Life is Long and Art is Short(er) with Derek Palacio, Kathleen Rooney, and Joseph Scapellato (virtual)
Th April 1, details tbd: Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green OH (virtual)
Fri April 2, 9:50am: Writer’s House @ Rutgers University, New Brunswick NJ (virtual)
Th April 15, 7pm MST: University of Arizona Reading Series, Tucson AZ (virtual, RSVP here)
Th May 6, 9:30-12 CST: workshop and Q+A with Christina Baker Kline, for The Off Campus Writers’ Workshop. Registration here
T May 11, 7pm ET: Let’s Deconstruct a Story conversation with Kelly Fordon, hosted by Pages Bookshop (virtual)
T May 18, 7pm ET: Creativity During a Pandemic, panel discussion sponsored by the Kenyon Review (virtual)
T October 26, 6pm ET: Callander Public Library, Overbooked Book Club series (virtual)
M November 1, 5pm CT: University of Montevallo (virtual)
2020
Virtual Events
W Dec 16, 7pm CST: CHEAP POP Round Robin Reading, with K.B. Carle, Lee L. Krecklow and Aram Mrjolan
Th Nov 19, 7pm MST: Arizona State University Stellar Alumni Reading Series, with W. Todd Kaneko
Th Oct 22, 7pm EDT: Writers’ Harvest benefit reading, sponsored by the Kenyon Review Reading Series
Tues Aug 18, 7pm CDT/8pm EDT: In conversation with Kathleen Rooney, author of Cher Ami and Major Whittlesey, hosted by Boswell Book Company.
Registration info here.
Th Aug 13, 7pm EDT: Online fiction writing class hosted by the Grand Rapids Public Library and its GR Reads program. Info here.
Class content will remain available after 8/13.
Th July 30: Interlochen Center for the Arts, Interlochen, MI
Below lies the graveyard of events cancelled due to COVID-19.
CANCELLED:
Sat March 14: Spark Fest 2020, Reach Studio Arts Center, Lansing, MI. Register here! Full day of workshops, readings, and writing time.
Sat March 21: Douglas Anderson Writers’ Festival, Jacksonville, FL
Th April 9: Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green, OH
W April 15: Festival of Faith & Writing (pre-conference workshop faculty), Calvin College, Grand Rapids, MI
April 23-26: Six Bridges Book Festival, Little Rock, AR
Fri May 1: Knox College, Galesburg, IL
May 9-16: fiction faculty at Longleaf Writers Conference, Seaside, FL (register here!)
June 21-27: fiction faculty at Kenyon Review Writers Workshop, Gambier, OH (apply here!)
PAST EVENTS, 2019
Th Aug 1, 7pm: The Elliott Bay Book Company, 1521 10th Ave, Seattle, WA, with Donna Miscolta
M Aug 5, 6:30-9:30: StoryStudio Chicago master class, “It Lives!: Revision and Re-vision,”4043 N. Ravenswood, Suite #222, Chicago, IL
T Aug 6, 7pm: Volumes Bookcafe, 1474 N Milwaukee Ave, Chicago, IL, reading with Deborah Shapiro
Th Aug 8, 7pm: Book Launch Party, Lions & Rabbits Gallery, 1264 Plainfield NE, Grand Rapids, MI
M Aug 19, 7pm: Literati Bookstore, 124 E Washington, Ann Arbor, MI, reading followed by conversation with Lillian Li
W Aug 28, 6pm: Michigan News Agency, 308 W Michigan Ave, Kalamazoo, MI, reading with Joe Sacksteder
Th Sept 12, 7pm: Newtonville Books, 10 Langley Rd, Newton, MA with Whitney Scharer
Sept 18-20: Washington and Lee University, Lexington, VA
M Sept 23, 6:30 pm: reading at Books & Mortar bookstore, Grand Rapids, MI
M Oct 7, 6:30pm: Sullivan Reading Series at University of St. Francis, Fort Wayne, IN
Sat Oct 12, 2-4pm: Q+A at 2, following by signing, at Barnes & Noble Woodland Mall, Grand Rapids, MI
M Oct 21, 7pm: Mac’s-Back Books on Coventry, 1820 Coventry Rd, Cleveland Heights, OH. Reading featuring live performance of Satie’s Gnossiennes.
                       (Also M 10/21, events at Hathaway Brown School, Shaker Heights, OH)
Mon Nov 4, 7pm: reading/Q+A/signing at Allendale Township Library, 6175 Library Ln, Allendale, MI
Th Nov 7, 7pm: Book Drunk Book Club, Trail Point Brewing, Allendale, MI
W Nov 13: Bradley University, Peoria, IL
T Nov 19, 6:30pm: reading with Joe Sacksteder at Books & Mortar, Grand Rapids, MI
M Feb 3, 6pm: reading with Beth Peterson at Grand Valley State University (library multipurpose room), Allendale, MI
T Feb 11, 4:30pm: reading at Kenyon College, Gambier, OH
T Feb 11, 7pm: Paragraphs Bookstore, Mount Venon, OH
Th Feb 27: Bates Visiting Writer, Franklin & Marshall College, Lancaster, PA
Th March 12, 4pm: hosted by Grand Rapids Symphony Friends at Schuler Books, 28th St, Grand Rapids, MI.
Words from me and music from  pianists Rebecca Sneller and June Nelson. Free and open to all.