Writing and Communication

Alice Martin will read from her new novel, Westward Women. Described as "a hypnotic and hopeful debut—part fever dream, part dystopian road trip that claws its way towards a jaw-dropping finale," Westward Women is praised by Joyce Carol Oates as "an audacious first novel to set beside Margaret Atwood," while Anna North, New York Times bestselling author of Outlawed, says: "This taut and shocking debut is part Western, part zombie thriller, and all cautionary tale about what happens when women’s bodies and desires are marginalized for too long. With twists you won’t see coming, Martin weaves an alternate history that’s only too relevant today."

Alice Martin is a writer, reader, and teacher from North Carolina. She holds a PhD in Literature from Rutgers University and works as an Assistant Professor of English Studies at Western Carolina University, where she teaches fiction writing and American literature. She lives outside of Asheville, North Carolina with her husband, her son, and too many typewriters. Westward Women is her debut novel.

Iowa City UNESCO City of Literature & the Iowa City Public Library co-present: Page Against the Machine is a global reading event that encourages people of all ages and backgrounds to take a break from screens, pick up a book, and enjoy a well-deserved reading detox in a beautiful spot in their city.