Join us in May for this timely conversation with three remarkable writers – Matt Bell, David Marquis, and Julie Poole – whose work shines a literary light on the natural world:
A novel that is part speculative epic, part tech thriller, part reinvented fairy tale, that touches on climate change; corporate, civic, and familial responsibility; manifest destiny; and the myths and legends that sustain us all.
A meditation on water as metaphor for social change, based on the author’s experiences as an environmental activist.
A poetic botanical index that explores the history and science of human interaction with the natural world.
The conversation will be moderated by WLT Executive Director Becka Oliver.
ABOUT THE AUTHORS
Matt Bell’s next novel, Appleseed, is forthcoming from Custom House in July 2021. His craft book Refuse to Be Done, a guide to novel writing, rewriting, & revision, will follow in early 2022 from Soho Press. He is also the author of the novels Scrapper and In the House upon the Dirt between the Lake and the Woods, as well as the short story collection A Tree or a Person or a Wall, a non-fiction book about the classic video game Baldur's Gate II, and several other titles. His writing has appeared in The New York Times, Tin House, Conjunctions, Fairy Tale Review, American Short Fiction, and many other publications. A native of Michigan, he teaches creative writing at Arizona State University.
David Marquis is a writer and activist who lives in Dallas, Texas. Throughout his career he has worked to create lasting, positive social change in the environment, education, and human rights. Raised in West Texas during the drought of the 1950’s, he has an abiding interest in water and conservation issues. Coming from a family of storytellers, he has written and performed multiple one-person stage shows, including I AM A TEACHER, which toured for almost 20 years. The River Always Wins, Mr. Marquis’ new book, is published by Deep Vellum Publishing. It is about water as a metaphor for hope in our troubled times. He dedicates his environmental work and advocacy to his three grandchildren, that he might leave the world a better place for them and for future generations.
Julie Poole was born and raised in the Pacific Northwest. She received a BA from Columbia University and an MFA in poetry from The University of Texas at Austin. In 2017, she was a finalist for the Keene Prize for Literature. Her first book of poems, Bright Specimen, was inspired by the Billie L. Turner Plant Resources Center at UT Austin and was published by Deep Vellum on May 4th. She has received fellowship support from the James A. Michener Center and participated in residencies at 100 West, the Helene Wurlitzer Foundation, and Yaddo. Her poems and essays have appeared in CutBank, Denver Quarterly, Poet Lore, Cold Mountain Review, HuffPost, and elsewhere. She lives in Austin with her growing collection of found butterflies.
By purchasing a book from BookPeople, you are not only supporting a local, independent business, but you are also showing publishers that they should continue sending authors to BookPeople.
Thank you for supporting Matt Bell, David Marquis, Julia Poole, WLT and your local independent bookstore!