Plaza Branch and Central Library will open late at 11 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 17 due to the Kansas City Marathon.
Location: UMKC Student Union, 5100 Cherry St. | Room 401
This year's Writers for Readers fundraising banquet features novelists Joyce Carol Oates and Whitney Terrell discussing Oates' career and her two most recent books: the short story collection The Frenzy and her novel Fox, which unwinds the secrets behind the shocking disappearance of a charismatic, mercurial teacher at an elite boarding school.
The evening of drinks, dining, and bookish camaraderie is among the season's most anticipated events and raises money for free creative writing classes taught at Library locations by graduate students from the University of Missouri-Kansas City.
Oates is beloved for her dozens of novels and other work, including the short story “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” and Blonde, both of which have been adapted into films. She has received many honors, including the National Humanities Medal, the National Book Award, two O. Henry Prizes, two Bram Stoker Awards, the M. L. Rosenthal Award from the National Institute of Arts and Letters, and several lifetime achievement awards.
In addition to her writing, Oates teaches creative writing at UC Berkeley and Princeton University and is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters.
Terrell is the author of three novels including The Good Lieutenant, which was selected as a best book of 2016 by The Washington Post, The Boston Globe, and Refinery 29.
Proceeds help support the ongoing partnership between the Library and UMKC's MFA program in creative writing and media arts. In addition to funding free, public writing classes, the fundraiser also makes possible a fellowship for a student to help administer the Maya Angelou Book Award. Another highlight of the evening is the announcement of the Maya Angelou Book Award winner for a work of fiction.
The UMKC-Cockefair Chair is a co-sponsor of the Maya Angelou Book Award program (with the Kansas City Public Library and six Missouri institutions of higher learning). The winner of the award will also be the 2027 Cockefair Chair Writer-In-Residence.
If you need ADA accommodation to use Library services or attend Library events and programs, please notify us at least 3 business days in advance at 816.701.3409 or ADA@kclibrary.org. (TTY access available via 711 or 866.520.7309 for Spanish.)
The Kansas City Public Library could be videotaping and taking photos for possible inclusion in marketing and promotional communications.
