Drake University is excited to host critically acclaimed author Rachel Yoder for a reading and discussion as part of the Susan Glaspell Writers & Critics Series. Yoder’s debut novel Nightbitch was recently adapted into a major motion picture starring Amy Adams. The free event is open to the public and will take place Thursday, October 2 from 6:00–7:00 p.m. in the Cowles Library Reading Room.
“We are thrilled to welcome Rachel Yoder to campus. It’s especially meaningful to host a writer who is part of Iowa’s vibrant literary community and who demonstrates the incredible depth of talent right here in our state,” said Yasmina Madden, Associate Professor of English. “The Susan Glaspell Series exists to connect our students and the public with today’s leading authors, and having someone of Rachel’s caliber here provides powerful inspiration for the next generation of writers, both at Drake and within the greater Des Moines community.”
Attendees can look forward to a reading from Yoder’s work, followed by a moderated conversation about Nightbitch and its journey from book to screen. Copies of the novel will be available for purchase at the event, which is co-sponsored by Drake’s Women’s and Gender Studies program and The Center for the Humanities.
About the Rachel Yoder
Rachel Yoder is the author of Nightbitch (2021), which was recently adapted into a feature film written and directed by Marielle Heller. Selected as an Indie Next Pick, Nightbitch was named a best book of the year by Esquire and Vulture. It was also a finalist for the PEN/Hemingway Award for Debut Fiction and the VCU Cabell First Novelist Award and was shortlisted for the McKitterick Prize. Yoder’s stories and essays have appeared in publications such as Harper’s, The New York Times, The Paris Review, and The Sun. She is a founding editor of draft: the journal of process and serves as Assistant Professor of Screenwriting and Cinema Arts at the University of Iowa.
About the Susan Glaspell Writers & Critics Series
Named for Pulitzer Prize-winning writer and Drake University alumna Susan Glaspell (Class of 1899), the Susan Glaspell Writers & Critics Series brings distinguished authors to campus to engage with students and the community. The Series’ objectives include giving students the chance to interact in meaningful and critical ways with writers and critics both in and out of the classroom. The series has previously hosted MacArthur “Genius” Grant recipients Ocean Vuong and Kiese Laymon, George Saunders and Alison Bechdel and celebrated authors and critics including Marcie Rendon, Dr. Carolyn Finny, and Dr. Devoney Looser.
To learn more about the event, visit drake.edu/english/susanglaspellwriterscriticsseries.