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Gobblefunking with Words
My new podcast, Gobblefunking with Words, features conversations with nationally acclaimed authors from the Midwest publishing across genres, ages, and styles. We chat about books, craft, life (and our favorite beverages).
I love to meet readers, both young and not-so-young.
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Select Past Events
Speaking and Interviews
Book launch for Meet Me Halfway at Red Balloon Bookshop, 2022
In conversation with Karla Cornejo Villavicencio, Club Book from MELSA and Hennepin County Library (2024)
In conversation with Cristina Henriquez, Club Book from Friends of the St. Paul Public Library, Hennepin County Library, and MELSA (2024)
In conversation with Erika Sanchez, Talk of the Stacks from Friends of Hennepin County Library (2023)
Meet the Finalists panel, Minnesota Book Awards (2020, 2021, 2022, 2023)
In conversation with Claire Forrest, Wild Rumpus Books (2023)
Minnesota Department of Education, Lunch & Learn (2023)
Radio Interview by Cathy Wurzer, Minnesota Public Radio (2022)
Books of Wonder, NYC, virtual panel (2022)
Middle Grade Magic virtual panel, hosted by School Library Journal (2022)
In Conversation with Donna Barba Higuera, Newbery-winning author, virtual, Moon Palace Books (2021)
In conversation with Julia Alvarez, at Talk of the Stacks from Friends of Hennepin County Library (2021)
Book signing at Moon Palace Books, April 2019
Book Launch: Meet Me Halfway, with Jacqueline West, at Red Balloon Bookshop (2022)
“Moving Words” Panel, Minnesota Book Award (2022, 2023)
In conversation with Imbolo Mbue, Talk of the Stacks from Friends of Hennepin County Library (2021)
In conversation with Jaquira Diaz, at Magers & Quinn (2019)
In conversation with Michael Torres, Moon Palace Books, (2021)
Mystery to Me Books, Madison, WI (2019, 2020, 2022)
Book Launch: What If a Fish, with Pete Hautman, Sheila O’Connor, and Raquel Marie, Wild Rumpus Books (2020)
We Are Meant to Rise: Voices for Justice from Minneapolis to the World anthology panel, Minnesota Center for the Humanities (2022)
Book Launch: Magical Realism for Non-Believers, at Moon Palace Books (2019)
*Learn more about my interviews with authors
Book Festivals & Conferences
Virtual classroom visit as part of the Texas Book Festival, 2020
Twin Cities Rain Taxi Book Festival (2019, 2022, 2023)
Latinx Kidlit Book Festival (2020, 2021, 2022)
Minnesota Children’s Literature Conference (2022)
Minnesota Library Association (MLA) Conference/ITEM (2022)
Anderson Center Minnesota Children’s Book Festival (2022)
Texas Book Festival (2019, 2020)
Central Wisconsin Book Festival (2021)
Wordplay panel at the Guthrie Theater, Minneapolis, with Nora McInerny, Mary Laura Philpott, and Mira Jacob, 2019
Austin ArtWorks Festival (2021)
Middle Ground Book Festival (2021)
Windom Reads (2021 & 2022)
Loft Wordplay (2019)
Loft Wordsmith (2019)
Young Authors Conference (2018, 2020, 2023)
AWP (2016)
Colleges & Universities
Hispanic Heritage Month Lecture, UW-La Crosse (2023)
Normandale Community College, Keynote (2022)
Keynote at Normandale Community College’s Writing Festival, 2022 (Photo credit: Devon Cox)
Soul Bone Literary Festival, MIU (2022)
Minnesota Writers Series at Anoka-Ramsey Community College (2020)
Carleton College Convocation Lecture (2020)
University of Minnesota, Duluth, guest speaker (2019)
St. Catherine University, Women’s Center speaker (2019)
Knox College, Creative Nonfiction Award, judge and reading (2019)