CEDAR RAPIDS, IA – March 14, 2016 – Out Loud! The Metro Library Network Author Series is thrilled to present another season of outstanding authors in 2016. The collaborative program of the Cedar Rapids, Hiawatha, and Marion Public Libraries will present Sara Gruen, Matt de la Peña , and Jenny Lawson in free events at the Hotel at Kirkwood Center.
The series will kick off with Sara Gruen on Friday, June 24 at 7 p.m. Gruen is the #1 New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of At the Water’s Edge, Water for Elephants, Ape House, Riding Lessons, and Flying Changes. Her works have been translated into forty-three languages, and have sold more than ten million copies worldwide. Water for Elephants was adapted into a major motion picture starring Reese Witherspoon, Rob Pattinson, and Christoph Waltz in 2011.
Young adult author Matt de la Peña will continue the series on Friday, July 1, at 7 p.m. Matt de la Peña is the New York Times Bestselling, Newbery Medal-winning author of six young adult novels: Ball Don’t Lie, Mexican WhiteBoy, We Were Here, I Will Save You, The Living, and The Hunted. He’s also the author of the critically-acclaimed picture books A Nation’s Hope: The Story of Boxing Legend Joe Louis (illustrated by Kadir Nelson) and Last Stop on Market Street (illustrated by Christian Robinson). de la Peña currently lives in Brooklyn NY. He teaches creative writing and visits high schools and colleges throughout the country.
The series will end with #1 New York Times bestselling author Jenny Lawson, best known as “The Bloggess,” on Friday, July 8, at 7 p.m. Known for her sardonic wit and her hysterically skewed outlook on life, Jenny Lawson has made millions of people question their own sanity. Lawson’s blog (TheBloggess.com) is award-winning and extremely popular, seeing more than half a million page-views per day. She is also the author of two books: Let’s Pretend This Never Happened (A Mostly True Memoir), which won Goodread’s Best Humor Book of 2012 and was chosen as one of Hudson Bookseller’s Best Books of 2012; and Furiously Happy, a comical and emotional exploration of her lifelong battle with mental illness.
While no tickets are required, series organizers are requesting pre-registration to help gauge the size of the venue needed (all seating will be general admission). To register for each program, visit these links:
All Out Loud! authors will take questions from the audience and sign books following their presentations.
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 Hills Bank and Trust Company, Friends of the Cedar Rapids Public Library, Friends of the Hiawatha Public Library, Friends of the Marion Public Library, and Nancy and Steve Miller.