Writing and Communication

Iowa graduate Lizzie Buehler will read from her debut novel, The Obsessed, and will be joined in conversation by Julia Conrad. Described as "A bighearted portrait of the anxieties of desire [that] explores the trials of modern dating, the strange ennui of academia, and the question of how to create a world for yourself within and without the confines of your influences," The Obsessed is praised by Forbes.com as "[A] delectable novel about obsession and dating in the modern age," while Debutiful says: "You will obsess over The Obsessed...It’s sad. It’s weird. It’s horny. You’ll yearn while reading Buehler’s brilliant writing."

Nonfiction Writing Program faculty Melissa Febos and Sarah Minor offer a reading of their work

mily Galvin Almanza will read from her new children's book, Andromeda Diaz and the Reasonable Doubt. Described as a "twisty, propulsive mystery for kids from former public defender Emily Galvin Almanza, author of The Price of Mercy," Andromeda Diaz and the Reasonable Doubt is about "a fearless fifth grader [who] vows to help a classmate in danger of getting lost in the system."

Emily Galvin Almanza is the co-founder and executive director of Partners for Justice, a nonprofit creating a new collaborative model of public defense designed to empower defenders nationwide. Prior to founding PFJ, Emily fought for clients inside the L.A. County Public Defender’s Office, the Santa Clara County Public Defender’s Office, and the Bronx Defenders, and with the Stanford Three Strikes Project. Her writing has appeared in The New York Times, The Atlantic, The Washington Post, and Time, among other publications. Her first published book, The Price of Mercy: Unfair Trials, a Violent System, and a Public Defender's Search for Justice in America, debuted in February 2026