Upcoming events.
Hummingbird Books with Nick White
BOSTON!!! I’m coming home to you!!!! Come see me and fellow Mississippian (now Harvard Faculty) Nick White in conversation at Chestnut Hill’s fantastic Hummingbird Books. Can’t wait!!
AWP
Come say hi to me in Baltimore, where every day is like an open door!! (If you do, I promise not to serenade you with this or any other songs from Hairspray). AWP is pretty much always one of my favorite weeks of the year (see the picture of me having a delightful time reading at AWP Kansas City a couple years back), and I’m thrilled to get the opportunity to return. See you there!!
Midstream Reading Series
Come join me and some other wonderful Twin Cities writers at the Midstream Reading Series at Unity Unitarian in St. Paul!
"Stand by Your Plan" at the Loft Literary Center
When it takes you twenty years to write a book, you pick up a few tricks along the way. Come join me for a lovely morning chatting with other writers through the Loft Literary Center’s “Expand and Discuss” series.
Mississippi Book Festival
Come see me in the spot where me AND my best good friend Thomas Lanier Williams III (aka Tennessee) were both born!!! See us here sharing a stage like God intended at Lemuria Books.
Memoir Panel at Magers & Quinn
Come see my wonderful, shortbread defending, actual genius friend Michael Kleber-Diggs (winner of many awards and author of the forthcoming stunner of a book, My Weight in Water, moderate a discussion between me and beautiful writers Renee Gilmore and Tracy Youngblom.
Seersucker Live with Patricia Lockwood (and ME!!!)
Come see me and ACTUAL literary rockstar Patricia Lockwood (along with others) in beautiful Savannah for an event that’s part literary reading, part variety show, and part cocktail party (and ALL awesome!!).
Meet the Author at Dixon Books, Natchez
Come meet me and chat all things Beard at Natchez’s fab new bookstore, Dixon Books!
Jackson Book Launch Event at Lemuria Books
Come join me in my HOMETOWN BOOK STORE, Lemuria Books, the same place I requested to visit on my tenth birthday, as I talk about writing with the writing teacher who changed my life (and who features prominently in my book), Dr. David Miller. Food, drink, prizes, games, laughter and tears! Gonna be fun!!
Visiting Writer Series, PLNU in San Diego
I’ll be in San Diego talking about my book with Whale Road Review’s Katie Manning and The Rumpus’s Robbie Maakestad.
More information available here: https://www.pointloma.edu/news/2025-visiting-writers-series
West Hollywood, CA
Come join meat Book Soup as a I read excerpts from my book and chat about writing with UCLA Writers Extension Director and award-winning poet and memoirist, Charles Jensen, author of Splice of Life: A Memoir in 13 Film Genres and Instructions Between Takeoff and Landing, and founder of Villain Era Lit.
New Haven Book Launch Event with Sam Ernest
Come join me and the Yale Review’s own Sam Ernest at Possible Futures in beautiful New Haven!
Monticello Book Launch Event with Ryan Berg at MontiArts
Come join me in Monticello, MN, as I chat with Minnesota Book Award winner and Lambda Literary Fellow Ryan Berg, author of No House to Call my Home: Love, Family, and Other Transgressions, and Program Manager at Minneapolis’ Avenues for Youth. Pictures, prizes, games, food, and more! Stay tuned!
Minneapolis Book Launch Event with Chris Stedman
Launch event at Magers & Quinn in Minneapolis with Chris Stedman, author of IRL and Faitheist and creator and host of the Unread podcast.
Memphis Book Launch with Lisa Kröger
Come join me in conversation with Stoker- and Locus- Award winning author (and member of my Coven group text) Lisa Kröger at Novel in Memphis!! Gonna talk Bram Stoker’s love for Walt Whitman and his wife/beard Florence Balcombe and connection to Oscar Wilde, and also a million other things!
BOOK LAUNCH IN CHICAGO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Come join me for a pub day party in Chicago at gorgeous RoscoeBooks with my brilliant editor, Lisa Ann Cockrel!!!
Book Launch Event at Books & Mortar, Grand Rapids
Join me for another pre-launch, launch party with NY Times bestselling author, Jeff Chu!!!
Writers Open Studio
Come join us at the Monticello Arts Initiative for monthly Writers Open Studio! We’ll respond to prompts, brainstorm, share ideas and work. It’ll be a great time!
Pre-Launch Launch Party at Interabang!! :)
Come see me discuss my book with beautiful genius J.D. Isip, author of Reluctant Prophets!!
Writers Open Studio
Come join us at the Monticello Arts Initiative for monthly Writers Open Studio! We’ll respond to prompts, brainstorm, share ideas and work. It’ll be a great time!
Writers Open Studio
Come join us at the Monticello Arts Initiative for monthly Writers Open Studio! We’ll respond to prompts, brainstorm, share ideas and work. It’ll be a great time!
Minnesota State Arts Board Grant Panel
I’ll be working with panel reader colleagues to give feedback on grant applications for the FY26 Arts Education grants.
AWP Los Angeles
Announcements about readings are TBA, but come find me at AWP 2025 in Los Angeles!!
Podcasting from Below:
I’ll be giving the Introduction at this fantastic launch event for Good Judy Productions and Truer Crime. Black Garnet Books and Queermunity will both be there, and I could not be more honored.
Author Conversation: Cathy Park Hong, Su Hwang, and Sun Yung Shin
On April 30, at North Hennepin’s Grand Hall, please come see Cathy Park Hong in conversation with Su Hwang and Sun Yung Shin, (an event which I have organized and will help host as NHCC’s Director of Creative Writing).
One Poet, One Poem Offsite with Whale Road Review
Come see me read at the One Poet, One Poem event in Grand Rapids, Michigan, on April 11!
MontiArts Open Mic
Come see me read here once a month. MontiArts.
MontiArts Garage, Monticello, MN
OFF SITE ON PURPOSE AWP KANSAS CITY (Copy)
AWP Folks! Come see me as one of the featured readers from last year’s Whale Road Review!
There’s very little I like more than talking about books, and I’m ecstatic to be about to spend the next few months talking about my very own first book Beard: A Memoir of a Marriage, which was released in October 2025 from Wm. B Eerdmans! I’ll be adding dates and details to the tour schedule below, so stay tuned!! Would love to see you!
