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X-WR-CALNAME:Iowa City UNESCO City of Literature
X-ORIGINAL-URL:https://www.iowacityofliterature.org
X-WR-CALDESC:Events for Iowa City UNESCO City of Literature
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20251011T143000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20251011T143000
DTSTAMP:20260923T154212
CREATED:20250919T185449Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250924T200554Z
UID:4945-1760193000-1760193000@www.iowacityofliterature.org
SUMMARY:Christina Ward: Holy Food
DESCRIPTION:Does God have a recipe? Christina Ward’s Holy Food:  How Cults\, Communes\, and Religious Movements Influenced What We Eat – An American History investigates the explosion of religious movements since the Great Awakenings that birthed a cottage industry of food fads and cookbooks.  Ward uncovers the interconnectivity between obscure sects and communities of the 20th Century who dabbled in vague spirituality and used food to both entice and control followers. Holy Food draws on a range of sources\, including academic studies\, interviews\, cookbooks\, and religious texts\, to offer sharp insights into American history in this highly readable journey through the American kitchen. \n“Looks yummy!”\n— John Waters \n“Holy Food is a titanic feat of research and a fascinating exploration of American faith and culinary rites. Christina Ward is the perfect guide – generous\, wise\, and ecumenical.” — Adam Chandler\, author of Drive-Thru Dreams
URL:https://www.iowacityofliterature.org/event/christina-ward-holy-food/
LOCATION:Iowa City Public Library\, 123 S. Linn St.\, Iowa City\, IA\, 52240\, United States
CATEGORIES:Iowa City Book Festival
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.iowacityofliterature.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Holy-Food.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20251011T160000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20251011T160000
DTSTAMP:20260923T154212
CREATED:20250908T172953Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250924T201540Z
UID:4857-1760198400-1760198400@www.iowacityofliterature.org
SUMMARY:Anna Barker: 13 Notes from Napoleon\, Iowa: Musings on the Edge of the French Empire
DESCRIPTION:Born on August 15\, 1769\, in Ajaccio\, on the Mediterranean island of Corsica\, Napoleon was the ruler of Iowa between 1800 and 1803 when he served as the First Consul of the French Republic. Iowa City\, Iowa\, evolved out of the 1838 settlement named after him — Napoleon\, Iowa — the location marked today by Napoleon Park\, off Napoleon Lane\, just south of Iowa City. The book illuminates aspects of Iowa’s French past\, such as cities named after the Napoleonic battles of Marengo and Waterloo\, and explains the mystery of Iowa’s distinctly French-looking flag. Along the way\, the author muses on other Napoleon-related matters\, such as Empire waist gowns\, Goethe’s and Byron’s Bonapartism\, the aftermath of the Battle of Waterloo\, the Congress of Vienna\, and to what extent Europe’s current internal contradictions have been impacted by its Napoleonic past.
URL:https://www.iowacityofliterature.org/event/anna-barker-13-notes-from-napoleon-iowa-musings-on-the-edge-of-the-french-empire/
LOCATION:Iowa City Public Library\, 123 S. Linn St.\, Iowa City\, IA\, 52240\, United States
CATEGORIES:Iowa City Book Festival
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.iowacityofliterature.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Anna-Barker-cover.jpeg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20251011T160000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20251011T160000
DTSTAMP:20260923T154212
CREATED:20250908T173311Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250908T173311Z
UID:4860-1760198400-1760198400@www.iowacityofliterature.org
SUMMARY:Patricia Lockwood: Will There Ever Be Another You
DESCRIPTION:Amid a global pandemic\, one young woman is trying to keep the pieces together – of her family\, stunned by a devastating loss\, and of her mind\, left mangled and misfiring from a mystifying disease. She’s afraid of her own floorboards\, and “WHAT IS LOVE? BABY DON’T HURT ME” plays over and over in her ears. She hates her friends\, or more accurately\, she doesn’t know who they are. \nHas the illness stolen her old mind and given her a new one? Does it mean she’ll get to start over from scratch\, a chance afforded to very few people? The very weave of herself seems to have loosened: time and memories pass straight through her body. “I’m sorry not to respond to your email\,” she writes\, “but I live completely in the present\nnow.” \nWill There Ever Be Another You is the brain-shredding\, phosphorescent story of one woman’s dissolution and her attempt to create a new way of thinking\, as well as a profound investigation into what keeps us alive in times of unprecedented disorientation and loss\, from one of our most original writers.
URL:https://www.iowacityofliterature.org/event/patricia-lockwood-will-there-ever-be-another-you/
LOCATION:Prairie Lights Books\, 15 S. Dubuque St.\, Iowa City\, IA\, 52240\, United States
CATEGORIES:Iowa City Book Festival
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.iowacityofliterature.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Will-There-Ever-Be-Another-You.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20251011T160000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20251011T160000
DTSTAMP:20260923T154212
CREATED:20250919T163103Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251001T165209Z
UID:4928-1760198400-1760198400@www.iowacityofliterature.org
SUMMARY:Panel Discussion: Importance of Genre
DESCRIPTION:A lively conversation with writers exploring how genre shapes stories\, readers\, and the writing process. \nFeaturing: \nAnna Bruno\, Gregory Galloway\, Scott Phillips\, and Tatiana Schlote-Bonne. Moderated by Nina Lohman.
URL:https://www.iowacityofliterature.org/event/panel-discussion-importance-of-genre/
LOCATION:Iowa City Masonic Building\, 312 E College St\, Iowa City\, IA\, 52240\, United States
CATEGORIES:Iowa City Book Festival
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.iowacityofliterature.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Importance-of-Genre-2025-1.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20251011T163000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20251011T173000
DTSTAMP:20260923T154212
CREATED:20250912T145723Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250912T145723Z
UID:4896-1760200200-1760203800@www.iowacityofliterature.org
SUMMARY:John Ira Thomas: Tire Magazine
DESCRIPTION:Join John Ira Thomas for a journey through the mystical and the mundane through the metafictional series of Tire magazine! John will read from Tire June 2000\, Tire Annual 2021\, Tire May 2038\, and work in progress from The Best of Tire Classifieds. Alternate timeline John’s life may have been ruined by a New Age boomlet fixated on something he drew when he was nine\, but the John of this universe is happy to share and laugh along.
URL:https://www.iowacityofliterature.org/event/john-ira-thomas-tire-magazine/
LOCATION:Daydreams Comics\, 229 E Washington St\, Iowa City\, IA\, 52240\, United States
CATEGORIES:Iowa City Book Festival
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.iowacityofliterature.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Tire-Magazine.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20251011T180000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20251011T210000
DTSTAMP:20260923T154212
CREATED:20250923T185717Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250923T185738Z
UID:4963-1760205600-1760216400@www.iowacityofliterature.org
SUMMARY:Sidekick Coffee and Books Presents: It’s Getting Plot in Here A Romance Book Festival
DESCRIPTION:Join Sidekick Coffee and Books for the Romance Book Festival\, a night of romance\, creativity\, and community. \n $35 — available now! bit.ly/Sidekick_Romance_Book_Festival \n Author Meet & Greet Line-Up: \n\nChloe Angyal – Pointe of Pride\, Pas de Don’t\, Barre Fight\nKelly Farmer – Fanning the Flames\, Secret Spark\, It’s a Fabulous Life\nGin Griffith – Holy Smoke\, Cat Fight\nMegan Murphy – Fake It Like You Mean It\, Heart Racer\nEsha Patel – Offtrack\, Overdrive\nElise Wayland – Rivals to Lovers\nDenise Williams – Just Our Luck\, Do You Take This Man\n\n What’s included with your ticket:\n Meet & Greets with incredible romance authors\n Blind Date with a Book (free book included!)\n Champagne shooters\n Book embellishment station – bedazzle your book and get creative!\n Flirty photo ops & cozy fall vibes
URL:https://www.iowacityofliterature.org/event/sidekick-coffee-and-books-presents-its-getting-plot-in-here-a-romance-book-festival/
LOCATION:Sidekick Coffee & Books\, 1310 1/2 Melrose Avenue\, Iowa City\, IA\, 52242\, United States
CATEGORIES:Iowa City Book Festival
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.iowacityofliterature.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Its-getting-plot-in-here.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20251012T123000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20251012T123000
DTSTAMP:20260923T154212
CREATED:20220831T160317Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251006T153351Z
UID:1905-1760272200-1760272200@www.iowacityofliterature.org
SUMMARY:Poetry in Public Reading Featuring Iowa’s Student Poet Ambassador\, Daniel Umemezie
DESCRIPTION:Daniel Umemezie\, 2025–26 Iowa Student Poet Ambassador\nPoetry in Public celebrates our community’s rich literary tradition and local writing talent by displaying poems by writers of all ages. Hear from some of the 2025 Selected Poets. This event is live and in-person\, and will be streamed live at: https://www.youtube.com/thelibrarychannel \nFeaturing special guest\, Daniel Somotochukwu Umemezie\, the 2025–26 Iowa Student Poet Ambassador. \nParticipating Poets: \nKiley Adkins | Philip Beck | Dan Campion | Melanie Hester | Jennifer Horn-Frasier | Jessica Moore | Anna Moyers Stone | Charlotte Pearl | Mazzy Sleep | Rich Sokoli | Anjali Strand \nIf your poem was selected for Poetry in Public 2025 and you’d like to read it at the event\, please email us at info@iowacityofliterature.org
URL:https://www.iowacityofliterature.org/event/poetry-in-public-reading/
LOCATION:Iowa City Public Library\, 123 S. Linn St.\, Iowa City\, IA\, 52240\, United States
CATEGORIES:Iowa City Book Festival
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.iowacityofliterature.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/Poetry-in-Public-icon.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20251012T130000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20251012T130000
DTSTAMP:20260923T154212
CREATED:20250925T163755Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251002T142922Z
UID:4981-1760274000-1760274000@www.iowacityofliterature.org
SUMMARY:Panel Discussion: Beyond Publishing – Writing as Joy\, Healing\, and Priority
DESCRIPTION:This panel will explore writing beyond publishing\, focusing on how the practice itself can bring joy\, healing\, and meaning. Panelists will also consider how books\, reading\, and art can serve as medicine\, balm\, or even dessert\, nourishing both mind and spirit. \nFeaturing: Erin Casey\, Kellee Forkenbrock\, Mackie Garrett\, and Morgan Webb | Moderated by Jesus “Chuy” Renteria
URL:https://www.iowacityofliterature.org/event/panel-discussion-beyond-publishing-writing-as-joy-healing-and-priority/
LOCATION:MERGE\, 136 S Dubuque St\, Iowa City\, IA\, 52240\, United States
CATEGORIES:Iowa City Book Festival
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.iowacityofliterature.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/PANEL-DISCUSSION-Beyond-Publishing-Writing-as-Joy-Healing-and-Priority.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20251012T143000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20251012T143000
DTSTAMP:20260923T154212
CREATED:20250904T155008Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250916T163321Z
UID:4818-1760279400-1760279400@www.iowacityofliterature.org
SUMMARY:Panel Discussion – The Black Superwoman & Mental Health: Power & Pain
DESCRIPTION:Panelists will discuss this new anthology\, The Black Superwoman & Mental Health: Power & Pain by Venise Berry and Janette Taylor. \nIt is not easy to reveal oneself and to be vulnerable in a public way as the authors in this book have done. This is the act of resisting the voices and social scripts that say we do not air our “dirty laundry”\, we should keep “secrets” to remain safe\, yet unhealthy. We must find safe spaces to speak our truths\, to heal. It is through the process of seeking\, doing\, and being\, sometimes in public like this anthology and sometimes in private (counseling or psychotherapy)\, that many of us learn to acknowledge\, analyze\, speak\, and eventually write the truth of/about our lives in order to move closer to being whole Black women. Enjoy poetry\, short stories\, essays\, and assessable research in this powerful anthology. \nFeaturing: Venise Berry\, Professor of Journalism and African American Studies\, University of Iowa; Averi Bryant\, Graphic Arts Designer & Social Media Promoter; Katrina Harden-Williams\, Doctoral Candidate in School of Education\, Drake University; Tianna Newell\, First Lady of Purpose Place Church in Iowa City; Tiana Warner\, Spoken Word Artist\, Writer.
URL:https://www.iowacityofliterature.org/event/panel-discussion-the-black-superwoman-mental-health-power-pain/
LOCATION:DREAM CITY\, 611 Southgate Avenue\, Iowa City\, IA\, 52240\, United States
CATEGORIES:Iowa City Book Festival
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/webp:https://www.iowacityofliterature.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/The-Black-Superwoman-Mental-Health.webp
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20251012T153000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20251012T153000
DTSTAMP:20260923T154212
CREATED:20250908T173917Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250908T173917Z
UID:4862-1760283000-1760283000@www.iowacityofliterature.org
SUMMARY:Kazim Ali with Rajaa Alsanea and Yu Yuen Lan
DESCRIPTION:Poet\, novelist\, and essayist Kazim Ali will read as a special guest of the University of Iowa’s International Writing Program. He is joined by IWP participants Rajaa Alsanea (Saudi Arabia) and Yu Yuen Lan (Hong Kong)\, who will also read from their work.
URL:https://www.iowacityofliterature.org/event/kazim-ali-with-rajaa-alsanea-and-yu-yuen-lan/
LOCATION:Prairie Lights Books\, 15 S. Dubuque St.\, Iowa City\, IA\, 52240\, United States
CATEGORIES:Iowa City Book Festival
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.iowacityofliterature.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/IWP-Reading-10-12.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20251012T180000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20251012T180000
DTSTAMP:20260923T154212
CREATED:20240812T171149Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250905T170259Z
UID:3721-1760292000-1760292000@www.iowacityofliterature.org
SUMMARY:Little Village Presents: Roast of Iowa City
DESCRIPTION:Year after year\, some of the area’s most treasured comics and writers gather together to relentlessly burn and mock everything sacred and dear about our town. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. \nThis year is hosted by Karen Vásquez and features a lineup of talented comics\, plus LV’s Dear Kiki Live!\, where we read your anonymous love and relationship questions and Kiki answers them on the spot. The Roast of Iowa City is sponsored by Romantix\, who said they’ll be sending a box of “fun prizes for on-stage giveaways.” = \nThis is and always has been a free event\, but guests are encouraged to make a donation so Little Village can continue doing what they do (journalism\, etc.) well into our dystopian future.
URL:https://www.iowacityofliterature.org/event/little-village-presents-roast-of-iowa-city-2/
LOCATION:ReUnion Brewery\, 113 E College St\, Iowa City\, 52240\, United States
CATEGORIES:Iowa City Book Festival
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.iowacityofliterature.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/LV.jpeg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20261018T140000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20261018T140000
DTSTAMP:20260923T154212
CREATED:20260902T144746Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260902T145505Z
UID:6041-1792332000-1792332000@www.iowacityofliterature.org
SUMMARY:Christopher Merrill Receives the 2026 Paul Engle Prize
DESCRIPTION:Christopher Merrill has been named the 15th recipient of the Paul Engle Prize\, presented by the Iowa City UNESCO City of Literature organization. \nThe prize\, established in 2011\, honors an individual who\, like Paul Engle\, represents a pioneering spirit in the world of literature through writing\, editing\, publishing\, or teaching\, and whose active participation in the larger issues of the day has contributed to the betterment of the world through the literary arts. \nThe prize includes a $25\,000 award and a one-of-a-kind work of art. Merrill\, who retired at the end of 2025 after 25 years as the director of the International Writing Program at the University of Iowa\, will receive the award at a ceremony at 2 p.m. on Oct. 18\, at the Coralville Public Library. Loren Glass\, chair of the UI English Department\, will interview Merrill as part of the program. The event\, which kicks off the 2026 Iowa City Book Festival\, is free and open to the public. \nMerrill said he was honored to receive the prize. \n“Paul Engle set a dynamic example of literary engagement\, as a poet and writer\, teacher and director of the Iowa Writers’ Workshop and International Writing Program (IWP). And his creative thinking has been for me a spur to try new things during my tenure in Iowa\, and so it is a thrill to receive an award in his name.” \nMerrill was born in Northampton\, Massachusetts and raised in New Jersey. He holds two degrees: a Bachelor of Arts in English from Middlebury College\, and a Master of Arts in Creative Writing from the University of Washington. \nHe has published more than 10 collections of poetry\, including Watch Fire\, for which he received the Lavan Younger Poets Award from the Academy of American Poets\, and On the Road to Lviv; many edited volumes and translations; and seven books of nonfiction\, among them\, Only the Nails Remain: Scenes from the Balkan Wars\, Things of the Hidden God: Journey to the Holy Mountain\, and The Tree of the Doves: Ceremony\, Expedition\, War. His writings have been translated into nearly 40 languages; his journalism appears widely; his honors include a Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres from the French government\, numerous translation awards\, and fellowships from the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial and Ingram Merrill Foundations. \nAs director of IWP\, Merrill conducted cultural diplomacy missions to more than 50 countries. He served on the U.S. National Commission for UNESCO from 2011-2018\, and in April 2012 President Barack Obama appointed him to the National Council on the Humanities. \nThe Paul Engle Prize is made possible through the generous support of the City of Coralville\, which is home to 11 permanent sculptures with artistic and literary ties to Iowa. The sculptures all have ties to work found in The Iowa Writers’ Library\, housed in the Hyatt Regency Coralville Hotel\, which features about 800 books written by former students\, graduates and faculty of the Iowa Writers’ Workshop. \nThe Engle Prize itself is a one-of-a-kind work of art. Each piece is crafted to reflect the work and impact of the recipient\, while tying it to the Iowa City UNESCO City of Literature. \nPaul Engle (October 12\, 1908 – March 22\, 1991)\, though best remembered as the long-time director of the Writers’ Workshop and co-founder with his wife\, Hualing Nieh Engle\, of the UI’s International Writing Program\, also was a well-regarded poet\, playwright\, essayist\, editor and critic. In 2000\, then-Gov. Tom Vilsack declared Engle’s birthday\, Oct. 12\, as “Paul Engle Day” in Iowa. \nPrevious winners of the prize are James Alan McPherson\, Kwame Dawes\, Luis Alberto Urrea\, Roxane Gay\, Alexander Chee\, Dina Nayeri\, Toi Derricotte\, Cornelius Eady\, Dr. Eve L. Ewing\, Rebecca Solnit\, Joan Naviyuk Kane\, Camille Dungy\, and Cole Swensen. Visit www.iowacityofliterature.org/paul-engle-day for more information about the prize and past winners.
URL:https://www.iowacityofliterature.org/event/christopher-merrill-receives-the-2026-paul-engle-prize/
LOCATION:Coralville Public Library\, 1401 5th St.\, Coralville\, IA\, 52241\, United States
CATEGORIES:General,Iowa City Book Festival
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.iowacityofliterature.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/Christopher-Merrill-web.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20261018T173000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20261018T173000
DTSTAMP:20260923T154212
CREATED:20260908T141704Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260918T153655Z
UID:6099-1792344600-1792344600@www.iowacityofliterature.org
SUMMARY:In the Cards: A Tarot and Poetry Workshop with Paula Cisewski
DESCRIPTION:This event is presented in partnership with Porchlight Literary Arts Center and Iowa City Poetry \nImage\, insight\, archetype. Your Tarot deck may provide guidance\, but how can you also use the deck to generate or revise your poems? Paula Cisewski will give a brief introduction of Tarot for newcomers and provide examples of a couple spreads. You’ll read and discuss a few famously Tarot-inspired poems\, and Cisewski will describe the process she’s been using the past couple years. After that\, you’ll generate work using the cards. Please feel free to bring your own deck if you’ve got one! If not\, that’s okay\, too! \nAfter the workshop\, Cisewski will read from her latest book\, The Becoming Game. \nAfter the frightening results of the 2016 election\, Paula Cisewski adopted a new writing practice and coping mechanism. She would invite a friend over for tea and a tarot reading. Later she would share with them the first draft of a poem inspired by the cards\, the conversation\, and whatever of the world had leaked in. The practice made space for meaningful communication in an uncertain time.” Precise\, furious\, political\, controversial\, paradoxical\, provocative\, confessional\, intimate\, friendly\, honest\, metric\, exuberant\, crazy\, subdued poetry\,” Grzegorz Kwiatowski wrote in praise of The Becoming Game. “Everything here contradicts and collides because this poetry contains many voices\, many styles\, many stories\, but they all belong to one author.”
URL:https://www.iowacityofliterature.org/event/paula-cisewski/
LOCATION:PorchLight Literary Arts Center\, 1019 E Washington St\, Iowa City\, 52240\, United States
CATEGORIES:Iowa City Book Festival
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/webp:https://www.iowacityofliterature.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/300_dpihires.webp
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20261019T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20261019T120000
DTSTAMP:20260923T154212
CREATED:20240913T163814Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260817T181858Z
UID:3943-1792411200-1792411200@www.iowacityofliterature.org
SUMMARY:Tree Tour: Literary Grove at the Iowa Writers’ Workshop
DESCRIPTION:Explore the Literary Grove with University of Iowa Arborist Andy DahlTake a guided stroll through the Literary Grove\, where each tree has a story to tell. Arborist Andy Dahl will share the unique histories and literary connections of these remarkable trees\, many linked to celebrated authors from the world-renowned Iowa Writers’ Workshop.
URL:https://www.iowacityofliterature.org/event/tree-tour/
LOCATION:Dey House\, 102 Dey House\, Iowa City\, IA\, 52242\, United States
CATEGORIES:Iowa City Book Festival
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.iowacityofliterature.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Tree-Tour.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20261019T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20261019T190000
DTSTAMP:20260923T154212
CREATED:20260825T155004Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260914T144905Z
UID:6010-1792436400-1792436400@www.iowacityofliterature.org
SUMMARY:Marilynne Robinson and Nicholas Kristof
DESCRIPTION:How Can We Hope When It All Feels Hopeless? An evening with Pulitzer Prize winners Nicholas Kristof and Marilynne Robinson \nMarilynne Robinson is the author of the novels Housekeeping\, Gilead\, Home\, Lila\, and Jack. Gilead won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction and the National Book Critics Circle Award\, while Home received the Orange Prize for Fiction and Lila won the National Book Critics Circle Award. \nRobinson is also the author of numerous books of essays\, including Reading Genesis\, The Givenness of Things\, When I Was a Child I Read Books\, and Mother Country\, a finalist for the National Book Award. Her honors include the National Humanities Medal\, the Library of Congress Prize for American Fiction\, and the PEN/Diamonstein-Spielvogel Award for the Art of the Essay. \nA longtime member of the Iowa Writers’ Workshop faculty\, Robinson taught at the University of Iowa for 25 years before retiring as the F. Wendell Miller Professor in 2016. She remains one of America’s most acclaimed novelists and essayists. \nNicholas Kristof is a two-time Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and columnist for The New York Times\, where his twice-weekly opinion columns have appeared since 2001. He joined the newspaper in 1984 and has served as a correspondent in Los Angeles\, Hong Kong\, Beijing\, and Tokyo\, as well as Associate Managing Editor of the Sunday editions. \nKristof won his first Pulitzer Prize with his wife\, journalist Sheryl WuDunn\, for their coverage of China’s Tiananmen Square democracy movement. He received a second Pulitzer Prize for commentary that brought international attention to the genocide in Darfur and other humanitarian crises. \nOver the course of his career\, Kristof has reported from more than 140 countries. He is the co-author\, with WuDunn\, of China Wakes: The Struggle for the Soul of a Rising Power and Thunder from the East: Portrait of a Rising Asia. \nPresented in partnership with The Geneva Lecture Series \nThe University of Iowa School of Journalism and Mass Communication supports Nicholas Kristof and Marilynne Robinson as 2026 Bernard and Ethel Adler Hurwitz Lecturers.
URL:https://www.iowacityofliterature.org/event/marilynne-robinson-and-nicholas-kristof/
LOCATION:Macbride Auditorium\, 17 N. Clinton St.\, Iowa City\, IA\, 52240\, United States
CATEGORIES:Iowa City Book Festival
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://www.iowacityofliterature.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Marilynne-Robinson-and-Nicholas-Kristof.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20261020T180000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20261020T180000
DTSTAMP:20260923T154212
CREATED:20260813T160527Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260813T164525Z
UID:5879-1792519200-1792519200@www.iowacityofliterature.org
SUMMARY:Bonnie Jo Campbell: The Spirits
DESCRIPTION:Bonnie Jo Campbell\, a master of rural American fiction\, brings us a hair-raising winter tale to warm us by the fireside. In this contemporary Christmas Carol\, Campbell has created a gritty\, spooky\, and ultimately heartening holiday story that unfolds in an isolated farmhouse. It is the night before Christmas in a small town in Michigan\, and a young woman is haunted by her father’s death. She has been silently penitent for nine years\, but her guilt and grief have estranged her from her community and her family. She has taken refuge in the natural world of the plants and trees she tends\, but on this anniversary of the tragedy\, the supernatural landscape is rattling its chains. \nWhen a surprise guest appears at the (dreaded) Christmas Eve dinner\, the family begins to open up and reveal dangerous secrets and crimes nobody is willing to face. Within this darkest chaos\, a sliver of light appears\, showing a way to reclaim communion and even a sense of humor. While redemption is never easy or wholesale\, the story that a family creates together can heal wounds.
URL:https://www.iowacityofliterature.org/event/bonnie-jo-campbell-the-spirits/
LOCATION:Prairie Lights Books\, 15 S. Dubuque St.\, Iowa City\, IA\, 52240\, United States
CATEGORIES:Iowa City Book Festival
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.iowacityofliterature.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/The-Spirits.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20261020T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20261020T190000
DTSTAMP:20260923T154212
CREATED:20260817T172005Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260817T172136Z
UID:5914-1792522800-1792522800@www.iowacityofliterature.org
SUMMARY:Megan Greenwell: Bad Company
DESCRIPTION:Acclaimed journalist Megan Greenwell’s Bad Company unearths the hidden story of corporate greed and the world of private equity by examining the lives of four American workers that were devastated as private equity upended their employers and communities: a Toys R Us floor supervisor\, a rural doctor\, a local newspaper journalist\, and an affordable housing organizer. Taken together\, their individual experiences also pull back the curtain on a much larger project: how the relentless pursuit of shareholder value reshaped the American economy to serve its own interests\, creating a new class of billionaires while stripping ordinary people of their livelihoods\, their health care\, their homes\, and their sense of security.
URL:https://www.iowacityofliterature.org/event/megan-greenwell-bad-company/
LOCATION:Iowa City Public Library\, 123 S. Linn St.\, Iowa City\, IA\, 52240\, United States
CATEGORIES:Iowa City Book Festival
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.iowacityofliterature.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Bad-Company.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20261021T160000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20261021T160000
DTSTAMP:20260923T154212
CREATED:20260813T142300Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260813T142300Z
UID:5876-1792598400-1792598400@www.iowacityofliterature.org
SUMMARY:Curator Guided Tour: It’s Been Wonderful Knowing You: Wildlife Conservation and Advocacy Through the Lens of Jay N. “Ding” Darling
DESCRIPTION:Join co-curators Collin Vandewalle and Lindsay Moen for a special guided tour of the current University of Iowa Libraries Main Library Gallery exhibition\, It’s Been Wonderful Knowing You: Wildlife Conservation and Advocacy Through the Lens of Jay N. “Ding” Darling. Oct. 21 is also Darling’s birthday\, so stop by for birthday treats before or after the tour! (Gluten-free and vegan options available.) \nAll are welcome to attend this free event\, which is being held in partnership with the Iowa City Book Festival. \nAbout the exhibit:\nA Pulitzer Prize-winning cartoonist for The Des Moines Register\, Jay N. “Ding” Darling (1876–1962) was also one of the nation’s most influential figures in the American conservation movement. Appointed director of the U.S. Bureau of Biological Survey (later part of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service) by President Franklin D. Roosevelt\, Darling made historic attempts to answer his growing concerns about industrialism’s impact on the environment. \nIn celebration of the 150th anniversary of his birth\, this exhibition explores the transformation of Iowa’s environmental landscape during Darling’s life and his contributions to environmental and wildlife conservation advocacy nationwide. It also showcases how his legacy lives on today both locally and across the country\, and how other Iowans have played key roles in our state’s conservation efforts. Curated by librarians Lindsay Moen and Collin Vandewalle\, It’s Been Wonderful Knowing You highlights the Jay N. “Ding” Darling Papers from Special Collections and Archives\, specimens from the University of Iowa Museum of Natural History\, and more from across the Libraries.
URL:https://www.iowacityofliterature.org/event/curator-guided-tour-its-been-wonderful-knowing-you-wildlife-conservation-and-advocacy-through-the-lens-of-jay-n-ding-darling/
LOCATION:University of Iowa Main Library Gallery\, 125 W Washington St\, Iowa City\, IA\, United States
CATEGORIES:Iowa City Book Festival
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://www.iowacityofliterature.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Ding-sketching.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20261021T170000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20261021T180000
DTSTAMP:20260923T154212
CREATED:20260813T163354Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260917T230604Z
UID:5884-1792602000-1792605600@www.iowacityofliterature.org
SUMMARY:Slamovision: International Slam Poetry Judging
DESCRIPTION:Join Iowa City poets and poetry lovers during the Iowa City Book Festival to watch and rank slam poets from UNESCO Cities of Literature around the world as they compete for the 2026 Slamovision title. Scores from this international competition will help determine the winner\, who will be crowned at the Slamovision final on November 1 at The James Theater in Iowa City. There will be free pizza at the event… first come\, first served!
URL:https://www.iowacityofliterature.org/event/slamovision-international-slam-poetry-judging/
LOCATION:Iowa City Public Library\, 123 S. Linn St.\, Iowa City\, IA\, 52240\, United States
CATEGORIES:Iowa City Book Festival
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/gif:https://www.iowacityofliterature.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/SlamOVision-1024x1024-1.gif
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20261021T173000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20261021T173000
DTSTAMP:20260923T154212
CREATED:20260902T141514Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260902T141514Z
UID:6037-1792603800-1792603800@www.iowacityofliterature.org
SUMMARY:Pilar Quintana: La perra (The Bitch)
DESCRIPTION:On a bluff overlooking Colombia’s rough Pacific coast\, at the edge of the jungle—a world where nothing is taken for granted –Damaris lives in a shack with her fisherman husband. Her dream of a child unfulfilled and the warmth of her marriage cooled\, she has reached the age “when women dry up\,” as her uncle puts it. When the opportunity arises\, she takes in a motherless puppy with eagerness and immediate affection. She does not yet know the risk she is taking in forging a bond that touches her most painful losses and her tenderest yearnings. \nIn prose as terse as the villagers Damaris lives among\, The Bitch evokes the double-edged force of the instinct to nurture and the desperate desire to be nurtured in turn.
URL:https://www.iowacityofliterature.org/event/pilar-quintana-la-perra-the-bitch/
LOCATION:Prairie Lights Books\, 15 S. Dubuque St.\, Iowa City\, IA\, 52240\, United States
CATEGORIES:Iowa City Book Festival
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.iowacityofliterature.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/The-Bitch.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20261021T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20261021T190000
DTSTAMP:20260923T154212
CREATED:20260902T141750Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260902T141750Z
UID:6039-1792609200-1792609200@www.iowacityofliterature.org
SUMMARY:Mark Leidner: Elegy for Pangaea
DESCRIPTION:Mark Leidner’s third poetry collection\, Elegy for Pangaea\, is as funny\, strange\, and epic as his two previous collections\, Returning the Sword to the Stone and Beauty Was the Case that They Gave Me. His new poems explore faith\, grief\, money\, myth\, parenting\, and poetry itself to create a collection as full of tantalizing ideas and dilemmas as “an enormous library with a waterbed floor.” As mystical as it is satirical\, as audacious as it is personal\, as hysterical as it is disconcerting\, in Elegy for Pangaea\, Leidner once again shows us that the only way out of irony is through.
URL:https://www.iowacityofliterature.org/event/mark-leidner-elegy-for-pangaea/
LOCATION:Prairie Lights Books\, 15 S. Dubuque St.\, Iowa City\, IA\, 52240\, United States
CATEGORIES:Iowa City Book Festival
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.iowacityofliterature.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/LEIDNER_ElegyCover-2026.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20261022T110000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20261022T110000
DTSTAMP:20260923T154212
CREATED:20260911T172705Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260911T173507Z
UID:6115-1792666800-1792666800@www.iowacityofliterature.org
SUMMARY:Mark Leidner: A Conversation about Poetry and Humor
DESCRIPTION:A Conversation about poetry and humor with poet Mark Leidner\, 11 a.m.\, Frank Conroy Reading Room\, Dey House. Leidner will discuss the use of humor in poetry in this session presented by the Iowa Writers’ Workshop.
URL:https://www.iowacityofliterature.org/event/mark-leidner-a-conversation-about-poetry-and-humor/
LOCATION:Frank Conroy Reading Room\, 507 N. Clinton St.\, Iowa City\, IA\, 52245\, United States
CATEGORIES:Iowa City Book Festival
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.iowacityofliterature.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/Mark-Leidner-300x300-1.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20261022T180000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20261022T190000
DTSTAMP:20260923T154212
CREATED:20260813T164421Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260908T211445Z
UID:5887-1792692000-1792695600@www.iowacityofliterature.org
SUMMARY:Melissa Tedone: The Poison Book Project
DESCRIPTION:The Poison Book Project is an interdisciplinary research initiative at Winterthur Museum\, Garden & Library and the University of Delaware. This ongoing investigation explores the materiality of Victorian-era publishers’ bindings. Research focuses on identifying potentially toxic pigments used in bookbinding components and how to handle and store potentially toxic collections more safely. \nMelissa Tedone is Assistant Professor in the Department of Art Conservation at the University of Delaware and Associate Director of the Winterthur/University of Delaware Program in Art Conservation. A specialist in the conservation of library and archival materials\, she previously served as Library & Archives Conservator at Iowa State University.
URL:https://www.iowacityofliterature.org/event/melissa-tedone-the-poison-book-project/
LOCATION:University of Iowa Main Library\, 125 W Washington St\,\, Iowa City\, IA\, 52242\, United States
CATEGORIES:Iowa City Book Festival
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://www.iowacityofliterature.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/green-book-godeys.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20261022T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20261022T190000
DTSTAMP:20260923T154212
CREATED:20260817T171632Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260817T180655Z
UID:5911-1792695600-1792695600@www.iowacityofliterature.org
SUMMARY:Panel Discussion: Weirdos Writing for Weirdos: A Contemporary Approach to Speculative Fiction
DESCRIPTION:Sci-fi\, fantasy\, and horror used to be the outcasts of literature\, but now more than ever these speculative genres are growing in popularity–and in quality. With huge properties like Fourth Wing\, Dungeon Crawler Carl\, and other “weird” series running rampant across the NYT bestseller lists\, it’s evident that readers crave these odd genres\, and more and more authors are answering the call to deliver captivating stories–many of them independent of traditional publishing altogether. \nFeaturing Ben Wolf and Darby Harn \nPresented by the Iowa City Book Festival and ICON\, Iowa’s Longest Running Science Fiction and Fantasy Convention.
URL:https://www.iowacityofliterature.org/event/panel-discussion-weirdos-writing-for-weirdos-a-contemporary-approach-to-speculative-fiction/
LOCATION:Iowa City Public Library\, 123 S. Linn St.\, Iowa City\, IA\, 52240\, United States
CATEGORIES:Iowa City Book Festival
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.iowacityofliterature.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Weirdos-Writing-for-Weirdos.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20261023T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20261023T120000
DTSTAMP:20260923T154212
CREATED:20260918T161750Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260921T185142Z
UID:6165-1792756800-1792756800@www.iowacityofliterature.org
SUMMARY:International Writing Program: Writers from Cities of Literature
DESCRIPTION:Participants in this year’s International Writing Program fall residency who live in UNESCO Cities of Literature will discuss what it is like to live and write in a City of Literature. Featuring Sarah Gilmartin (Dublin)\, Zodwa Nyoni (Manchester)\, Ingeborg von Zadow (Heidelberg)\, Yaiza Berrocal Guevara (Barcelona).
URL:https://www.iowacityofliterature.org/event/international-writing-program-writers-from-cities-of-literature/
LOCATION:Iowa City Public Library\, 123 S. Linn St.\, Iowa City\, IA\, 52240\, United States
CATEGORIES:Iowa City Book Festival
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.iowacityofliterature.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/IWP.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20261023T193000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20261023T193000
DTSTAMP:20260923T154212
CREATED:20260601T162606Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260914T144506Z
UID:5549-1792783800-1792783800@www.iowacityofliterature.org
SUMMARY:An Evening with Pulitzer Prize Winner Yiyun Li
DESCRIPTION:Internationally acclaimed author Yiyun Li won the 2026 Pulitzer Prize for her resonant memoir\, Things in Nature Merely Grow\, a deeply moving account of losing her younger son to suicide a little more than six years after her older son died in the same manner. \nThe Princeton University professor is the author of 12 books—and was a finalist for the 2024 Pulitzer Prize in Fiction. In addition\, she is the recipient of the PEN/Faulkner Award\, a PEN/Malamud Award\, a PEN/Hemingway Award\, a PEN/Jean Stein Book Award\, a MacArthur Fellowship\, and a Windham-Campbell Prize. Time Magazine also included Li on its list of 100 Most Influential People for 2026. \nMelissa Febos\, director of the University of Iowa Nonfiction Writing Program\, will join Li in conversation. Febos is the national bestselling author of five books and the recipient of a Guggenheim Fellowship\, a National Endowment for the Arts Fellowship\, and the National Book Critics Circle Award in Criticism. \n \nThis event is possible due to generous support from Linda Maxson\, professor emerita and former dean of the UI College of Liberal Arts and Sciences\, and her husband\, Rick. It is being held in conjunction with the Iowa City Book Festival. \nLiterary Legends represents a special collaboration among the UI Nonfiction Writing Program\, Iowa Writers’ Workshop\, UI Lecture Committee\, University of Iowa Center for Advancement\, and Iowa City UNESCO City of Literature.
URL:https://www.iowacityofliterature.org/event/an-evening-with-pulitzer-prize-winner-yiyun-li/
LOCATION:Levitt Center for University Advancement\, 1 East Park Road\, Iowa City\, IA\, 52242\, United States
CATEGORIES:Iowa City Book Festival
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://www.iowacityofliterature.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Yiyun-Li.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20261024T100000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20261024T100000
DTSTAMP:20260923T154212
CREATED:20260821T164135Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260831T161744Z
UID:5976-1792836000-1792836000@www.iowacityofliterature.org
SUMMARY:Lori Erickson: Travels with the Muse
DESCRIPTION:Travels with the Muse is a journey into the creative life\, told through Lori Erickson’s travels to places where art and spirit meet. From the luminous interior of Barcelona’s Sagrada Família to the rhythms of the Mississippi Blues Trail\, from quilting traditions in Nebraska to the turning dance of the whirling dervishes in Türkiye\, Erickson explores what happens when we approach art not as experts\, but as beginners willing to pay attention. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nAlong the way\, she sketches\, listens\, and learns from artists and places\, discovering that creativity is less about talent than about presence. At its heart\, Travels with the Muse is an invitation to see more deeply\, make something with your own hands\, and recognize the sacred woven through the world around us.
URL:https://www.iowacityofliterature.org/event/lori-erickson-travels-with-the-muse/
LOCATION:Iowa City Public Library\, 123 S. Linn St.\, Iowa City\, IA\, 52240\, United States
CATEGORIES:Iowa City Book Festival
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.iowacityofliterature.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Travels-with-the-Muse-cover.jpeg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20261024T100000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20261024T150000
DTSTAMP:20260923T154212
CREATED:20230915T171850Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260901T143614Z
UID:3177-1792836000-1792854000@www.iowacityofliterature.org
SUMMARY:Friends Foundation Pop-up Used Book Sale
DESCRIPTION:Stop by the lobby of the Iowa City Public Library between festival events to browse for a new (to you) book.
URL:https://www.iowacityofliterature.org/event/friends-foundation-pop-up-used-book-sale/
LOCATION:Iowa City Public Library\, 123 S. Linn St.\, Iowa City\, IA\, 52240\, United States
CATEGORIES:Iowa City Book Festival
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.iowacityofliterature.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Friends-Foundation.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20261024T100000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20261024T160000
DTSTAMP:20260923T154212
CREATED:20220823T184021Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260917T182517Z
UID:1769-1792836000-1792857600@www.iowacityofliterature.org
SUMMARY:Book Fair
DESCRIPTION:A diverse collection of titles\, journals\, magazines\, and book arts from local and regional publishers and literary organizations. A unique opportunity for book lovers to discover new authors and genres. \n508 Press | Annie’s Foundation | Catharsis | Earthwords | Gray Hawks Writers | Guild Writers | Ice Cube Press | Ink Lit Mag | Iowa City Poetry | The Iowa Review | Little Village Magazine | Midwest Writing Center | New Moon Magazine | North American Review | Orlando Literary Magazine | Porchlight Literary Arts Center | PromptPress | snapshots | The Writers’ Rooms | Translate Iowa Project | University of Iowa Press\n \n\nThe Book Fair is sponsored by Greater Iowa City\, Inc.
URL:https://www.iowacityofliterature.org/event/book-fair/
LOCATION:MERGE\, 136 S Dubuque St\, Iowa City\, IA\, 52240\, United States
CATEGORIES:Iowa City Book Festival
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.iowacityofliterature.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/Book-Fair-1.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20261024T113000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20261024T113000
DTSTAMP:20260923T154212
CREATED:20260821T165402Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260821T165402Z
UID:5978-1792841400-1792841400@www.iowacityofliterature.org
SUMMARY:James Geary: The World in a Phrase
DESCRIPTION:Aphorisms are literature’s hand luggage. Light and compact\, they contain everything you need to get through a rough day at the office or a dark night of the soul. Aphorisms\, the oldest written art form on the planet\, have been going viral for thousands of years\, delivering the short\, sharp shock of old forgotten truths. Today\, visual artists are mixing pithy language with compelling imagery and using social media to take the form into the future. In a world of disinformation and deepfakes\, aphorisms point to the power of fresh debate over tired dogma and inconvenient truths over comfortable lies. \nStarting in ancient China and ending with contemporary meme-makers and street artists\, The World in A Phrase tells the story of the aphorism through brief biographies of some of its greatest practitioners: sages like Lao-tzu and the Buddha\, philosophers like Schopenhauer and Nietzsche\, writers like George Eliot and Marie von Ebner-Eschenbach\, humorists like Mark Twain and Dorothy Parker\, activists like James Baldwin and Audre Lorde\, poets like Langston Hughes and Kay Ryan\, and artists like Jenny Holzer and David Byrne. \nThe World in A Phrase is for lovers of words and seekers of wisdom. This new edition of The New York Times bestseller features 26 additional aphorists and explores the aphorism in the age of social media\, showing why these short sentences are the ultimate deep dives in an era when TL;DR has become a cultural catchphrase.
URL:https://www.iowacityofliterature.org/event/james-geary-the-world-in-a-phrase/
LOCATION:Iowa City Public Library\, 123 S. Linn St.\, Iowa City\, IA\, 52240\, United States
CATEGORIES:Iowa City Book Festival
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.iowacityofliterature.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/The-World-in-a-Phrase.jpg
END:VEVENT
END:VCALENDAR