11th Annual Out Loud! Author Series to Feature Three Nationally Recognized Authors

Out Loud! The Metro Library Network Author Series brings another solid set of authors to the metro area this summer. The collaborative program of the Cedar Rapids, Hiawatha, and Marion Public Libraries will present Lisa Gardner, Jacqueline Woodson, and Matthew Dicks on three Friday nights in June at the Hotel at Kirkwood Center.

The series will begin with Lisa Gardner on Friday, June 1 at 7 p.m. Gardner is the #1 New York Times-bestselling author of crime thriller novels, including Look For Me, Right Behind You, Find Her, and The Neighbor, which won the International Thriller of the Year Award. Hailed as “one of the best-known names in all of thrillerdom,” Lisa Gardner has an undeniable talent for creating irresistible page-turners. With over 22 million books in print in 30 countries, her compelling suspense novels captivate audiences all over the world. Gardner has appeared on TruTV and CNN, and four of her books have been adapted for the small screen (At the Midnight Hour, The Perfect Husband, The Survivors Club, and Hide). Her novel, The Neighbor, was recognized as the “Best Hardcover Novel” by the International Thriller Writers in the United States and received the Grand Prix des Lectrices de Elle in France. In 2000, Gardner received the Daphne du Maurier Award for The Other Daughter. She also received the Silver Bullet Award from the International Thriller Writers in 2017 for her work on behalf of at-risk children and the Humane Society.

Register for Lisa Gardner here.

Author Jacqueline Woodson will continue the series on Friday, June 8, at 7 p.m. Woodson is the 2014 National Book Award Winner for her New York Times bestselling memoir Brown Girl Dreaming, which was also a recipient of the Coretta Scott King Award, a Newbery Honor Award, the NAACP Image Award, and the Sibert Honor Award. She is also the author of New York Times bestselling novel Another Brooklyn (Harper/Amistad), which was a 2016 National Book Award Finalist and Woodson’s first adult novel in twenty years. In 2015, Woodson was named Young People’s Poet Laureate by the Poetry Foundation. She is the author of more than two dozen award-winning books for young adults, middle graders, and children; among her many accolades, she is a four-time Newbery Honor winner, a three-time National Book Award finalist, and a two-time Coretta Scott King Award winner. Most recently, she was named the 2018 Ambassador for Young People’s Literature by the Library of Congress.

Register for Jacqueline Woodson here.

The series will end with storytelling champion and internationally bestselling author Matthew Dicks on Friday, June 22, at 7 p.m. Dicks is author of the novels Memoirs of an Imaginary Friend, Something Missing, Unexpectedly, Milo, The Perfect Comeback of Caroline Jacobs, and the upcoming Storyworthy: Engage, Teach, Persuade, and Change Your Life through the Power of Storytelling. His novels have been translated into more than 25 languages worldwide. Memoirs of an Imaginary Friend was the 2014 Dolly Gray Award winner and is nominated for a 2017 Nutmeg Award in Connecticut. Matthew is a 35-time Moth StorySLAM champion and 5-time GrandSLAM champion whose stories have been featured on their nationally syndicated Moth Radio Hour and their weekly podcast. He has also told stories for This American Life, TED, and Literary Death Match, among many others.

Register for Matthew Dicks here.

While no tickets are required, series organizers are requesting pre-registration. To register, visit www.metrolibrarynetwork.org/outloud and select the author event you wish to attend. Alternately, patrons may contact any of the Metro Libraries or send an email to events@crlibrary.org.

All Out Loud! authors will take questions from the audience and sign books following their presentations.

More information about the Out Loud! Author Series is available at www.metrolibrarynetwork.org/outloud.

Out Loud! The Metro Library Network Author Series is supported by the Giacoletto Foundation with media support from The Gazette and event book sales provided by Barnes & Noble Booksellers. Additional support comes from the Cedar Rapids Public Library Foundation, Friends of the Cedar Rapids Public Library, Friends of the Hiawatha Public Library, and Friends of the Marion Public Library, Hills Bank and Trust, and Nancy A. Miller.