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# BookFest St. Louis

## Sitemaps

- [XML Sitemap](https://bookfeststl.com/sitemap.xml): Contains all public & indexable URLs for this website.

## Posts

- [Announcing Our BookFest St. Louis Festival Zone Lineup](https://bookfeststl.com/bookfest-st-louis-festival-zone/) - In between BookFest St. Louis author events, be sure to check out the McPherson Avenue festival zone, featuring live music, demonstrations, book sellers, local artisans and more!
- [Is this a book festival? Singers, artists and more join third-annual BookFest St. Louis](https://bookfeststl.com/is-this-a-book-festival-singers-artists-and-more-join-third-annual-bookfest-st-louis/) - From the September 18th article on St. Louis Post-Dispatch: Mary Englebreit talks about 40 years of illustrating cheery cherries and charming children. Romance specialists survey the online dating scene. And singers perform a piece from the Tony-nominated musical “The Prom.” Is this really a book festival? Yes, they all have literary links. But at BookFest
- [Announcing the 2019 BookFest St. Louis Schedule](https://bookfeststl.com/blog-2019bookfestschedule/) - Start planning now! BookFest St. Louis returns to the Central West End on Saturday, September 21, and with more than two dozen authors and 15 different panels, there’s sure to be something for everyone.
- [BookFest St. Louis Festival Zone to Feature 30+ Artists & Vendors](https://bookfeststl.com/blog-bookfestfestivalzone/) - In between BookFest St. Louis author events, be sure to check out our robust McPherson/Euclid Avenue festival zone, featuring live music, demonstrations, book sellers, local artisans and more! Open 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 21, our festival zone is free and open to the public. Participating Artists Geoffrey Parker (Woodblock Prints)Latonja Flowers (Jewelry)Jeremy Gagnon
- [BookFest St. Louis returns with award-winning actress Sally Field](https://bookfeststl.com/book-fest-st-louis-returns-with-award-winning-actress-sally-field/) - From the September 21st segment on Fox2Now: A great event for book lovers this weekend in St. Louis. BookFest St. Louis is a celebration of the literary arts that will bring dozens of regional and national authors together for this one day festival in the Central West End. Book lovers will be able to enjoy ten different panels highlighting
- [BookFest St. Louis 2018: Events schedule, location, and what to know before you go](https://bookfeststl.com/bookfest-st-louis-2018-events-schedule-location-and-what-to-know-before-you-go/) - From the September 20th article on St. Louis Magazine: Left Bank Books and the Central West End Community Improvement District’s second annual BookFest St. Louis kicks off Friday night with "An Evening with Sally Field," where the actress will be discussing her memoir In Pieces at 7 p.m. at the Chase Park Plaza. More than 40 authors will make appearances at the
- [Kathleen Finneran, who will talk to Sally Field for BookFest St. Louis, shares what’s remarkable about the actor's new memoir](https://bookfeststl.com/kathleen-finneran-who-will-talk-to-sally-field-for-bookfest-st-louis-shares-whats-remarkable-about-the-actors-new-memoir/) - From the September 20th article on St. Louis Magazine: When Kathleen Finneran floated the idea of interviewing Sally Field about the actress’ new memoir In Pieces for BookFest St. Louis past organizer Kris Kleindienst, she says it was “partly in jest.” Well, maybe it wasn’t so much in jest, Finneran, the senior writer in residence at Washington
- [BookFest St. Louis 2018: Author Anne Valente comes home to talk about fierce fiction](https://bookfeststl.com/bookfest-st-louis-2018-author-anne-valente-comes-home-to-talk-about-fierce-fiction/) - From the September 19th article on St. Louis Magazine: “Because I’m from St. Louis, Left Bank is one of my favorite bookstores of all time,” says Anne Valente, author of the 2016 novel Our Hearts Will Burn Us Down—set in St. Louis—and the forthcoming Utah, scheduled to be released next summer. When Valente heard last year about Left
- [Bookfest St. Louis is back for 2nd year, featuring 40-some authors from near and far](https://bookfeststl.com/bookfest-st-louis-is-back-for-2nd-year-featuring-40-some-authors-from-near-and-far/) - From the September 17th article on St. Louis Public Radio: Kris Kleindienst need only glance out toward the entrance to her bookstore at the corner of Euclid and McPherson avenues for some solid reminders of St. Louis’ literary legacy. The busts of four canonical writers adorn the intersection – T.S. Eliot, Tennessee Williams, Kate Chopin
- [BookFest St. Louis will feature more than 40 authors](https://bookfeststl.com/bookfest-st-louis-will-feature-more-than-40-authors/) - From the September 14th article on St. Louis Post-Dispatch: The second year of BookFest St. Louis features more authors, a larger street footprint and about two dozen vendors. But Kris Kleindienst says organization seems easier. “In many respects, it’s less work because we didn’t have to invent it,” she says. “We’re building on general public
- [Sally Field explores her life, reveals surprises in memoir 'In Pieces'](https://bookfeststl.com/sally-field-explores-her-life-reveals-surprises-in-memoir-in-pieces/) - From the September 15th article on St. Louis Post-Dispatch: As a small girl in her nightgown, Sally Field would be summoned to walk on her handsome stepfather’s back. As he lay naked under a sheet, the former stuntman for Errol Flynn seemed to want pain relief from the foot pressure of a petite child.“Keep going,
- [BookFest Returns to the Central West End and Brings Your Favorite Authors to St. Louis](https://bookfeststl.com/bookfest-returns-to-the-central-west-end-and-brings-your-favorite-authors-to-st-louis/) - From the September 10th article on Alive Magazine: St. Louis may be the best city in America to be a writer and a reader—but don’t tell. Most of the time, St. Louis’ book-lovers get to enjoy being the written world’s best-kept secret. After all, what other region can say they’re home to one of the nation’s oldest and
- [An Interview with Burroughs Sculptor Vlad Zhitomirsky](https://bookfeststl.com/an-interview-with-burroughs-sculptor-vlad-zhitomirsky/) - Busts of three major authors who once resided in the neighborhood — Kate Chopin, T.S. Eliot and Tennessee Williams — have found homes on the corners of Euclid and McPherson over the past 10 years. During the inaugural BookFest St. Louis, a fourth and final sculpture finally joined their ranks.
- [Writers Corner: William S. Burroughs](https://bookfeststl.com/writers-corner-william-s-burroughs/) - The individuals immortalized at Writer's Corner all spent transformative years in the Central West End. Their time in this historic St. Louis neighborhood shaped their lives and their work. Writer’s Corner, at the intersection of Euclid and McPherson, pays homage to their timeless contributions to literature and St. Louis history with sculptures on each corner.
- [Ensconced in Lit interviews Zac Brewer and Nina LaCour](https://bookfeststl.com/ensconced-in-lit-interviews-zac-brewer-and-nina-lacour/) - St. Louis book blogger Christina Hickey at Ensconced in Lit recently interviewed Zac Brewer, author of "Madness," and Nina LaCour, author of "We Are Okay," as a spotlight on the BookFest St. Louis Young Adult Panel! From the interview with Zac Brewer: "Madness is about a teen suffering from severe depression and suicidal tendencies. For me,
- [A Book That Can Save Your Life: An Interview with author Megan Stielstra](https://bookfeststl.com/a-book-that-can-save-your-life-an-interview-with-author-megan-stielstra/) - BookFest St. Louis author Megan Stielstra was recently interviewed by fellow BookFest author Kea Wilson for Alive Magazine! From the article: "How does it feel to put your heart outside of your body? And how do you do it—literally or figuratively? By going under the knife of cardiothoracic surgeon? By having a baby that you
- [Central West End to Complete Writer’s Corner With William S. Burroughs Bust](https://bookfeststl.com/central-west-end-to-complete-writers-corner-with-william-s-burroughs-bust/) - Beat Generation writer William S. Burroughs will once again have a home in St. Louis' Central West End when the neighborhood completes its Writer’s Corner project with the installation of a fourth and final sculpture during a special BookFest St. Louis induction ceremony.
- [An absolutely true conversation with Sherman Alexie](https://bookfeststl.com/an-absolutely-true-conversation-with-sherman-alexie/) - BookFest St. Louis headliner Sherman Alexie was recently featured in St. Louis Magazine, where he discussed "The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian," "You Don't Have to Say You Love Me" and more with culture editor Stefene Russell.
- [Review Round-Up of Robin Sloan's "Sourdough"](https://bookfeststl.com/review-round-up-of-robin-sloans-sourdough/) - Robin Sloan will appear on BookFest St. Louis’ Literary Fiction Panel I, at 2 p.m. Sept. 23 at The McPherson.
- [PREVIEW: Mary Engelbreit From the Archives](https://bookfeststl.com/preview-mary-engelbreit/) - Show Me St. Louis went behind the scenes with BookFest St. Louis author Mary Engelbreit to check out her new show, "Mary Engelbreit From the Archives."
- [Poet Jane Ibur to Perform Sept. 23 During BookFest](https://bookfeststl.com/poet-jane-ibur-to-perform-sept-23-during-bookfest/) - BookFest St. Louis author Jane Ellen Ibur was recently featured in the Vital Voice, where she discussed her new book, "The Little Mrs./Misses," and her BookFest St. Louis launch event.
- [Hugo Award–winner Ann Leckie talks new book, sci-fi politics, and Provel cheese](https://bookfeststl.com/hugo-award-winner-ann-leckie-talks-new-book-sci-fi-politics-and-provel-cheese/) - BookFest St. Louis author Ann Leckie was recently featured in St. Louis Magazine, where she discussed her new novel, "Provenance," and her appearance on the Science Fiction Panel!
- [Review Round-Up of Gabriel Tallent's "My Absolute Darling"](https://bookfeststl.com/review-round-up-of-gabriel-tallents-my-absolute-darling/) - BookFest St. Louis author Gabriel Tallent's debut novel, "My Absolute Darling," celebrated its publication on Aug. 29. See what some of the reviews have to say!
- [BookFest St. Louis in the Riverfront Times](https://bookfeststl.com/bookfest-st-louis-in-the-riverfront-times/) - BookFest St. Louis has been named one of the “20 Can’t-Miss Arts Events to Fill Your Fall Calendar” by the Riverfront Times!
- [BookFest St. Louis in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch](https://bookfeststl.com/bookfest-st-louis-in-the-st-louis-post-dispatch/) - BookFest St. Louis was recently featured in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch's Fall Arts Guide!
- [Writer's Corner: T.S. Eliot](https://bookfeststl.com/writers-corner-t-s-eliot/) - Writer’s Corner, at the intersection of Euclid and McPherson, pays homage to the timeless contributions of four one-time CWE residents to literature and St. Louis history with sculptures on each corner.
- [Writer's Corner: Tennessee Williams](https://bookfeststl.com/writers-corner-tennessee-williams/) - The individuals immortalized at Writer's Corner all spent transformative years in the Central West End. Their time in this historic St. Louis neighborhood shaped their lives and their work. Writer’s Corner, at the intersection of Euclid and McPherson, pays homage to their timeless contributions to literature and St. Louis history with sculptures on each corner.
- [Writer's Corner: Kate Chopin](https://bookfeststl.com/writers-corner-kate-chopin/) - The individuals immortalized at Writer's Corner all spent transformative years in the Central West End. Their time in this historic St. Louis neighborhood shaped their lives and their work. Writer’s Corner, at the intersection of Euclid and McPherson, pays homage to their timeless contributions to literature and St. Louis history with sculptures on each corner.
- [BookFest St. Louis Announces Official Schedule](https://bookfeststl.com/bookfest-st-louis-announces-official-schedule/) - On the heels of National Book Lovers Day, and with just six weeks to go before the start of St. Louis' newest book festival, the organizers of BookFest St. Louis have announced their official 2017 schedule.
- [Sherman Alexie Appearance at BookFest St. Louis Confirmed](https://bookfeststl.com/sherman-alexie-appearance-at-bookfest-st-louis-confirmed/) - A note from BookFest St. Louis organizers about Sherman Alexie's scheduled appearances.
- [Sherman Alexie to Headline BookFest St. Louis](https://bookfeststl.com/sherman-alexie-headline-bookfest-st-louis/) - Acclaimed author Sherman Alexie will kick off BookFest St. Louis with an engagement on Friday, Sept. 22, at The Sheldon.
- [Announcing the first BookFest St. Louis!](https://bookfeststl.com/announcing-bookfest-st-louis/) - Celebrate literature and literary arts at the first annual BookFest St. Louis in the Central West End. The book festival will be held Sept. 23, 2017.

## Pages

- [In the News](https://bookfeststl.com/in-the-news/) - 2019 That’s a Wrap on BookFest St. Louis — a Celebration of the Literary Arts in the CWE (via CWEscene.com, October 1, 2019) Is this a book festival? Singers, artists and more join third-annual BookFest St. Louis (via St. Louis Post-Dispatch, September 18, 2019) BOOKFEST ST. LOUIS PUBLISHES SCHEDULE/SEEKS VOLUNTEERS (via Nicki's Central West End
- [Sponsorship](https://bookfeststl.com/sponsorship/) - Interested in sponsoring BookFest St. Louis? We offer several levels of sponsorship options — from $500 to $10,000. Each option comes with a variety of benefits designed to give your company or business positive exposure before and during the book festival. Click here for a PDF version of our full BookFest St. Louis sponsor packet, or contact
- [PHOTOS: BookFest St. Louis 2019](https://bookfeststl.com/photos-bookfest-st-louis-2019/) - Thank you to everyone who participated in our 3rd Annual BookFest St. Louis — a daylong celebration of the literary arts, held Sept. 21, 2019 in St. Louis' Central West End.
- [FAQ](https://bookfeststl.com/faq/) - We're so excited you've decided to attend BookFest St. Louis! Read on for more information about the book festival, our lineup, and other important information to help you plan your visit. THE FESTIVAL What is BookFest St. Louis? BookFest St. Louis is an exciting book festival taking place in St. Louis' Central West End, which
- [Schedule](https://bookfeststl.com/schedule/) - The book festival features an exciting lineup highlighting the best of contemporary fiction, poetry, memoir, science fiction, YA fiction, mystery and history.
- [About BookFest St. Louis](https://bookfeststl.com/about/) - BookFest St. Louis is a book festival taking place Sept. 23, 2017, in the Central West End. Featuring 30+ renowned authors.
- [Ask the Authors](https://bookfeststl.com/ask-the-authors/) - Have a question for one of our BookFest St. Louis authors? Submit it here and we may ask it at one of our author events during the book festival!
- [Volunteer](https://bookfeststl.com/volunteer/) - Want to be part of St. Louis’ exciting literary event? Volunteer to be part of BookFest St. Louis! Volunteers are needed to assist with author events, book signings, visitor assistance (directing people to and from venues), staffing the information booth and escorting authors to event venues. Shifts will last approximately two hours*, and will be scheduled
- [Vendors](https://bookfeststl.com/vendors/) - Interested in having a booth at BookFest St. Louis? We have opportunities for businesses and nonprofit organizations to promote their business or organization, provide demonstrations, offer an engaging activity or sell wares within the festival zone. Businesses and organizations interested in participating in BookFest St. Louis must submit an application to the CWE North Business Community
- [Get Involved](https://bookfeststl.com/get-involved/) - Learn more about how you can participate at BookFest St. Louis in the Central West End.
- [2019 BookFest St. Louis Authors](https://bookfeststl.com/2019-bookfest-st-louis-authors/) - BookFest St. Louis will feature an exciting lineup of locally and internationally renowned authors, including: Join our mailing list to receive author updates.
- [Contact Us](https://bookfeststl.com/contact/) - For festival inquiries Kate Haher, Executive Director CWE North Community Improvement District kate.haher@cwenorthcid.com For author inquiries Kris Kleindienst, Co-Owner Left Bank Books kris.k@left-bank.com Sign up for our emails Want to receive BookFest St. Louis updates? Sign up for our mailing list using the link below; select your favorite literary genres to receive alerts about the
- [Past BookFest St. Louis Authors](https://bookfeststl.com/authors/) - BookFest St. Louis has featured an exciting lineup of locally and internationally renowned authors, including: Join our mailing list to receive author updates.
- [PHOTOS: BookFest St. Louis 2017](https://bookfeststl.com/photos-bookfest-st-louis-2017/) - Thank you to everyone who braved the heat and helped make the inaugural BookFest St. Louis such a great success! Scroll down to see photos from the event.
- [PHOTOS: BookFest St. Louis 2018](https://bookfeststl.com/photos-bookfest-st-louis-2018/) - Thank you to everyone who came out for the 2nd Annual BookFest St. Louis, a celebration of the literary arts held Sept. 22, 2018, in St. Louis’ Central West End.
- [BookFest St. Louis](https://bookfeststl.com/home/) - Celebrate the literary arts at BookFest St. Louis in the Central West End! The book festival will be held Sept. 22, 2018.
- [About Writer's Corner](https://bookfeststl.com/writers-corner/) - Writer's Corner highlights the Central West End's rich literary history with busts of one-time CWE residents Tennessee Williams, T. S. Eliot and Kate Chopin.

## Events

- [An Evening With Sally Field](https://bookfeststl.com/event/an-evening-with-sally-field/) - Kick off BookFest St. Louis with three-time Emmy Award winner Sally Field.
- [Wit & Wine With Gary Shteyngart](https://bookfeststl.com/event/wit-wine-with-gary-shteyngart/) - BookFest St. Louis welcomes bestselling, award-winning author Gary Shteyngart for an afternoon of wit, wine and a discussion of his new novel, Lake Success! Narcissistic, hilariously self-deluded, and divorced from the real world as most of us know it, hedge-fund manager Barry Cohen oversees $2.4 billion in assets. Deeply stressed by an SEC investigation and by

## Sessions

- [Whitmania, followed by Author Meet & Greet](https://bookfeststl.com/sessions/whitmania-followed-by-author-meet-greet/) - The St. Louis Poetry Center and Maryville University bring the centerpiece of their “Whitmania” exhibition to the BookFest St. Louis stage! Local poets and authors present a marathon reading of "Song of Myself" to celebrate Walt Whitman’s bicentennial, as well as his surprising ties to St. Louis. Afterward, you’ll have a chance to mingle with
- [When Life Becomes Art: a Craft Talk](https://bookfeststl.com/sessions/when-life-becomes-art-a-craft-talk/) - A novelist, a personal essayist, and a poet walk into a bar and speak with Dana Levin, poet and Distinguished Writer in Residence at Maryville University, about the challenges and choices at play when you turn difficult personal stories into art.
- [Poetry Corner: Live with Aaron Coleman and Edgar Kunz](https://bookfeststl.com/sessions/poetry-corner-live-with-aaron-coleman-and-edgar-kunz/) - Local poet Aaron Coleman and New Englander Edgar Kunz read from their new collections that explore the contested territory of what it means to be a man, particularly a Black man or a working class man in America today.
- [Pride Comes of Age with Music, an LGBTQIA Panel](https://bookfeststl.com/sessions/pride-comes-of-age-with-music/) - There was a time when writing for and about LGBTQIA+ teens meant sad stories with tons of drama. While the difficulties faced by real-life teens are far from over, there's also much more room now to celebrate, and teens of all identities are making their way into stories across genres. These authors will discuss writing
- [St. Louis Youth Slam Team Champs](https://bookfeststl.com/sessions/st-louis-youth-slam-team-champs/) - St. Louis’ Youth Slam Team won the Nationals this year! Come celebrate their incredible talent and accomplishment as they close out this year’s BookFest with a panel discussion followed by a must-see performance.
- [Hands Up, Don’t Shoot : A Conversation with Social Scholar Jennifer Cobbina and Local Activist Jamell Spann](https://bookfeststl.com/sessions/hands-up-dont-shoot-a-conversation-with-social-scholar-jennifer-cobbina-and-local-activist-jamell-spann/) - Five years after Michael Brown’s death, "Hands Up, Don’t Shoot" author Jennifer Cobbina draws on in-depth interviews with nearly two hundred residents of Ferguson and Baltimore, conducted within two months of the deaths of Brown and Gray. She talks with local activist Jamell Spann about how protesters understood their experiences with the police.
- [Let's Go to the Prom: The Distance from Page to Stage to Page](https://bookfeststl.com/sessions/lets-go-to-the-prom-the-distance-from-page-to-stage-to-page/) - Broadway musical The Prom has a serious St. Louis pedigree, with local artists heading up the production team and a Belleville native penning the score. Now the seven-time Tony-nominated show is a young adult novel. John O'Brien from Fox Theatricals will give us a backstage look at developing the show from concept to script, STAGES
- [​(un)Ordinary Survival](https://bookfeststl.com/sessions/​unordinary-survival/) - Three extraordinary writers create three extraordinary women who are the unlikely heroines of their own stories. One is based on a historical character, another inspired by a quirky historic occasion, and the third sends our troubled heroine on an adventure of sorts.
- [Are You Trending?: Rom Com Rendezvous](https://bookfeststl.com/sessions/are-you-trending-rom-com-rendezvous/) - These are not your grandmother’s romance novels! Three thoroughly modern authors write romance for today’s generation. Alisha writes of love in the digital age, Sonali reimagines "Pride & Prejudice" in a modern Indian-American family, and Tessa gives us a full-serving of a classic small-town romance with lots of modern-woman spice.
- [Mary Engelbreit & Kris Kleindienst in Conversation](https://bookfeststl.com/sessions/mary-engelbreit-kris-kleindienst-in-conversation/) - Beloved illustrator and author, Mary Engelbreit got her self-taught start drawing greetings cards. Left Bank Books convinced her to show her work in their gallery and the rest is history! In a rare interview, Mary talks with Left Bank Books co-owner Kris Kleindienst about her years between then and now.
- [Three Lives: True Tales of Remarkable Women](https://bookfeststl.com/sessions/three-lives-true-tales-of-remarkable-women/) - Growing up in a secret missile-making compound. Finding healing from loss through the natural world. Finding identity and home in a fractured family. Three bestselling authors share their beautifully rendered stories.
- [Strong at the Broken Places: Stories of Resilience and Love](https://bookfeststl.com/sessions/strong-at-the-broken-places-stories-of-resilience-and-love/) - Three seemingly disparate tales told by three award-winning novelists take us from post-war Vietnam to the American South to the Heartland, yet are united in their shared experiences of loss and the redemptive power of love.
- [Did you see that Coming?](https://bookfeststl.com/sessions/did-you-see-that-coming/) - A ​woman searches for her missing twin sister in a social justice thriller set in the historically Black neighborhoods of Harlem. The adult survivor of a childhood abduction obsessed with the murders of murderers, including her abductor, learns that sometimes good people do bad things. A woman’s happy life is threatened with the new woman
- [To Tell You The Truth... Making Nonfiction Fun for Middle Grade](https://bookfeststl.com/sessions/to-tell-you-the-truth-making-nonfiction-fun-for-middle-grade/) - Kids’ nonfiction often fights the opinion that it's dry and boring and only for school! That's not a concern with these authors! From profiles of fascinating figures in history to graphic depictions of the moments that shaped our world, we'll explore how to bring true life to the page for middle reader audiences.
- [Children's Storytime](https://bookfeststl.com/sessions/childrens-storytime-3/) - Join local favorite illustrator Daniel Wiseman as he introduces youngsters to scientific concepts through the Baby Scientist series, as well as giving a sneak-peak at "My Brother the Duck!" Stick around after for science activities led by St. Louis Public Library.

## Speakers

- [John Hendrix](https://bookfeststl.com/speakers/john-hendrix/) - John Hendrix is a New York Times-bestselling illustrator of the Ronan Boyle series by Thomas Lennon, and author of many children's books, including "Shooting at the Stars," "Drawing Is Magic," "John Brown: His Fight for Freedom," "Miracle Man: The Story of Jesus" and the 2019 Society of Illustrator's Gold Medal winner, "The Faithful Spy: Dietrich
- [Danielle Dutton](https://bookfeststl.com/speakers/danielle-dutton/) - Danielle Dutton is the author of "Attempts at a Life," "SPRAWL" (a finalist for the 2011 Believer Book Award), and "Margaret the First," named a best book of the year by The Wall Street Journal, Vox, Lit Hub, St. Louis Magazine, etc., and winner of a 2016 Independent Publishers Book Awards gold medal in historical fiction. She also wrote
- [Karen Piper](https://bookfeststl.com/speakers/karen-piper/) - Karen Piper is the award-winning author of "The Price of Thirst," "Left in the Dust," and "Cartographic Fictions." She has received the Sierra Nature Writing Award and the Next Generation Indie Book Award and fellowships from the Huntington, Carnegie Mellon, and the National Endowment for the Humanities. She is currently a professor of literature and
- [Nathan Hale](https://bookfeststl.com/speakers/nathan-hale/) - Nathan Hale is the author and illustrator of the Eisner-nominated, New York Times bestselling graphic novel series on American history "Nathan Hale's Hazardous Tales." He also created the sci-fi horror comics "One Trick Pony" and "Apocalypse Taco." He is the illustrator of the graphic novel "Rapunzel's Revenge" and its sequel, "Calamity Jack." He also illustrated
- [Mary Engelbreit](https://bookfeststl.com/speakers/mary-engelbreit-2/) - Over 40 years ago, Mary Engelbreit launched her own company with a strong desire for creative freedom and a line of 12 greeting cards. The head of a highly successful business bearing her name, Mary is one of the country’s premier designers and artists. She is known throughout the world for her distinctive illustration style
- [Margaret Renkl](https://bookfeststl.com/speakers/margaret-renkl/) - Margaret Renkl is the author of "Late Migrations: A Natural History of Love and Loss." She is a contributing opinion writer for the "New York Times," where her essays appear weekly. Her work has also appeared in "Guernica," "Literary Hub," "Proximity," and "River Teeth," among others. The founding editor of "Chapter 16," a daily literary
- [Alisha Rai](https://bookfeststl.com/speakers/alisha-rai/) - Alisha Rai pens award-winning contemporary romances and her novels have been named "Best Books of the Year" by Washington Post, NPR, Entertainment Weekly, Kirkus, and Cosmopolitan Magazine. When she’s not writing, Alisha is traveling or tweeting. News and Reviews Fall In Love With The Second Half of 2019's Romance Releases (The Nerd Daily) August 2019
- [Bassey Ikpi](https://bookfeststl.com/speakers/bassey-ikpi/) - Bassey Ikpi is a Nigerian-American writer and mental health advocate. Her debut essay collection, "I’M TELLING THE TRUTH BUT I’M LYING," is forthcoming in August 2019 from Harper Perennial. Appearing on stages across the world as a public speaker and TV personality, Bassey featured on HBO’s ‘Def Poetry Jam’ and joined the touring company for
- [James Brandon](https://bookfeststl.com/speakers/james-brandon/) - James Brandon produced and played the central role of Joshua in the international tour of Terrance McNally's "Corpus Christi" for a decade and is co-director of the documentary film based on their journey, "Corpus Christi: Playing with Redemption." He's the co-founder of the I AM Love Campaign, an arts-based initiative bridging the faith-based and LGBTQ2+
- [Teri Kanefield](https://bookfeststl.com/speakers/teri-kanefield/) - Teri Kanefield is a lawyer and the award-winning author of "The Girl from the Tar Paper School," "The Extraordinary Suzy Wright," "The Making of America" series, and more. She lives in San Luis Obispo, on the central California coast.
- [Elizabeth McCracken](https://bookfeststl.com/speakers/elizabeth-mccracken/) - Elizabeth McCracken, twice nominated for the National Book Award, is the author of six books: "Here’s Your Hat What’s Your Hurry," "The Giant’s House," "Niagara Falls All Over Again," "An Exact Replica of a Figment of My Imagination," "Thunderstruck & Other Stories," and "Bowlaway." She’s received grants and fellowships from the Guggenheim Foundation, the National
- [Jennifer Cobbina](https://bookfeststl.com/speakers/jennifer-cobbina/) - Jennifer E. Cobbina is an associate professor in the School of Criminal Justice at Michigan State University. Her primary research focuses on the issue of corrections, prisoner reentry, and the understanding of recidivism and desistance among recently released female offenders. Her second primary research area is centered on examining how race, gender, and neighborhood context
- [Bryn Greenwood](https://bookfeststl.com/speakers/bryn-greenwood/) - Bryn Greenwood is a fourth-generation Kansan, one of seven sisters, and the daughter of a mostly reformed drug dealer. She earned a MA in Creative Writing from Kansas State University and is the "New York Times" bestselling author of the novels "All the Ugly and Wonderful Things," "Last Will," and "Lie Lay Lain." She lives
- [Kalisha Buckhanon](https://bookfeststl.com/speakers/kalisha-buckhanon/) - Kalisha Buckhanon is the author of the novels "Solemn," "Conception," and "Upstate." Her honors include a Literary Fiction Audie Award, American Library Association ALEX Award, Friends of American Writers Award, Illinois Arts Council Fellowship, Pushcart Prize and Hurston-Wright Awards nominations, and special Young Author award from novelist Terry McMillan. She also appears on ID Channel,
- [Sonali Dev](https://bookfeststl.com/speakers/sonali-dev/) - Award-winning author Sonali Dev writes Bollywood-style love stories that let her explore issues faced by women around the world while still indulging her faith in a happily ever after. Sonali lives in the Chicago suburbs with her very patient and often amused husband and two teens who demand both patience and humor, and the world’s
- [Amanda Goldblatt](https://bookfeststl.com/speakers/amanda-goldblatt/) - Amanda Goldblatt is a writer and teacher living in Chicago. She is a 2018 National Endowment for the Arts Creative Writing Fellow, and her fiction and essays have appeared in such journals as "The Southern Review," "Noon," "Fence," "Diagram," "Hobart," and "American Short Fiction." "Hard Mouth" is her debut novel. News and Reviews 7 highly
- [Joshilyn Jackson](https://bookfeststl.com/speakers/joshilyn-jackson/) - Joshilyn Jackson is the "New York Times" bestselling author of seven novels, including "gods in Alabama" and "A Grown-Up Kind of Pretty." Her books have been translated into a dozen languages. A former actor, Jackson is also an award-winning audiobook narrator. She lives in Decatur, Georgia, with her husband and their two children. News and
- [Saundra Mitchell](https://bookfeststl.com/speakers/saundra-mitchell/) - Saundra Mitchell has been a phone psychic, a car salesperson, a denture-deliverer, and a layout waxer. She’s dodged trains, endured basic training, and hitchhiked from Montana to California. The author of nearly twenty books for tweens and teens, Mitchell’s work includes "Shadowed Summer," "The Vespertine" series, "All the Things We Do in the Dark," a
- [Jeffrey Ricker](https://bookfeststl.com/speakers/jeffrey-ricker/) - Jeffrey Ricker is the author of "Detours" (2011) and the YA fantasy "The Unwanted" (2014). His stories and essays have appeared in "Foglifter," "Phoebe," "Little Fiction," "The Citron Review," "The Saturday Evening Post," and others. A 2014 Lambda Literary Fellow and recipient of a 2015 Vermont Studio Center residency, he has an MFA in creative
- [Edgar Kunz](https://bookfeststl.com/speakers/edgar-kunz/) - Edgar Kunz was born and raised in New England. His work has been supported by the National Endowment for the Arts, the Academy of American Poets, the MacDowell Colony, Vanderbilt University, and Stanford University, where he was a Wallace Stegner Fellow. He lives in Baltimore, Maryland, where he teaches at Goucher College and in the
- [Crystal Wilkinson](https://bookfeststl.com/speakers/crystal-wilkinson/) - Crystal Wilkinson is the award-winning author of "The Birds of Opulence" (winner of the 2016 Ernest J. Gaines Prize for Literary Excellence), "Water Street," and "Blackberries, Blackberries." Nominated for both the Orange Prize and the Hurston/Wright Legacy Award, she has received recognition from The Kentucky Foundation for Women, The Kentucky Arts Council, The Mary Anderson
- [Lisa Unger](https://bookfeststl.com/speakers/lisa-unger/) - Lisa Unger is the "New York Times" and internationally bestselling author of seventeen novels, including "The Stranger Inside" (coming Sep. 17). With millions of readers worldwide and novels published in twenty-six languages, Lisa Unger is widely regarded as a master of suspense. In 2019, she received two Edgar Award nominations, an honor held by only
- [Aaron Coleman](https://bookfeststl.com/speakers/aaron-coleman/) - In his debut collection, Aaron Coleman writes an American anthem for the 21st century, a full-throated lyric composed of pain, faith, lust and vulnerability. Coleman’s poems comment on and interrogate the meaning of home and identity for a black man in America, past and present. Guided by a belief system comprising an eclectic array of
- [Daniel Wiseman](https://bookfeststl.com/speakers/daniel-wiseman/) - Daniel Wiseman likes to draw. A lot. He likes it so much, he's made a career out of it. Usually he draws animals wearing clothes, or kids enjoying a good dance party. However, when prodded, he's been known to draw pretty much anything else. When he isn't drawing, he can usually be found doing one
- [Tessa Bailey](https://bookfeststl.com/speakers/tessa-bailey/) - "New York Times" bestselling author Tessa Bailey is originally from Carlsbad, California. The day after high school graduation, she packed her yearbook, ripped jeans, and laptop, and drove cross-country to New York City in under four days. Her most valuable life experiences were learned thereafter while waitressing at K-Dees, a Manhattan pub owned by her
- [Abbigail Rosewood](https://bookfeststl.com/speakers/abbigail-rosewood/) - Abbigail N. Rosewood was born in Vietnam, where she lived until the age of twelve. She holds an MFA in creative writing from Columbia University. An excerpt from her first novel won first place in the Writers Workshop of Asheville Literary Fiction Contest. She lives in New York.
- [Wayétu Moore](https://bookfeststl.com/speakers/wayetu-moore/) - Wayétu Moore is the founder of One Moore Book and is a graduate of Howard University, Columbia University, and the University of Southern California. She teaches at the City University of New York’s John Jay College and lives in Brooklyn. Her debut novel, "She Would Be King," was published by Graywolf Press in September 2018.
- [Deborah Eisenberg](https://bookfeststl.com/speakers/deborah-eisenberg/) - Deborah Eisenberg is a MacArthur Foundation Fellow and the recipient of honors including the 2011 PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction, a Whiting Writer’s Award, and a Guggenheim Fellowship. Eisenberg has published four collections of stories: "Transactions in a Foreign Currency" (1986), "Under the 82nd Airborne" (1992), "All Around Atlantis" (1997), and "Twilight of the Superheroes" (2006). Her first two story collections
- [Sally Field](https://bookfeststl.com/speakers/sally-field/) - Sally Field is a two-time Academy Award and three-time Emmy Award winning actor who has portrayed dozens of iconic roles on both the large and small screens. In 2012, she was inducted into the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and in 2015 she was honored by President Obama with the National Medal of Arts.
- [Gary Shteyngart](https://bookfeststl.com/speakers/gary-shteyngart/) - Gary Shteyngart is the "New York Times" bestselling author of the memoir "Little Failure" (a national Book Critics Circle Award finalist) and the novels "Super Sad True Love Story" (winner of the Bollinger Everyman Wodehouse Prize), "Absurdistan," and "The Russian Debutante’s Handbook" (winner of the Stephen Crane Award for First Fiction and the National Jewish Book Award
- [Sarah Smarsh](https://bookfeststl.com/speakers/sarah-smarsh/) - Sarah Smarsh has covered socioeconomic class, politics, and public policy for "The Guardian," "VQR," NewYorker.com, Harpers.org, "The Texas Observer," and many others. She is currently a Joan Shorenstein Fellow at Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government. A former professor of nonfiction writing, Smarsh is a frequent speaker on economic inequality and related media narratives. She
- [Tessa Fontaine](https://bookfeststl.com/speakers/tessa-fontaine/) - Tessa Fontaine’s writing has appeared in "PANK," "Seneca Review," "The Rumpus," "Sideshow World," and elsewhere. She holds an MFA from the University of Alabama and is working on a PhD in creative writing at the University of Utah. She also eats fire and charms snakes, among other sideshow feats. She lives in South Carolina. "The
- [Gabrielle Montesanti](https://bookfeststl.com/speakers/gabrielle-montesanti/) - Gabrielle Montesanti is an MFA nonfiction student at Washington University in St. Louis. She is a Pushcart Prize nominee and currently serves as the Nonfiction Editor at "Stirring: A Literary Collection." Her work can be found in "Sinister Wisdom" (2017), "The Offing" (2017), "Crab Creek Review" (2016), and "Devil's Lake" (2015). She is currently at
- [Alex Gino](https://bookfeststl.com/speakers/alex-gino/) - Alex Gino loves glitter, ice cream, gardening, awe-ful puns, and stories that reflect the diversity and complexity of being alive. "George" was their first novel. "George" was a winner of the Children's Stonewall Award, the Lambda Literary Award, and the Children's Choice Book Awards, among a host of others. "George" was also featured on several "Best of the
- [Ellen Hopkins](https://bookfeststl.com/speakers/ellen-hopkins/) - Ellen Hopkins is the #1 "New York Times" bestselling author of thirteen young adult novels, as well as the adult novels "Triangles," "Collateral," and "Love Lies Beneath." She lives with her family in Carson City, Nevada, where she founded Ventana Sierra, a nonprofit youth housing and resource initiative. Visit her at EllenHopkins.com, on Facebook, and
- [Hank Phillippi Ryan](https://bookfeststl.com/speakers/hank-phillippi-ryan/) - Hank Phillippi Ryan is the investigative reporter for Boston's WHDH-TV, and has won thirty-four Emmys and fourteen Edward R. Murrow Awards. A Boston Globe bestselling author, Ryan has won two Agatha Awards, in addition to the Anthony, Macavity, Daphne du Maurier, and Mary Higgins Clark Awards. She is on the national board of directors of Mystery Writers
- [Blair Hurley](https://bookfeststl.com/speakers/blair-hurley/) - Blair Hurley is a Pushcart Prize winner whose work has been published in "West Branch" and "Mid-American Review," among others. A native of Boston, she now lives in Toronto, where she teaches creative writing at the University of Toronto. Her debut novel, "The Devoted," was published by W. W. Norton & Company in August 2018.
- [Paul Tran](https://bookfeststl.com/speakers/paul-tran/) - Paul Tran is a 2018 "Discovery"/Boston Review Poetry Prize winner. They live in Missouri, where they are Poetry Editor at "The Offing" and Chancellor's Graduate Fellow in The Writing Program at Washington University in St. Louis. Their work appears in "The New Yorker," "POETRY Magazine," and elsewhere, including the anthology "Inheriting the War" (W.W. Norton)
- [Elsa Hart](https://bookfeststl.com/speakers/elsa-hart/) - Elsa Hart was born in Rome, Italy, but her earliest memories are of Moscow, where her family lived until 1991. Since then she has lived in the Czech Republic, the U.S.A., and China. She earned a B.A. from Swarthmore College and a J.D. from Washington University in St. Louis School of Law. Her third novel,
- [John Gallaher](https://bookfeststl.com/speakers/john-gallaher/) - John Gallaher spends a lot of time on the other side of the road from a cornfield, though some years it’s soy, and now and then, fallow, but no matter how far out he lives, he continues to get all the same TV stations everyone else gets. Radio too.
- [NoNieqa Ramos](https://bookfeststl.com/speakers/nonieqa-ramos/) - NoNieqa Ramos spent her childhood in the Bronx, where she started her own publishing company and sold books for twenty-five cents until the nuns shut her down. With the support of her single father and her tías, she earned dual master's degrees in creative writing and education at the University of Notre Dame. As a teacher,
- [Rebecca Schuman](https://bookfeststl.com/speakers/rebecca-schuman/) - Rebecca Schuman was born in Deep Springs, California and grew up in Eugene, Oregon. She graduated from Vassar College, and spent several years working in media and publishing in New York City before beginning her PhD in German at the University of California-Irvine, which she received in 2010. She taught at the University of Missouri-St. Louis
- [Marcia Douglas](https://bookfeststl.com/speakers/marcia-douglas/) - Marcia Douglas is the author of novels and poems and performs the one-woman show, “Natural Herstory.” She teaches creative writing and Caribbean literature at the University of Colorado, Boulder. "The Marvellous Equations of the Dread" was longlisted for the 2016 Republic of Consciousness Prize and the 2017 OCM Bocas Prize for Caribbean Literature. It was
- [Brandy Colbert](https://bookfeststl.com/speakers/brandy-colbert/) - Brandy Colbert was born and raised in Springfield, Missouri. Her debut novel, "Pointe," won the 2014 Cybils Award for young adult fiction and was named a best book of 2014 by "Publishers Weekly," "BuzzFeed," "Book Riot," and more. She was chosen as a "Publishers Weekly" Flying Start for spring 2014. She is also the author of "Little
- [Weike Wang](https://bookfeststl.com/speakers/weike-wang/) - Weike Wang is the author of the novel "Chemistry," published by Vintage in April 2018, and her short fiction has been published in "Glimmer Train," "the Alaska Quarterly Review," "Ploughshares," and others. Wang is a finalist for the 2018 "Aspen Words Literary Prize" and a "5 Under 35" National Book Foundation honoree. She holds a BA from
- [Michael Nye](https://bookfeststl.com/speakers/michael-nye/) - Michael Nye is the author of two books, the story collection "Strategies Against Extinction" and the novel "All the Castles Burned," published by Turner in February 2018. His fiction and nonfiction have appeared in "American Literary Review," "Epoch," "Cincinnati Review," "Kenyon Review," "Lit Hub," "New South," and "The Millions," among many others. A former resident
- [A. LaFaye](https://bookfeststl.com/speakers/a-lafaye/) - A. LaFaye is thrilled to celebrate the publication of her new picture book "No Frogs In School" (Sterling, August 2018). Kirkus says, “each page lends itself to an energetic seek-and-find storytime that promises new discoveries upon multiple reads.” She’s published over a dozen books for young readers, including the Scott O’Dell award-winning "Worth" (Aladdin) and
- [Cheeraz Gormon](https://bookfeststl.com/speakers/cheeraz-gormon/) - Cheeraz Gormon is a visual storyteller, poet, author, award-winning advertising copywriter, two-time TEDxGatewayArch speaker, 2018-2019 Storytelling Fellow at InPower Institute- a division of Emerging Wisdom, 2018 St. Louis Visionary Awards Outstanding Working Artist Honoree, and every bit a native daughter of St. Louis, Missouri. As a poet, Gormon has opened for scholars Cornell West, Dr. Dennis Kimbrow, MacArthur
- [Amy Ash](https://bookfeststl.com/speakers/amy-ash/) - Amy Ash is the author of "The Open Mouth of the Vase," winner of the 2013 Cider Press Review Book Award and the 2016 Etchings Press Whirling Prize post-publication award for poetry. Her work has been published in various journals and anthologies, including "Mid-American Review," "Harpur Palate," and "Salamander." She is an assistant professor of English
- [Amy Sayre Baptista](https://bookfeststl.com/speakers/amy-sayre-baptista/) - Amy Sayre Baptista’s writing has appeared in "The Best Small Fictions" (2017), "Ninth Letter," "The Butter," "Alaska Quarterly Review," and other journals. Her flash fiction chapbook is forthcoming from Black Lawrence Press, September 2018. She was a SAFTA fellow (2015), a CantoMundo Poetry fellow (2013), and a scholarship recipient to the Disquiet Literary Festival in Lisbon, Portugal
- [Callista Buchen](https://bookfeststl.com/speakers/callista-buchen/) - Callista Buchen is the author of "Look Look Look" (forthcoming in 2019 from Black Lawrence Press) and the chapbooks "The Bloody Planet" (Black Lawrence Press) and "Double Mouthed" (dancing girl press). Her work appears in "Harpur Palate," "Puerto del Sol," "Salamander," and many other journals, and she is the winner of DIAGRAM’s essay contest. She
- [Carlo Matos](https://bookfeststl.com/speakers/carlo-matos/) - Carlo Matos has published ten books, including "The Quitters" (Tortoise Books) and "It's Best Not to Interrupt Her Experiments" (Negative Capability Press). His poems, stories, and essays have appeared in such journals as "Iowa Review," "Boston Review," "Rhino," and "Diagram," among many others. Carlo has received grants from CantoMundo, the Illinois Arts Council, and the Sundress Academy for
- [Elizabeth K. Brown](https://bookfeststl.com/speakers/elizabeth-k-brown/) - Elizabeth K. Brown is a graduate of the MFA program in nonfiction at Washington University in St. Louis. Her work has been published in "Brevity," "Essay Daily," and "edible Berkshires" magazine. She is a contributor to “They Said: A Multi-Genre Anthology of Contemporary Collaborative Writing,” published by Black Lawrence Press in June 2018.
- [Felicia Madlock](https://bookfeststl.com/speakers/felicia-madlock/) - Felicia Madlock writes across genres: novels, poetry, short stories, and children’s tales. Her writing reflects the emotional colors of pain and heartache, laughter, and the struggles/triumphs of being Black in today’s society. Her literary works have appeared in multiple entries of the "Journal of Ordinary Thoughts," online publications, and written anthropologies. Her poem entitled “Where
- [Matthew DeMarco](https://bookfeststl.com/speakers/matthew-demarco/) - Matthew DeMarco lives in Chicago. His work has appeared on Poets.org and in "Columbia Poetry Review," "Ghost City Review," "Landfill," "Jet Fuel Review," and elsewhere. He also has work forthcoming in "Sporklet." Poems that he wrote with Faizan Syed have appeared in "Dogbird" and "They Said." He tweets sporadically from @M_DeMarco_Words. He is a contributor to “They
- [Deborah Zemke](https://bookfeststl.com/speakers/deborah-zemke/) - Deborah Zemke used her magic wand pencil and a little digital hocus pocus to illustrate "The Absolutely, Positively NO Princesses Book," written by Ian Lendler and published by Creston Books in September 2018. She has written and/or illustrated more than fifty books for young readers, including the acclaimed "Bea Garcia" chapter book series. Deborah grew
- [Jacqui Germain](https://bookfeststl.com/speakers/jacqui-germain/) - Jacqui Germain is a St. Louis-based poet and freelance writer, with work appearing or forthcoming in "The Offing," "Muzzle Magazine," "The New Inquiry," "The Nation," and elsewhere. Her poetry often involves an excavation of history and memory, attempting to challenge linear assumptions of time, progress, power, and experience through an intimate lens. She is the
- [Antony John](https://bookfeststl.com/speakers/antony-john/) - Antony John is the author of several novels, including "Five Flavors of Dumb" and the fantasy trilogy "Elemental." A native of England, he graduated from Oxford University with a degree in music and received his Ph.D. from Duke University. He crisscrossed the country, living on both coasts, before settling in St. Louis with his family, where he writes
- [Rebecca Makkai](https://bookfeststl.com/speakers/rebecca-makkai/) - Rebecca Makkai is the author of "The Hundred Year-House," "The Borrower," and "Music for Wartime." Her work has appeared in The Best American Short Stories, "The Best American Nonrequired Reading," "Best American Fantasy," "Harper’s," "Tin House," "Ploughshares," "Iowa Review," "Indiana Review," "Michigan Quarterly Review" and "New England Review," among others. She lives outside Chicago with her husband
- [Kathleen Finneran](https://bookfeststl.com/speakers/kathleen-finneran-2/) - Kathleen Finneran is the author of the memoir "The Tender Land: A Family Love Story." Her essays have been published in various anthologies, including "The Place That Holds Our History," "Seeking St. Louis: Voices from a River City," "The “M” Word: Writers on Same-Sex Marriage," and "My Bookstore: Writers Celebrate Their Favorite Places to Browse, Read,
- [Gillian Parrish](https://bookfeststl.com/speakers/gillian-parrish/) - Gillian Parrish is the author of a book of poems, "of rain and nettles wove" (Singing Horse Press), and the mothership of "spacecraftproject," a literary and arts journal that comes together through conversation and coincidence. Work is forthcoming in anthologies "Far Villages" (Black Lawrence Press) and "Counter-Desecration: A Glossary for Writing Within the Anthropocene" (Wesleyan University Press).
- [Dana Levin](https://bookfeststl.com/speakers/dana-levin/) - Dana Levin’s fourth book is "Banana Palace" (Copper Canyon Press, 2016). Previous collections include "In the Surgical Theatre," "Wedding Day," and "Sky Burial," which The New Yorker called “utterly her own and utterly riveting.” Recent poetry and essays have appeared in "Best American Poetry 2015," "Poem-a-day," "Kenyon Review," and "Poetry." Levin is a grateful recipient of many
- [Sarah Kendzior](https://bookfeststl.com/speakers/sarahkendzior/) - Sarah Kendzior is best known for her reporting on St. Louis, her coverage of the 2016 election, and her academic research on authoritarian states. She is currently an op-ed columnist for the "Globe and Mail" and she was named by "Foreign Policy" as one of the “100 people you should be following on Twitter to make
- [Sylvia Sukop](https://bookfeststl.com/speakers/sylvia-sukop/) - Sylvia Sukop has an MFA from Washington University in St. Louis where she is the 2018-19 Senior Fellow in Creative Nonfiction. Her work has appeared in "Creative Nonfiction," "The Southeast Review," and several anthologies. She has received fellowships including PEN Emerging Voices, Lambda Emerging Writers, and a Fulbright to Germany. She is a contributor to “They Said: A
- [Michelle Tea](https://bookfeststl.com/speakers/michelle-tea/) - Michelle Tea is the author of five memoirs: "The Passionate Mistakes and Intricate Corruption of One Girl in America," "Valencia" (now a film), "The Chelsea Whistle," "Rent Girl" (illustrated), and "How to Grow Up," currently in development with Amazon Studios. Her novels include "Black Wave," "Mermaid in Chelsea Creek," "Girl at the Bottom of the
- [Michael Isikoff](https://bookfeststl.com/speakers/michael-isikoff/) - Michael Isikoff is an American investigative journalist who has worked for "The Washington Post," "Newsweek," and NBC News. He is the author of two "New York Times" bestsellers: "Uncovering Clinton: A Reporter’s Story" and "Hubris: The Inside Story of Spin, Scandal, and the Selling of the Iraq War" (co-written with David Corn). He is a
- [Melissa Scholes Young](https://bookfeststl.com/speakers/melissa-scholes-young/) - Melissa Scholes Young is an award-winning author from Hannibal, Missouri. Her writing has appeared in the "Atlantic," "Washington Post," "Huffington Post," "Narrative," "Ploughshares," and "Poets & Writers." She’s a Contributing Editor for "Fiction Writers Review" and Editor of "Grace in Darkness: D.C. Women Writers." She’s an Associate Professor in the Department of Literature at American University in Washington, D.C.
- [Lucy Jane Bledsoe](https://bookfeststl.com/speakers/lucy-jane-bledsoe/) - Lucy Jane Bledsoe is an award-winning author of fiction and nonfiction, including the novels "A Thin Bright Line" and "The Evolution of Love" and the adventure essay collection "The Ice Cave." She has traveled the length of the Grand Canyon, skied through Yellowstone National Park, kayaked and hiked in Alaska, and voyaged several times to Antarctica. She lives
- [Rosalie Knecht](https://bookfeststl.com/speakers/rosalie-knecht/) - Rosalie Knecht is a social worker in New York City and was born and raised in Pennsylvania. She is the translator of César Aira’s "The Seamstress and the Wind" and has been a Center for Fiction Emerging Writer Fellow and a Fulbright English Teaching Assistant in Argentina. Her debut novel, "Relief Map," was published by
- [Bethany Morrow](https://bookfeststl.com/speakers/bethany-morrow/) - A California native, Bethany C. Morrow spent six years living in Montreal, Quebec. Her speculative literary fiction uses a focus on character and language to engage with, comment on and investigate worlds not unlike our own. Her debut novel, "Mem," was published by Unnamed Press in May 2018. She currently resides in upstate New York. News and Reviews:
- [Dawn Davies](https://bookfeststl.com/speakers/dawn-davies/) - Dawn Davies has a BA from Vermont College of Fine Arts and an MFA from Florida International University. She is the recipient of a Pushcart Special Mention, and her work has been published in numerous journals and anthologies, including the "Best American Essays" 2015. She lives in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, where she does everything from working
- [Anne Valente](https://bookfeststl.com/speakers/anne-valente/) - Anne Valente is the author of the novel, "Our Hearts Will Burn Us Down" (William Morrow/HarperCollins, 2016), and the short story collection, "By Light We Knew Our Names" (Dzanc Books, 2014). Her second novel, "Utah," is forthcoming from HarperCollins in 2019. Her short fiction appears in "One Story," "The Kenyon Review," "The Southern Review" and
- [Nina LaCour](https://bookfeststl.com/speakers/nina-lacour/) - Nina LaCour is the author of the widely acclaimed "Hold Still," "The Disenchantments" and "Everything Leads to You." She is also the coauthor, with David Levithan, of "You Know Me Well." Formerly a bookseller and high school English teacher, she now writes and parents full time. A San Francisco Bay Area native, Nina lives with her family
- [Tongo Eisen-Martin](https://bookfeststl.com/speakers/tongo-eisen-martin/) - Born in San Francisco, Tongo Eisen-Martin is the author of the critically acclaimed poetry book, "Someone's Dead Already," and his much-awaited second book, "Heaven is All Goodbyes." He is a movement worker, educator and poet who has organized against mass incarceration and extrajudicial killing of black people throughout the United States. He has educated in
- [MK Stallings](https://bookfeststl.com/speakers/mk-stallings/) - MK Stallings is a poet and founder of UrbArts, a nonprofit organization whose mission is to create platforms and platform creatives for youth and community development. He serves as the program director for UrbArts Youth Poetry Slam and festival director for VerbQuake. Additionally, he's on the planning committee for Brick City Poetry Festival scheduled for
- [Eileen G'Sell](https://bookfeststl.com/speakers/eileen-gsell/) - Eileen G'Sell is author of the chapbook "Portrait of My Ex with Giant Burrito," from BOAAT Books, and "Euphoria Takes One for the Team," from Dancing Girl Press. Her cultural criticism and poetry have been featured in Salon, VICE, DIAGRAM, the Boston Review and Conduit, among other publications, and she is features editor at The Rumpus. She teaches
- [Justin Phillip Reed](https://bookfeststl.com/speakers/justin-phillip-reed/) - Justin Phillip Reed was born and raised in South Carolina. His work has appeared in Best American Essays, Boston Review, Callaloo, The Kenyon Review, Obsidian and elsewhere. Coffee House Press will releases his first full-length poetry collection, "Indecency," next spring. Justin lives in St. Louis. Come see about him at justinphillipreed.com. News and Reviews: Living
- [Michael Castro](https://bookfeststl.com/speakers/michael-castro/) - Michael Castro was the inaugural Poet Laureate of St. Louis. He has published six book of poems, essays and translations and has appeared in in more than 100 magazines and numerous anthologies. In 1975 Castro co-founded the literary organization River Styx and pioneered the poetry radio shows River Styx Poets Radio Show, Ars Poetica and
- [Shane Seely](https://bookfeststl.com/speakers/shane-seely/) - Shane Seely directs the MFA program at the University of Missouri – St. Louis. He was born in 1972 along the Grand Army of the Republic Highway, in the area of Pennsylvania now called the "Pennsylvania Wilds" — one of the few parts of the Mid-Atlantic where clear night skies reveal the Milky Way. Shane
- [Steve Schreiner](https://bookfeststl.com/speakers/steve-schreiner/) - Steven Schreiner is the author of "Imposing Presence" (chapbook), "Too Soon to Leave" (poems) and "Belly." He has been a fellow at the Virginia Colony for Creative Arts and at Tall Rock. He earned a MFA in Poetry from the Iowa Writers' Workshop and a Ph.D in English from Wayne State University. He is the founding
- [Robin Sloan](https://bookfeststl.com/speakers/robin-sloan/) - Robin Sloan is the author of the runaway literary sensation "Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore." He grew up in Michigan and now splits his time between San Francisco and the internet. His much-anticipated second novel, "Sourdough," will be released in September 2017. News and Reviews: Staff Review: "Sourdough" (Left Bank Books) Fall book preview: The top 50
- [Sherman Alexie](https://bookfeststl.com/speakers/sherman-alexie/) - Winner of the PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction, the PEN/Malamud Award for Short Fiction, a PEN/Hemingway Citation for Best First Fiction and the National Book Award for Young People's Literature, Sherman Alexie is a poet, short story writer, novelist and performer. He has published 26 books including his recently released memoir "You Don't Have to Say
- [Annalee Newitz](https://bookfeststl.com/speakers/annalee-newitz/) - Annalee Newitz is an American journalist, editor, and author of both fiction and nonfiction. She is the recipient of a Knight Science Journalism Fellowship from MIT, and has written for Popular Science, Wired, and the San Francisco Bay Guardian. She also founded the science fiction website io9 and served as editor-in-chief from 2008–2015, and subsequently edited Gizmodo. As of 2016, she is Tech Culture
- [Cheeraz Gormon](https://bookfeststl.com/speakers/cheeraz-gorman/) - Storyteller, poet, author and award-winning advertising creative Cheeraz Gormon is from St. Louis, and every bit a native daughter. Her poetry has been featured in media in St. Louis, London, Portland (Oregon), the Huffington Post, on St. Louis Public Radio and Ebony Magazine. She isa sought-after speaker, appearing at TEDxGatewayArch and other venues to discuss
- [Megan Stielstra](https://bookfeststl.com/speakers/megan-stielstra/) - Megan Stielstra is the author of three collections, most recently "The Wrong Way to Save Your Life" (Harper Perennial). Her work appears in the Best American Essays, New York Times, Poets & Writers, Guernica, Buzzfeed Reader, The Rumpus and elsewhere. A longtime company member with 2nd Story, she has told stories for NPR, Radio National Australia,
- [Zac Brewer](https://bookfeststl.com/speakers/zac-brewer/) - Zac Brewer, writing under the name Heather Brewer, is the New York Times best-selling author of "The Chronicles of Vladimir Tod," which has sold more than 1.5 million copies around the world, as well as the spin-off series, "The Slayer Chronicles," and two standalone novels, "The Cemetery Boys" and "The Blood Between Us." His new
- [Gabriel Tallent](https://bookfeststl.com/speakers/gabriel-tallent/) - Gabriel Tallent was born in New Mexico rand raised on the Mendocino coast by two mothers. He received his bachelor's from Willamette University in 2010, and after graduation spent two seasons leading youth trail crews in the backcountry of the Pacific Northwest. Tallent lives in Salt Lake City. His brilliant and immersive debut novel, "My
- [Amy Stewart](https://bookfeststl.com/speakers/amy-stewart/) - Amy Stewart is the award-winning author of seven books, including her acclaimed fiction debut, "Girl Waits with Gun" and the best-sellers "The Drunken Botanist" and "Wicked Plants." She and her husband live in Eureka, California, where they own a bookstore called Eureka Books. Her third Kopp Sisters novel, "Miss Kopp's Midnight Confessions," will be released
- [Jane Ellen Ibur](https://bookfeststl.com/speakers/jane-ellen-ibur/) - Jane Ellen Ibur is an award-winning poet whose work has appeared in literary journals and anthologies since 1972. As an arts educator for more than 35 years, she has been lauded for her determination to bring the experience of poetry and creative writing to people of every age, in every imaginable setting, including public schools, jails,
- [Mary Engelbreit](https://bookfeststl.com/speakers/mary-engelbreit/) - Over 35 years ago, Mary Engelbreit launched her own company with a strong desire for creative freedom and a line of 12 greeting cards. The head of a highly successful business bearing her name, she is one of the country's premier designers and artists. Engelbreit is known throughout the world for her distinctive illustration style and
- [Kea Wilson](https://bookfeststl.com/speakers/kea-wilson/) - Kea Wilson is the author of the novel "We Eat Our Own" (Simon & Schuster). Her short fiction and other writings have appeared in PANK, Diagram, Playboy, Lithub and others. She received her MFA from Washington University in St. Louis, where she is now an instructor of creative writing. News and Reviews: A familiar face at
- [Lorin Cuoco](https://bookfeststl.com/speakers/lorin-cuoco/) - Lorin Cuoco is the editor of six books including "The Writer in Politics, The Dual Muse: The Writer As Artist, the Artist As Writer and Literary St. Louis: A Guide," which she co-wrote with William Gass. Cuoco is a former radio reporter and arts producer, based in St. Louis. She produced broadcasts for NPR World
- [Ann Leckie](https://bookfeststl.com/speakers/ann-leckie/) - Ann Leckie is the author of the Hugo, Nebula, Arthur C. Clarke and British Science Fiction Award-winning novel "Ancillary Justice," and its Locus Award-winning sequel, "Ancillary Sword." She has also published short stories in Subterranean Magazine, Strange Horizons and Realms of Fantasy. Her story "Hesperia and Glory" was reprinted in Science Fiction: The Best of
- [Chavisa Woods](https://bookfeststl.com/speakers/chavisa-woods/) - Brooklyn-based writer Chavisa Woods is the author of "The Albino Album" (Seven Stories Press, 2013) and "Love Does Not Make Me Gentle or Kind" (Fly by Night Press, 2009). Woods was the recipient of the 2014 Cobalt Prize for fiction and was a finalist in 2009 and 2014 for the Lambda Literary Award for fiction.
- [Jessica Baran](https://bookfeststl.com/speakers/jessica-baran/) - Jessica Baran is the author of three poetry collections: "Common Sense" (Lost Roads), "Equivalents" (Lost Roads) and "Remains to Be Used" (Apostrophe). Her poetry and art criticism has appeared in the Awl, Art in America, Artforum.com, BOMB, the Boston Review, the Denver Quarterly and Hyperallergic, among many other publications. With Ted Mathys, she co-curates the 100
- [Anne Edelstein](https://bookfeststl.com/speakers/anne-edelstein/) - Anne Edelstein has helped writers tell their stories, first as an editor at a publishing house and later as a literary agent. She lives in New York with her family, and spends part of each year in Barcelona. Her debut memoir, "Lifesaving for Beginners," will be released in November 2017 from Red Hen Press. News
- [Katryn Dierksen](https://bookfeststl.com/speakers/katryn-dierksen/) - Katryn Dierksen is a poet, illustrator and printer living on the south side of St. Louis City. This cherub with horns, a will of iron and a heart of gold inspires and supplements any artist crossed. Although her laugh is as boisterous as her writing, be warned: Kitty's got claws.
- [Kevin Killeen](https://bookfeststl.com/speakers/kevin-killeen/) - A reporter with KMOX radio since 1995, Kevin Killeen has confused listeners for the past 10 years with his regular morning feature, A Whole 'nother Story. Killeen has also authored the KMOX Holiday Radio Show, an original comic play with a holiday theme, for the past 15 years or so. A 1982 graduate of UMSL, Killeen
- [Mary Jo Bang](https://bookfeststl.com/speakers/mary-jo-bang/) - Mary Jo Bang is the author of six previous books of poetry, including "Elegy," winner of the National Book Critics Circle Award. She has also published a celebrated translation of Dante's "Inferno." She teaches at Washington University in St. Louis. Her most recent poetry collection, "A Doll for Throwing," comes out in August 2017 from Graywolf Press.
- [Alex George](https://bookfeststl.com/speakers/alex-george/) - Alex George lives in Columbia with his family (though he has spent time in Maine, a state close to his heart). He studied law at Oxford University and has practiced as an attorney for more than 20 years in London, Paris and the United States. His acclaimed novel, "A Good American," received a great deal
- [Kat Zhang](https://bookfeststl.com/speakers/kat-zhang/) - Kat Zhang loves traveling to places both real and fictional — the former have better souvenirs, but the latter allow for dragons, so it's a tough pick. A graduate of Vanderbilt University, she now spends her free time scribbling poetry, taking photographs, and climbing on top of things she shouldn't. She is the author of
- [JR Tappenden](https://bookfeststl.com/speakers/jennifer-tappenden/) - JR Tappenden is the founding editor of Architrave Press. She earned an MFA in poetry from the University of Missouri-St. Louis, where she also served as the university's first Poet Laureate. Her poems have appeared in The Baltimore Review, Flyway, Compose and elsewhere. She is poetry editor for december magazine, an organizer of both the St. Louis Small Press
- [Ted Mathys](https://bookfeststl.com/speakers/ted-mathys/) - Ted Mathys the author of three books of poetry, "Null Set," "The Spoils" and "Forge," all published by Coffee House Press. He has received fellowships and awards from the National Endowment for the Arts, New York Foundation for the Arts, Saint Louis Regional Arts Council and Poetry Society of America. He teaches at Saint Louis
- [Mark Tiedemann](https://bookfeststl.com/speakers/mark-tiedemann/) - Mark W. Tiedemann began publishing in 1990 with the short story "Targets" in Asimovs SF Magazine. Since then he has published 12 books, over 60 short stories, and numerous reviews and articles. His novel "Compass Reach" was shortlisted for the Philip K. Dick Award and the novel "Remains" was shortlisted for the James Tiptree Jr. Award. While all
- [Leyna Krow](https://bookfeststl.com/speakers/leyna-krow/) - Leyna Krow's stories have appeared in Hayden’s Ferry Review, Prairie Schooner, Ninth Letter and other publications. She lives in Spokane, Washington. "I’m Fine, But You Appear to Be Sinking" is her debut collection. News and Reviews: "I'm Fine, But You Appear to Be Sinking": An interview with Leyna Krow (3:AM Magazine) "I'm Fine, But You Appear to
- [Treasure Shields Redmond](https://bookfeststl.com/speakers/treasure-shields-redmond/) - Treasure Shields Redmond is a St. Louis metro-based poet, speaker, diversity and inclusion coach, and social justice educator. Her book "chop: a collection of kwansabas for fannie lou hamer" (2015) focuses on the life of civil rights activist Fannie Lou Hamer. Over her career, Treasure has facilitated dialogues about poetry, pedagogy and justice. Combining her
- [Whitney Terrell](https://bookfeststl.com/speakers/whitney-terrell/) - Whitney Terrell’s most recent novel, "The Good Lieutenant" (FSG), was selected as a best book of 2016 by the Washington Post, the Boston Globe and Refinery 29. It was long-listed for the Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Fiction. He is also the author of "The Huntsman," a New York Times notable book, and "The
- [Kathleen Finneran](https://bookfeststl.com/speakers/kathleen-finneran/) - Kathleen Finneran is the author of the memoir "The Tender Land: A Family Love Story." Her essays have been published in various anthologies, including "The Place That Holds Our History," "Seeking St. Louis: Voices from a River City," "The 'M' Word: Writers on Same-Sex Marriage" and "My Bookstore: Writers Celebrate Their Favorite Places to Browse, Read, and
- [Peter Hernon](https://bookfeststl.com/speakers/peter-hernon/) - Peter Hernon has written five books, including "Under the Influence: The Unauthorized Story of the Anheuser-Busch Dynasty" (co-author), a New York Times best-seller. His most recent book, "The Great Rescue: American Heroes, an Iconic Ship, and the Race to Save Europe in WWI," was released in June 2017. He is a former editor for the Chicago
- [Roger Reeves](https://bookfeststl.com/speakers/roger-reeves/) - Roger Reeves earned his MFA from the James A. Michener Center for Creative Writing and his Ph.D. from the University of Texas. His poems have appeared in Poetry, American Poetry Review and Boston Review. He teaches at the University of Illinois at Chicago. His highly-anticipated debut book of poetry, "King Me," was named one of the
- [Trenton Lee Stewart](https://bookfeststl.com/speakers/trenton-lee-stewart/) - Trenton Lee Stewart is the author of the award-winning and New York Times best-selling "Mysterious Benedict Society" series. He lives in Little Rock, Arkansas. "The Secret Keepers," his new heart-pounding middle-grade mystery adventure, will be released in September 2017. News and Reviews: Children's books roundup: the best new picture books and novels (The Guardian) Best middle
- [George Hodgman](https://bookfeststl.com/speakers/george-hodgman/) - George Hodgman is a veteran magazine and book editor who has worked at Simon & Schuster, Holt, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, Vanity Fair and Talk magazine. His writing has appeared in Entertainment Weekly, Interview, W and Harper's Bazaar, among other publications. He lives in New York City and Paris, Missouri. "Bettyville," his tender memoir of a son's journey from New York City to
- [Michael Kahn](https://bookfeststl.com/speakers/michael-kahn/) - Michael A. Kahn is the award-winning author of several novels, praised by Publishers Weekly for their "intelligent, breezy dialogue and clever plotting." A graduate of Amherst College and Harvard Law School, Kahn began his literary career writing freelance feature articles for Chicago Magazine while teaching fifth grade in Chicago public schools. The St. Louis attorney
- [Shanthi Sekaran](https://bookfeststl.com/speakers/shanthi-sekaran/) - Shanthi Sekaran teaches creative writing and is a member of the Portuguese Artists' Colony and the San Francisco Writers’ Grotto. Her work has appeared in the New York Times, Best New American Voices and Canteen, and online at Zyzzyva and Mutha Magazine. A California native, she lives in Berkeley, California, with her husband and two
- [Charlie Jane Anders](https://bookfeststl.com/speakers/charlie-jane-anders/) - Charlie Jane Anders is the former editor-in-chief of io9.com, the extraordinarily popular Gawker Media site devoted to science fiction and fantasy. Her debut novel, the mainstream "Choir Boy," won the 2006 Lambda Literary Award and was shortlisted for the Edmund White Award. Her Tor.com story, "Six Months, Three Days," won the 2013 Hugo Award and
- [Edward Kelsey Moore](https://bookfeststl.com/speakers/edward-kelsey-moore/) - Edward Kelsey Moore is the author of the best-selling "The Supremes at Earl's All-You-Can-Eat," and the recently released follow-up novel "The Supremes Sing the Happy Heartache Blues." His short fiction has appeared in Indiana Review, African American Review and Inkwell, among others. His short story "Grandma and the Elusive Fifth Crucifix" was selected as an audience favorite on Chicago
- [Ann Ingalls](https://bookfeststl.com/speakers/ann-ingalls/) - Ann Ingalls is from Cleveland and worked as a teacher, in factories manufacturing cars, selling shoes and greeting cards, and making doughnuts and ice cream before taking up writing. When she's not writing, she likes to read, play cards, go for long walks, ride her bike and travel. She is the author of "Fairy Floss:
- [Alison C. Rollins](https://bookfeststl.com/speakers/alison-c-rollins/) - Alison C. Rollins was born and raised in St. Louis. A Cave Canem Fellow, she is the second prize winner of the 2016 James H. Nash Poetry Contest and her poems have appeared or are forthcoming in Poetry, River Styx, Vinyl and elsewhere. She currently works as the librarian for Nerinx Hall, a high school in Webster Groves. In 2016, Rollins
- [Shelley Michael](https://bookfeststl.com/speakers/shelley-michael/) - As a seasoned educator in the field of early childhood, Shelley Michael brings her love of children and her insight into the mind of a child to her writing. A constructivist by heart, she believes in learning through play and that means the more a child gets their hands dirty, they more they are learning

## Sponsors

- [Left Bank Books Foundation](https://bookfeststl.com/sponsor/left-bank-books-foundation/)

## Categories

- [Uncategorized](https://bookfeststl.com/category/uncategorized/)
- [News & Updates](https://bookfeststl.com/category/news-updates/)
- [Writer's Corner](https://bookfeststl.com/category/writers-corner/)

## Tags

- [BookFest St. Louis Schedule](https://bookfeststl.com/tag/bookfest-st-louis-schedule/)
- [Schedule](https://bookfeststl.com/tag/schedule/)
- [Full Schedule](https://bookfeststl.com/tag/full-schedule/)
- [bookfest festival zone](https://bookfeststl.com/tag/bookfest-festival-zone/)
- [artists](https://bookfeststl.com/tag/artists/)
- [artisans](https://bookfeststl.com/tag/artisans/)
- [book-sellers](https://bookfeststl.com/tag/book-sellers/)
- [vendors](https://bookfeststl.com/tag/vendors/)
- [booths](https://bookfeststl.com/tag/booths/)
- [free](https://bookfeststl.com/tag/free/)

## Event Categories

- [Keynote Address](https://bookfeststl.com/events/category/keynote-address/)
- [Memoir](https://bookfeststl.com/events/category/memoir/)
- [Contemporary Fiction](https://bookfeststl.com/events/category/contemporary-fiction/)

## Session Locations

- [St. Louis Public Library — Schlafly Branch (225 N Euclid Ave.)](https://bookfeststl.com/session-location/st-louis-public-library-schlafly-branch/)
- [510 N. Euclid](https://bookfeststl.com/session-location/510-n-euclid/)
- [The Vino Gallery (4701 McPherson Ave.)](https://bookfeststl.com/session-location/the-vino-gallery/)
- [McPherson Tent](https://bookfeststl.com/session-location/mcpherson-tent/)
- [TechArtista (4818 Washington Blvd.)](https://bookfeststl.com/session-location/techartista-4818-washington-blvd/)
- [The Mahler Ballroom (4915 Washington Blvd.)](https://bookfeststl.com/session-location/the-mahler-ballroom-4915-washington-blvd/)

## Session Tracks

- [Mystery](https://bookfeststl.com/session-track/mystery/)
- [Children](https://bookfeststl.com/session-track/children/)
- [Young Adult](https://bookfeststl.com/session-track/young-adult/)
- [Contemporary Fiction](https://bookfeststl.com/session-track/fiction/)
- [Poetry](https://bookfeststl.com/session-track/poetry/)
- [Rom Com](https://bookfeststl.com/session-track/rom-com/)

## Tiers

- [Presenting Sponsor](https://bookfeststl.com/sponsor-tier/presenting-sponsor/)