Writers@Grinnell brings to campus writers of all kinds: poets, novelists, memoirists, essayists, radio essayists, columnists, graphic memoirists, playwrights, and short story writers.

“Interacting with writers, hearing them not only read from their work but also talk about their achievements and struggles, helps us to see that literature is a living tradition,” says Ralph Savarese, professor of English and director of the program. “Writers@Grinnell works its magic in the way that the College does generally: by allowing students to discover and cultivate a passionate commitment to engaged living. Students learn that carefully and beautifully crafted words matter.”

The program is not designed just for student writers. “The program serves interdisciplinary learning by showcasing writers who take up matters of politics or history or science, for example — the latter is a loose but common thread in the work of a number of this year's visitors," Savarese says.

Fall Schedule of Events

All events are free and open to the public.

Hai-Dang Phan w/poetry guest Rick Barot

Roundtable: 4:15 p.m., September 1, Rosenfield Center, Room 209

Reading: 8 p.m., September 1, Rosenfield Center, Room 101

Chris Martin, Poet

Roundtable: 4:15 p.m., September 15, Rosenfield Center, Room 209

Reading: 8 p.m., September 15, Rosenfield Center, Room 101

Kazim Ali, Poet/Essayist/critic

Roundtable: 4:15 p.m., September 22, Rosenfield Center, Room 209

Reading: 8 p.m., September 22, Rosenfield Center, Room 101

Dan Chaon, novelist/screenwriter & Lynda Barry, graphic novelist/artist

(Cosponsored by Public Events Series and Artists@Grinnell)

Roundtable: 4:15 p.m., September 29, Rosenfield Center, Room 209

Reading: 8 p.m., September 29, Rosenfield Center, Room 101

Connelly Lecture - Rey Chow, Anne Firor Scott Professor of Literature at Duke University

Reading: 8 p.m., October 13, Rosenfield Center, Room 101

Hugo Hamilton, Irish novelist

Reading: 7:30 p.m., November 3, Faulconer Gallery, Bucksbaum Center for the Arts

Kirstin Valdez Quade, Fiction Writer, with graphic novelist Lydia Conklin

Roundtable: 4:15 p.m., November 10, Rosenfield Center, Room 209

Reading: 8 p.m., November 10, Rosenfield Center, Room 101

Gabrielle Calvocoressi, poet and LGBT activist

Roundtable: 4:15 p.m., November 17, Rosenfield Center, Room 209

Reading: 8 p.m., November 17, Rosenfield Center, Room 101

The Grinnell Review

Reading: 8 p.m., December 8, Faulconer Gallery, BCA

The Grinnell Review is the College's mainstream journal of art and literature, published each semester.

Spring Schedule of Events

(Additional events will be added as details are finalized.)

All events are free and open to the public.

Junot Diaz, Pulitzer-Prize winning novelist

Craft Roundtable: 4 p.m. - Rosenfield Center, Room 209

(Please note this Roundtable time begins earlier than the usual Roundtables.)

Reading: 7 p.m., February 13, Rosenfield Center, Room 101

(Cosponsored by the Rosenfield Program and Student Organization of Latino/as)

Nichelle Tramble, Novelist and television writer/producer

Roundtable: 4:15 p.m., March 2, Rosenfield Center, Room 209

Reading: 8 p.m., March 2, Rosenfield Center, Room 101

Mando Montano '12 Memorial Reading

Dale Maharidge, Pulitzer-Prize winning journalist with fellow prizewinning photographer Michael Williamson

Reading: 8 p.m., April 3, Rosenfield Center, Room 101

James McBride, Bestselling memoirist and winner of the National Book Award

& The Good Lord Bird Band

Roundtable: 4:15 p.m., April 13, Rosenfield Center, Room 209

Reading/Performance: 8:00 p.m., April 13, Herrick Chapel

Bennett Sims, Award-winning novelist and Iowa Writers' Workshop faculty member

Reading: 4:15 p.m., April 28, Burling Lounge

The Grinnell Review

Reading: 8 p.m., May 4, Rosenfield Center, Room 101

The Grinnell Review is the College's mainstream journal of art and literature, published each semester.