Updated 10/21/22
There are many great literary events around Indiana. Looking for something to do? Below are just a few ideas.
Many events are virtual. Please confirm with the venue for scheduled events listed here.
To be featured in our “Literary Events Around Indiana” monthly events blog, email the details to mail@indianawriters.org.
Butler Visiting Writer’s Series: Kaveh Akbar & Paige Lewis
Kaveh Akbar
Pushcart Prize Winning Poet and Levis Reading Prize Winner
Paige Lewis
Author of Space Struck and Curator of Ours Poetica YouTube Series
Monday, October 3, 2022, 7:30PM
Schrott Auditorium
Kaveh Akbar’s poems have appeared in The New Yorker, Poetry, The New Republic, Best American Poetry, The New York Times, and elsewhere. He is the author of two books of poetry—Pilgrim Bell (Graywolf 2021) and Calling a Wolf a Wolf (Alice James 2017). He is also the author of a chapbook, Portrait of the Alcoholic (Sibling Rivalry, 2017). The recipient of a Pushcart Prize, the Levis Reading Prize, and a Ruth Lilly and Dorothy Sargent Rosenberg Poetry Fellowship, Akbar is the founding editor of Divedapper, a home for interviews with major voices in contemporary poetry. Born in Tehran, Iran, he teaches at Purdue University and in the low-residency MFA programs at Randolph College and Warren Wilson. Currently he serves as the Poetry Editor for The Nation.
Paige Lewis is the author of Space Struck (Sarabande Books, 2019). Their poems have appeared in Poetry, American Poetry Review, Ploughshares, the Georgia Review, and elsewhere. Lewis is the curator of the YouTube series Ours Poetica. They currently teach at Purdue University and in the low-residency MFA program at Randolph college.
All Visiting Writers Series events take place in Shelton Auditorium, located at 1000 West 42nd Street on Butler University’s South Campus. All events are free with free on-site surface parking available in the lots off Haughey Street and West 42nd Street.
Visit the Visiting Writers Page for more info
Local Author Showcase: The Hoosier Ladies of Cafe Macabre
Pull up a chair and join the Hoosier artists and writers of Cafe Macabre I & II: A Collection of Horror Short Stories and Art by Women.
Six Hoosier authors and artists share tales from Café Macabre about the things women fear and how they express that fear, both in their writing and in their artwork. Experience a fresh take on horror, straight from the authors themselves, that is sure to keep you up at night.
From the back cover:
MAKE A RESERVATION FOR TERROR. Eleven writers. Twelve artists. The result is horrific bliss. A mouthfeel for terror, desperation, loneliness, and isolation. These women are all writers and artists; they are mothers, teachers, bartenders, heroes, students…each with their own pain, their own fears. The collection of these voices creates a white noise of background murmurs like you’d hear in a café, or at a really great party. The dinner conversation of the damned. These stories stay with you. These images will haunt you. Welcome to Café Macabre.
Indy Fringe 10-Minute Play Fest
Oct 6-9
Don’t miss this whirlwind evening of theatre that takes you on seven incredible adventures in only 90 minutes! From silent romances to living statues, and a hilariously absurd play with a dolly (uh- Dalí), this fast-paced festival of new plays features fringe favorites like Clerical Error Productions, Catalyst Repertory, Theatre Unchained and more!
SPARK on the Circle
SPARK on the circle was created by artist-led cultural and community organization Big Car Collaborative in conjunction with Downtown Indy and the City of Indianapolis, with support from the Capital Improvement Board, to spark downtown with free, human-scale activities like playing games, enjoying live music, making art, and socializing in a comfortable place. All SPARK activities are free for everyone to enjoy.
One of these activities is the creation of The Circle Anthology, which commissions writers for their poems or flash fiction about the Circle. These will air on WQRT FM during Circle Sounds playing from the Circle speakers when we’re open there. Some of the poems will be printed and temporarily added to the Circle area via vinyl. We’ll also do a live reading on the Circle with all participating writers on Oct. 12 at 7pm.
Booth! presents Halloween Poetry Slam at IndyReads
Oct 15 at 6:30 PM, IndyReads
Indy Reads and Booth (students, faculty, and alumni from the Butler University MFA program) are excited to partner to host our first Halloween Slam and Open Mic. Costumes are encouraged!
We welcome poets of all ages . The Slam & Open Mic is family-friendly – no curse words or explicit language will be permitted. Our Slam will begin at 6:30pm followed by the Open Mic.
Advanced registration is required for those wanting to be part of the Slam. Please email Bek Primrose at bprimrose@butler.edu to secure your spot by 5pm, on Friday, October 14.
The Slam will have 10 slots. Judges will score each poem (no longer than three minutes) from 1-10. The three of those that have the highest points will move onto the second round. The person with the highest points during that second round will be the winner.
P?rizes include:
-?-Second and third place will receive $50 each + a copy of Booth 17*
-?-First place will receive $100 + Booth 17 + a free used book from Indy Reads*
*?prize money will be provided by Venmo, PayPal, or the Cash app.
Here’s the additional info if you want to check it out. Of course, if you have any questions, feel free to hit me up!
Ghost Stories at Washington East Park Cemetery
Seven Hoosier storytellers will start performing at 7:30 p.m., including first-timer Manón Voice. Kim McCann is performing her first live ghost story for us. Sally Perkins is pulling double duty as a sponsor and teller. She’ll join other fan-favorites, Celestine Bloomfield, Lou Ann Homan, David Matlack, and Bob Sander. There’s going to be quite a range of stories, all appropriate for school-aged children.
Gates open at 6:00 p.m, for free parking, so come early to stake out a spot with your blankets and chairs. Tickets must be purchased in advance. Buy them here. Either print them or pull up the barcode on your phone. Every member of your party must have a ticket, unless you’re doing the carload option for $50. We’re asking you to limit your passengers to members of the same household. That’s on the honor system, of course.
Sponsored by Lewis Kappes
Media Sponsor: WFYI
ASL Interpreter sponsor: Jim Obermaier and Sally Perkins
Emcee sponsor: Paradox Dental
You can sit under the tent or under the stars. This is a night the whole family can enjoy. Free parking begins at 6:00 p.m. Ghost stories begin at 7:30 p.m. Tickets must be purchased in advance.
Please note: The stories range from urban legends, literary tales and folktales and are not necessarily “ghost” stories. Highly recommended for families with school-aged children. Adults will love them too.
TICKET PRICES
Ages 5 and under: FREE
Ages 6-17: $10
Adults: $20
Carload (family members living under one roof): $50
Pack a picnic or buy food from one of the food trucks, Smokehouse Catering, Box Burgers, and Foodie Fleet from the Market District. Beer and wine will be also be sold. Carry-in alcohol is prohibited and there are no refunds.
You won’t want to miss it. It’s such a special and spooky night. We think you’re really going to love the atmosphere at Washington Park East Cemetery.
Here is that ticket link again,
Carole Lindstrom • SPEAK: An Explorative Lecture Series
Award-winning and New York Times bestselling author Carole Lindstrom will be the next featured presenter in Evansville Vanderburgh Public Library’s SPEAK: An Explorative Lecture Series.
On Saturday, October 15 at 2:00 pm in the Browning Rooms of EVPL Central, Carole Lindstrom will speak about her book, We Are Water Protectors, and her experiences as a member of the Turtle Mountain Band of Ojibwe Indians.
Borrow the book: https://bit.ly/3B0YwOT
Learn more: https://bit.ly/3L5xd9o
Poetry Speaks: J.I.B. and Christopher Bailey
Bokeh Lounge, 1007 Parrett St, Evansville, IN
October 18 will feature readings by J.I.B. and Christopher Bailey
J.I.B. is a traveling prose poet from Portsmouth, Ohio. Their work has been featured in various publications. His latest book “Our Tiny Little Lives” was published by AlienBuddha Press in October of 2021.
Christopher has had a shirt in the back of my vehicle for months now and is the author of Bastard published by EMP books.
Learn more on the Facebook Event page
“As I Recall” Storytelling Guild
“Take Command of your Day” and night at our next As I Recall Storytelling Guild. The next virtual meeting is Tuesday, October 18 @ 7:00 pm – 8:30 pm. It’s a welcoming environment for storytellers of all skill levels.
An Evening of Poetry with Kevin Young
Wed Oct 19 2022 at 7:00 pm
Buskirk-Chumley Theater, 114 E Kirkwood Ave, Bloomington, United States
This event is free but tickets are required. Tickets are available at the BCT Box Office, at 114 E. Kirkwood Avenue in Bloomington, or online at bctboxoffice.org.
More on Kevin Young’s impressive bio here
One State / One Story Community Read: World of Wonders by
Aimee Nezhukumatathil
Indiana Humanities’ One State / One Story program invites Hoosiers to engage deeply with a book as part of a statewide conversation tied to our current theme.
Check out these programs!
September 7 – 28 Reading Like a Writer: A Facebook group that offers weekly discussions and writing prompts based on World of Wonders, all in a safe, friendly atmosphere.
–October 1st Book Discussion at IWC: Join IWC faculty member, Lydia Johnson, for a book discussion on the World of Wonders by Aimee Nezhukumatathil. Be sure to register soon to receive a free copy of the book. The first 8 registrations will receive a free book!
–October 15 Poetry Workshop at Garfield Park Arts Center In this interactive workshop, we will start by practicing a series of writing strategies for observing and describing the environment. Then, by reading and discussing the work of contemporary writers, we will learn techniques for incorporating research, writing with maps, and working with collaborators. Throughout the workshop, we will discuss how adapting models of scientific inquiry can lead to innovative literary forms. Participants will come away from the workshop with several poem drafts and techniques for creating a sustained writing practice.
Butler Visiting Writers Series: Viet Thanh Nguyen
Pulitzer Prize Winning Novelist and MacArthur Genius Fellow
Thursday, October 20, 2022, 7:30PM
Shelton Auditorium
Viet Thanh Nguyen’s remarkable debut novel, The Sympathizer, won the Pulitzer Prize and made the finalist list for the PEN/Faulkner award. The Committed, the long-awaited follow-up to The Sympathizer, was published in 2021 and has been called “a masterwork” and “revelatory.” Viet’s book Nothing Ever Dies: Vietnam and the Memory of War was a finalist for the National Book Award. His collection of short stories, The Refugees, explores questions of immigration, identity, love, and family. In 2018, Viet called on 17 fellow refugee writers from across the globe to shed light on their experiences, and the result is The Displaced, a powerful dispatch from the individual lives behind current headlines, with proceeds to support the International Rescue Committee.
Viet was the recipient of a MacArthur “Genius” Grant. The MacArthur foundation noted that Viet’s work “not only offers insight into the experiences of refugees past and present, but also poses profound questions about how we might more accurately and conscientiously portray victims and adversaries of other wars.” Along with teaching at the University of Southern California, he works as a cultural critic-at-large for The Los Angeles Times. Viet lives in LA with his wife and two children.
All Visiting Writers Series events take place in Shelton Auditorium, located at 1000 West 42nd Street on Butler University’s South Campus. All events are free with free on-site surface parking available in the lots off Haughey Street and West 42nd Street.
Visit the Visiting Writers Page for more info
The Merry Wives of Windsor in the IndyFringe Basile Theatre
Falstaff is in love! Or so he would have you think… When Falstaff sends the clever Mistress Ford and Mistress Page identical love letters in order to gain some financial advantage, the women quickly determine that they are being conned and turn the tables on their would-be suitor with a series of clever pranks!
This hilarious cutting highlights the intensely funny women at the core of the action.
Oct 21, 22, 28 and 29 – 8:00PM
Oct 23 and 30 – 2:00PM
Richard II in the Indy Eleven
When the rightful King Richard II exiles cousin Bolingbroke and seizes his property to fund a war abroad, Bolingbroke amasses an army to unseat the king. Filled with searing political struggle and insidious murder plots, this sharp adaptation is performed with a cast of women and non-binary actors, and set in a women’s correctional facility.
Incisive and riveting, Richard II asks, “what makes you worthy to wear a crown?”
Oct 21, 22, 28 and 29 – 8:00PM
Oct 23 and 30 – 2:00PM
Speed City Sisters in Crime Guest Speaker
Elaine Munsch is a native of Cleveland, Ohio, but has spent her adult life in Louisville, Kentucky. She graduated from Nazareth College of Kentucky located outside of Bardstown and attended The Ohio State University for her graduate work. She has been a bookseller for fifty years working in both large and small, chain and independent. She opened the first Barnes & Noble in Kentucky where she set up a mystery reading group which is still active today. She also taught classes in the mystery genre for the Veritas Society and joined the local chapter of Sisters in Crime.
With Susan Bell, she co-edited MYSTERY WITH A SPLASH OF BOURBON, an anthology of bourbon related stories.
As E.M. Munsch, she writes the Dash Hammond series set on the shores of Lake Erie. The latest title, A HAUNTING AT MARIANWOOD, is set to be released at the end of October.
Oct 22 12:00 – 2:00
Get tickets for this event at Eventbrite.
Ann Katz Festival: Matthew Teller
Oct 24 7:00PM – 8:30PM
Arthur M. Glick Jewish Community Center 6701 Hoover Rd Indianapolis, IN 46260
ContactLev Rothenberg
lrothenberg@jccindy.org
Cost$ 10.00
Nine Quarters of Jerusalem is an intriguing book for anyone who has visited Jerusalem, plans to visit or has thought about the Old City.
Matthew Teller’s highly original and readable “biography” features Jerusalem’s Palestinian and Jewish communities, but also spotlights its Indian and African populations, its Greek and Armenian and Syriac cultures, its downtrodden Dom Gypsy families and its Sufi mystics. It discusses the sources of the Old City’s holiness and the ideas – often startlingly secular – that have shaped lives within its walls. It is an evocation of place through story, led by the voices of Jerusalemites. Nine Quarters of Jerusalem lets the communities of the Old City speak for themselves. Ranging through ancient past and political present, it evokes the city’s depth and cultural diversity.
Matthew Teller writes for the BBC, Guardian, Independent, Times, Financial Times and other global media. He has also produced and presented documentaries for BBC Radio 4 and World Service.
Teller will be interviewed by Gadi Boukai
Just for fun at this kickoff event, the first 50 attendees will play candy bar lotto – everyone wins!
Ann Katz Festival: Jean Hanff Korelitz
Oct 25 7:00PM – 8:30PM
Arthur M. Glick Jewish Community Center 6701 Hoover Rd Indianapolis, IN 46260
ContactLev Rothenberg lrothenberg@jccindy.org
Cost$ 10.00
This year’s Community Reads book comes from the author of The Plot (adaptation forthcoming from Hulu, to star Mahershala Ali), You Should Have Known (which aired on HBO in October 2020 as The Undoing, starring Nicole Kidman, Hugh Grant and Donald Sutherland) and Admission (adapted as a film in 2013 starring Tina Fey).
The Latecomer, Korelitz’s latest, is an amazing novel; just ask anyone who has read it. The book follows the story of the wealthy, New York City-based Oppenheimer family, from the first meeting of parents Salo and Johanna under tragic circumstances to their triplets born during the early days of IVF. As children, the three siblings feel no strong familial bond and cannot wait to go their separate ways, even as their father becomes more distanced and their mother more desperate. As the triplets prepare to leave for college, Johanna, faced with being truly alone, makes the fateful decision to bring a fourth child, “the latecomer,” into the world.
A complex novel that builds slowly and deliberately, The Latecomer touches on grief and guilt, generational trauma, privilege and race, traditions and religion, and family dynamics. Rave reviews are already pouring in from outlets including the New York Times Book Review, The Washington Post, Good Morning America, PEOPLE and Oprah Daily.
Come early for the 6 pm reception and also have a chance to win a “Book Club Starter Kit.” You do NOT have to be in a book club to win or enjoy.
For those ordering the book, pick-up is at the JCC (6701 Hoover Road, Indianapolis, IN 46260). Please bring your proof of purchase (Eventbrite confirmation) with you.
This is a Jewish Book Council program. Korelitz will be interviewed by local author Barbara Shoup.
North End Cafe Book Club Kickoff
Pre-register by emailing Tracy.page.nec@gmail.com by 10/18. The cost of the event is $25/per person and includes your book, dessert & beverage both evenings. Please prepay utilizing the PayPal link under “Tickets”.
Come on Tuesday, 10/25 to pick up your book, enjoy a beverage & dessert and learn about the author.
Then enjoy reading your book and come back on Tuesday, 11/15 to discuss the book, chat with friends and of course there will beverage & dessert.
Ann Katz Festival: Lisa Barr (Virtual)
Oct 27 7:00PM – 8:30PM
Arthur M. Glick Jewish Community Center 6701 Hoover Rd Indianapolis, IN 46260
ContactLev Rothenberg lrothenberg@jccindy.org
Cost$ 10.00
From the author of the award-winning Fugitive Colors and The Unbreakables, New York Times bestseller and upcoming Sharon Stone film Woman on Fire is a gripping tale of a young, ambitious journalist embroiled in an international art scandal centered around a Nazi-looted masterpiece—forcing the ultimate showdown between passion and possession, lovers and liars, history and truth.
Rising young journalist Jules Roth is given an unusual assignment: locate a painting stolen by the Nazis more than 75 years ago. A world-renowned shoe designer wants this portrait of a beautiful, mysterious woman for deeply personal reasons, but Jules doesn’t have much time; the famous designer is dying. Meanwhile, in Europe, provocative and powerful Margaux de Laurent also searches for the painting. Heir to her art collector family’s millions, Margaux is a cunning gallerist who gets everything she wants. The only thing standing in her way is Jules.
In addition to writing books, Barr has served as an editor for The Jerusalem Post, managing editor of Today’s Chicago Woman, managing editor of Moment magazine, and as an editor/reporter for the Chicago Sun-Times. She has also been featured on Good Morning America and Today.
This is a Jewish Book Council program. Barr will be interviewed by writer Carol Weiss.
This event is virtual; Zoom link will be made available to registrants two days, two hours and 10 minutes before the program (this means registration will end 15 minutes before the program begins).
Rhythm & Poetry Thursdays at Phiri Art Gallery
OPEN MIC
120 East Market Street Indianapolis, IN 46204
Oct 27 DO0RS OPEN AT 7PM LIVE PERFORMANCES AT 8:00PM
Come Experience the Ultimate Vibe with LIVE performances by some of your favorite artists! RHYTHM & POETRY THURSDAYS is also an awesome way to network with linkminded creatives and business professionals from around the city, so be ready to connect with other amazing individuals!
**ALL ATTENDEES WILL RECEIVE:
* Discounts on Photoshoots*
Discounts on venue rentals
* Discounts on Upcoming Events at Phiri
* Discounts on all services at PHIRI
INFO 404.759.0530
Dan Chaon Reading
National Book Award finalist and bestselling novelist Dan Chaon will read in the Franklin College Richardson Chapel on Friday, October 28th at 7pm.
To make sure there’s space for everyone, please register at this link.
A campus map and event poster are attached.
Dan Chaon’s reading is part of Fright Mic!, a Halloween-themed evening of scary tales, eldritch poems, and other sinister surprises, hosted by the student-run Apogee literary magazine and sponsored by the Carlson-Stauffer Visiting Writers Series. Franklin College students will share their spine-tingling work first, and then Dan Chaon (pronounced like “shawn”)—whose work the New York Times calls “harrowing”— will take the stage as the evening’s guest of honor. Chaon will sign books after the event, courtesy of Wild Geese Bookshop.
There will be cider, s’mores, and treats for sale—and a fire pit or two to linger around. Costumes welcome!
Writers Helping Writers
Hancock County Public Library has a writing group that meets on the third Wednesday of each month. Join us!
Brick Street Poetry
Off the Bricks, a Poetry on Brick Street Podcast
Poetry on Brick Street Series
We meet the first Thursday of every month at 7:00 pm at Sullivan Munce Cultural Center, 225 West Hawthorne Street, Zionsville, IN 46077.
The next month’s Guest Poet: Poets from the Haiku for Hikers anthology reading with accompanying PowerPoint.
Irving Theater Weekly Poetry Open Mic
Every Thursday night
7:00p – 9:00 PM EST
LOCAL POETS * ORIGINAL POETRY * COME READ OR LISTEN]
A completely nonjudgmental and safe space to share poetry! Every Thursday on the deck at the Irving Theater in the Summer, inside all Winter. Performances are broadcast live on our Facebook page (link below). Come enjoy original poetry and readings from local and regional artists, or present your own poetry.
This event is free.
FACEBOOK LIVE LINK
For more information, visit the Irving Theater’s website
Books & Brews Open Mic
9402 Uptown Dr Suite 1400
Indianapolis, IN 46256
phone: (317) 288-5136
mothership@booksnbrews.com