I'll be teaching the weekend-long course "The Basics of Fiction: For Newbies and Pros" at Iowa Writers House in Iowa City. Registration and more info here.

Literary Death Match is coming to Subterranean in Chicago, and I will be one of the judges deciding who gets fed to the lions. Featured author/victims are Vu Tran, C. Russell Price, Nnedi Okorafor, and Hanna Gamble. More details here!

I'll be reading something on the theme of "Wedding Bells" at Gallery Cabaret for the Miss Spoken series. Find out more here!

I'll be appearing at Harbor Springs Festival of the Book in Harbor Springs, Michigan. More information at the festival website!

I've been awaiting Katie Chase's debut collection for about eight years now, and I'm thrilled to be in conversation with her about Man & Wife at my favorite new Chicago bookstore. Please join us for wine and coffee and stories! Here's the Facebook page.

I'll be teaching a class on the fundamentals of writing dialogue at the Northbrook, IL public library. Click through for information on other sessions with writers including Eric Charles May, Christine Sneed, Abby Geni, and Emily Gray Tedrowe. The classes are free, but registration is required.

I'll be appearing at the Brattleboro Literary Festival in southern Vermont. More info at the festival website!

I'll be welcoming the authors Lori Ostlund and Anne Raeff to Winnetka's Book Stall for a discussion of  Anne's debut collection The Jungle Around us and Lori's novel After the Parade. They are partners and brilliant writers, and I'm excited to join them and pick their brains. You can find event details here.

I'll be reading, chatting, and signing at Beloit College in Wisconsin. Details here!

I'll be teaching a free class on scene-building at the Lake Villa, Illinois library. Please join us! Details here, right between the foreign policy discussion and the tablescapes class.