NW Missouri Times

Northwest Missouri State University is set to commence its 2024-25 Visiting Writers Series this fall, offering a combination of virtual and in-person events featuring authors from the realms of fiction and poetry. These sessions are free and accessible to the public.

Daniel Biegelson, series director and senior instructor of English, emphasized the importance of literature in broadening perspectives. "As Enlightenment thinkers have argued, each of us occupies only a single place on our globe," he said. "In this sense, stories, poems and literature expand our horizons, allowing us to enter other lives, experiences, and worlds. When we spend time with an author at a reading, we come together as a community — to listen, be challenged and be transported."

The series will kick off with fiction author Jedidiah Berry hosting a virtual session at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 15. Berry is an editor for Ninepin Press based in Easthampton, Massachusetts. He has penned works such as “The Manual of Detection” and “The Family Arcana.”

On Thursday, Oct. 24 at 7 p.m., James Brubaker will visit the campus alongside writer and poet Michael Chang in the J.W. Jones Student Union Living Room. Brubaker's literary contributions include novels like “We are Ghost-Lit” and “The Taxidermist’s Catalog.” His previous roles include director for Southeast Missouri State University Press and editor positions at various literary magazines.

Michael Chang brings his expertise as a Lambda Literary fellow and Kundiman scholar to the event. As an editor at Fence magazine, his poetry collections include titles such as “Almanac of Useless Talents” and “Synthetic Jungle.”

The Visiting Writers Series aims to enhance Northwest's educational mission while fostering community values through civil discourse and self-expression.

For further details about the series or inquiries about participation, contact Daniel Biegelson at 660.562.1266.