JOHNSON COUNTY — Local Libraries LIT (Listen, Initiate, Talk), a collaboration between Johnson County public and academic libraries, will welcome author Esmé Weijun Wang on Thursday, April 13 at 7:00 p.m. for a virtual conversation and reading.
The event is free and open to all, but attendees must register in advance to receive the online event link. Register at bit.ly/LLL EsmeWeijunWang or find information on any participating library website.
Esmé Weijun Wang believes in creativity, resilience, and legacy. She is a novelist and essayist who was named by Granta literary magazine as one of the “Best of Young American Novelists” in their once-in-a-decade list.
Wang’s New York Times-bestselling essay collection, The Collected Schizophrenias, won the Graywolf Nonfiction Prize and the Whiting Award for Nonfiction. Of the collection, NPR writes, “The Collected Schizophrenias is riveting, honest…we are lucky to have it in the world.” The Los Angeles Times praised the essays as “resoundingly intelligent, often unexpectedly funny, questioning, fearless and peerless.”
Wang’s debut novel, The Border of Paradise, was named a Best Book of 2016 by NPR and one of the 25 Best Novels of 2016 by Electric Literature.
In 2015, Wang was diagnosed with late-stage Lyme disease, and she also lives with schizoaffective disorder. While these conditions create boundaries, they also inspire her to guide and support others who are dealing with difficult times. Her blog, “The Unexpected Shape,” provides encouragement, advice, and resources for people living with limitations.
The Local Libraries LIT author series is made possible by support from the Community Foundation of Johnson County.
Participating libraries include Iowa City Public Library, North Liberty Library, Coralville Public Library, Oxford Public Library, Solon Public Library, Swisher Community Library, the Springmier Community Library in Tiffin, Kirkwood Community College Library in Iowa City, and the University of Iowa Libraries. Local Libraries LIT has been offering joint online author events since 2021 in partnership with The Tuesday Agency. The goal of this collaboration is to spark action to develop thriving communities.