U. of Illinois, 2010

U. of Illinois, 2010

Brian Kornell and Jodee Stanley at Ninth Letter invited me to read at the U. of Illinois along with the amazing Angela Woodward. Do yourself a favor and read her ... Read more
UIndy, 2010

UIndy, 2010

I read at UIndy a few weeks after John Green. Holy cow, that’s a hard act to follow. In the audience, I see two Indianapolis friends of mine: Erik Deckers and Bryan ... Read more
Story Prize, NYC, 2005

Story Prize, NYC, 2005

I’m still a little embarrassed that when the photographer told me, Julie Lindsey, Edwidge Danticat, Joan Silber, and Larry Dark to smile, I wrapped my arms around Edwidge and Joan ... Read more
Baraboo, WI, 2004

Baraboo, WI, 2004

My sister and I drove hundreds of miles to do a book signing at the Circus World Museum in Baraboo. I think I sold maybe five books, and that’s because ... Read more
Peru, IN 2004

Peru, IN 2004

This was the first event I did back in my hometown, a signing at the Miami County Historical Museum. I was very nervous. You try writing a book about your ... Read more
Carmel, IN, 2004

Carmel, IN, 2004

Many former Peruvians live in Carmel, and so I had a swell crowd. My friend Dara. Michelle, who used to play softball with me. My cousin Christy. Leon, my dad’s friend ... Read more
KGB, NYC, 2004

KGB, NYC, 2004

It’s a big deal to read at KGB, and I was really nervous. How would a bunch of New Yorkers feel about a story set in Indiana? Three young women ... Read more
Story Prize, NYC, 2005

Story Prize, NYC, 2005

At the first Story Prize event, all the nominees had their work read aloud by a professional actress. Jane Curtain read Joan Silber. Maria from Sesame Street, Sonia Manzano, read ... Read more
Indianapolis, 2005

Indianapolis, 2005

In 2004, someone named Porter Shreve reviewed Circus for the Chicago Tribune. Now, to be honest, I didn’t feel that all the reviewers of Circus actually read the entire book. ... Read more