Attorney and author of nine best-selling works of fiction, Scott Turow reads his work at the University of Missouri-Columbia, Tate Hall, Columbia, Mo.

Warren, Shouse, and Bartocci discuss writing as a profession and read their work at The Writers Place, 3607 Pennsylvania, Kansas City, Mo.

Poets Reynolds and Brackenbury share their work for the Riverfront Reading Series at The Writers Place, 3607 Pennsylvania, Kansas City, Mo.

Aguilar and Wilson share their work for for A Common Sense Reading Series at Cara and Cabezas Contemporary, 1714 Holmes Street, Kansas City, Mo. The event is free and open to the public.

Goldman will read from his new book of poetry, Journey Into Oneness, followed by a book-signing, at Barnes & Noble on The Plaza, 420 West 47th Street, Kansas City, Mo.

Tiphanie Yanique’s novella and stories How to Escape from a Leper Colony won the Rona Jaffe Foundation Writers Award and earned her a “5 under 35” designation from the National Book Foundation. Yanique will read her work as part of the Visiting Writers Series, sponsored in part by the Office of Community Engagement, at the University of Central Missouri's Charno Room, Union, Warrensburg, Mo.

The South African playwright, poet, and novelist, reads from his memoir, Sometimes There Is A Void, at the Central Branch of the Kansas City Public Library, 14 West 10th Street, Kansas City, Mo.  

Runge and Foster read their work for the Taproom Poetry Series at the Eight Street Taproom, 19 East 8th Street, Lawrence, Kan.

Nguyen, fiction editor of Pleiades: A Journal of New Writing, shares stories from his 2011 collection, Memory Sickness, and Brenegan reads from her 2011 novel, Shame the Devil, at the University of Missouri-Columbia's Perlow-Stevens Gallery, 1025 East Walnut Street, Columbia, Mo.

Bettis and Monson share their work as part of The Writers Place Poetry Reading Series at the Johnson County Central Resource Library, 9875 West 87th Street, Overland Park, Kan.

This event will begin with book club recommendations from Vivien Jennings, President of Rainy Day Books, followed by a reading and discussion of George's new novel, A Good American, at Unity Temple on the Plaza, 707 W 47th Street, Kansas City, Mo. A stamped admission ticket is required for the book-signing. To purchase tickets, visit Rainy Day Books online.

The Kansas City author discusses his debut novel, Pilate’s Cross, and its forthcoming sequel, Pilate’s Key, at the Plaza Branch of the Kansas City Public Library, 4801 Main Street, Kansas City, Mo.  

Kansas State University English Department faculty and Creative Writing students read their work at the Strecker-Nelson Gallery, 406 1/2 Poyntz Avenue, Manhattan, Kan.  

Short story writer and novelist, and 2012 Cockefair Chair writer-in-residence, Jim Shepard, conducts a writing workshop as part of the Carolyn Benton Cockefair Chair in Continuing Education, at the University of Missouri-Kansas City, Cockefair Hall, room 104. Public welcome to attend.

Physician and poet Rowe is joined by fellow poets and former New Letters editors David and Judy Ray, at The Writers Place, 3607 Pennsylvania, Kansas City, Mo.

Fiction writer and 2012 Cockefair Chair writer-in-residence, Jim Shepard, will read his work during a public interview with New Letters on the Air host, Angela Elam, at the Kansas City Public Library, 4801 Main Street, Kansas City, Mo. The event is produced and directed by the UMKC English Department’s M.F.A. Program in Creative Writing, cosponsored by the Writers at Work Series and the Kansas City Public Library. Financial support comes from the Cockefair Chair in Continuing Education. Contact the library at the number below to RSVP.  

Ahktar, the author of numerous screenplays, discusses his debut novel, American Dervish, at Unity Temple on the Plaza, 707 W 47th Street, Kansas City, Mo. A stamped admission ticket is required for the book-signing that follows. To purchase tickets, visit Rainy Day Books online.

This Jazz and Poetry event will feature live music, and readings by Goodwin and North, followed by a jazz/poetry competition, at the American Jazz Museum, 1616 East 18th Street, Kansas City Mo.

Writers, including Speed Levitch, Hampton Stevens, and others, present their work for a panel of judges at Kansas City's third Literary Death Match, part of a worldwide competitive reading series. Tickets are seven dollars in advance and ten dollars at the door, at Firefly Lounge, 4118 Pennsylvania Avenue, Kansas City, Mo.

Contributors to Weather, including Walter Bargen, Maril Crabtree, Ani Gjika, Tina Hacker, M.J. Iuppa, Richard Schiffman, Jeff Tigchelaar, Maryfrances Wagner, Guinnotte Wise, and Jon Kelly Yenser, read from the latest anthology from Imagination & Place, Inc., at the Writers Place, 3607 Pennsylvania, Kansas City, Mo.

Christle, Hart, and Hershey share their work for for A Common Sense Reading Series at Cara and Cabezas Contemporary, 1714 Holmes Street, Kansas City, Mo. The event is free and open to the public.

This event will begin with book club recommendations from Vivien Jennings, President of Rainy Day Books, followed by a reading and discussion of See's novel, Dreams of Joy, at the Friendship Hall in Village Presbyterian Church, 6641 Mission Road, Prairie Village, Kan. A stamped admission ticket is required for the book-signing. To purchase tickets, visit Rainy Day Books online.

Kansas City writers Stevens and Haas share their work for the Riverfront Reading Series at The Writers Place, 3607 Pennsylvania, Kansas City, Mo.

Author of Narrative of the Life of the Brown Boy and the White Man, and winner of the Cave Canem Poetry Prize, Ronaldo V. Wilson reads his work for the Visiting Writers Series at Kansas State University's Little Theatre, Student Union, Manhattan, Kan.

Kansas City native Ashley Ream reads from her debut novel, Losing Clementine, followed by a Q&A and signing, at The Writers Place, 3607 Pennsylvania, Kansas City, Mo.

As part of the University of Missouri-Kansas City Carolyn Benton Cockefair Chair in Continuing Education, the writer and host of the public television and radio programs Rick Steves' Europe and Travel with Rick Steves will speak about his book Travel as a Political Act. This free event is open to the public, at Unity Temple on the Plaza, 707 West 47th Street, Kansas City, Mo. 

Bruce Snider's second poetry collection, Paradise, Indiana, won the Lena-Miles Wever Todd Poetry Prize and will be published in the spring of 2012, by Pleiades Press. Snider will read from his work as part of the Visiting Writers Series at the University of Central Missouri's Gallery of Art & Design, 217 Clark Street, Warrensburg, Mo.

The bestselling author reads from her new novel Lone Wolf, at Unity Temple on the Plaza, 707 W 47th Street, Kansas City, Mo. A stamped admission ticket is required for the book-signing. To purchase tickets, visit Rainy Day Books online.

The author of five books of poetry, Jacqueline Osherow reads her work at the University of Missouri-Columbia, Tate Hall, Columbia, Mo.

Denise Low hosts this event featuring art by Tom Weso, a one-act play, staged by Dianne Reyner, and readings by Greg Field, Pamela Dawes Tambornino, and Diane Glancy, at The Writers Place, 3607 Pennsylvania, Kansas City, Mo.

Pavey and Amen read at The Writers Place, 3607 Pennsylvania, Kansas City, Mo.

Vreeland, a New York Times bestselling novelist, will discuss her new novel, Clara and Mr. Tiffany, accompanied by a multimedia presentation. An audience Q&A and book-signing follow, at The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art's Atkins Auditorium, 4525 Oak Street, Kansas City, Mo. A stamped admission ticket is required for the book-signing. To purchase tickets, visit Rainy Day Books online.

Contributors to Kansas City Voices: A Periodical of Writing and Art read their work for The Writers Place Poetry Reading Series at the Johnson County Central Resource Library, 9875 West 87th Street, Overland Park, Kan.

Rick Barot's first book, The Darker Fall, won the Kathryn A. Morton Prize in Poetry, and his second book, Want, was published in 2008. Barot will read in the Park University Ethnic Voices Poetry Series at The Meetin' House, 8700 N.W. River Park Drive, Parkville, Mo.

Midwest Poets Series presents prominent poet, translator, critic, whose most recent book is Bright Body (poems, Sheep Meadow, 2011).  54th Street and Troost, Kansas City, Mo.  No one will be turned away for lack of funds.

Roitman and Dockery read their work for the Taproom Poetry Series at the Eight Street Taproom, 19 East 8th Street, Lawrence, Kan.

Clay, Robins, and Limon share their work for for A Common Sense Reading Series at Cara and Cabezas Contemporary, 1714 Holmes Street, Kansas City, Mo. The event is free and open to the public.

Makkai, whose short fiction has been chosen for The Best American Short Stories for four consecutive years and whose debut novel, The Borrower, was published in June 2011, reads for the Visiting Writers Series at Kansas State University's Little Theatre, Student Union, Manhattan, Kan.

National Book Award finalist and author of five collections of poetry, Kim Addonizio reads her work at the University of Missouri-Columbia, Tate Hall, Columbia, Mo.

Poets Muench, Goodman, and Console read at The Writers Place, 3607 Pennsylvania, Kansas City, Mo.

Poets Porubsky, McHenry, and Stone Dockery read at The Writers Place, 3607 Pennsylvania, Kansas City, Mo.

Brockmeier, who is the author of the poetry collection my maiden cowboy names, which won the 2008 T. S. Eliot Prize, Denrow, who is the author of a collection of poems entitled California, and Stone, who is the author of the short story collection Best Road Yet, read from their work at the University of Central Missouri's Gallery of Art & Design, 217 Clark Street, Warrensburg, Mo.

Price, the author of two literary memoirs: Not Just Any Land: A Personal and Literary Journey into the American Grasslands and Man Killed by Pheasant and Other Kinships, reads for the Visiting Writers Series at Kansas State University's Flint Hills Room, Student Union, Manhattan, Kan.

Writers share their work for the Riverfront Reading Series at The Writers Place, 3607 Pennsylvania, Kansas City, Mo.

Roripaugh and Stempleman read their work for the Taproom Poetry Series at the Eight Street Taproom, 19 East 8th Street, Lawrence, Kan.

The Kansas State Poet Larueate will read her work for The Writers Place Poetry Reading Series at the Johnson County Central Resource Library, 9875 West 87th Street, Overland Park, Kan.

For National Poetry Month, Olivas and Rodríguez read at The Writers Place, 3607 Pennsylvania, Kansas City, Mo.

Yankelevich, a faculty member of the Milton Avery Graduate School of the Arts at Bard College, is also a translator, a founding editor of Ugly Duckling Presse, and the author of several books of poetry. He reads at Alderson Auditorium in the Kansas Union at The University of Kansas, 1301 Jayhawk Blvd., Lawrence, Kan.

Poets read for Big Tent: Stories and Poems in Three Acts, at The Raven Book Store, 6 East 7th Street, Lawrence, Kan.

Brackenbury, Rizer, Pavey, Ryberg, and Homan read their work at the Downtown Neon Gallery, 1921 East Truman Road, Kansas City, Mo.

Roitman, Kaminski, and Ziegler share their work for for A Common Sense Reading Series at Cara and Cabezas Contemporary, 1714 Holmes Street, Kansas City, Mo. The event is free and open to the public.

Vando is the founder of the Midwest Center for the Literary Arts, Inc., and Helicon Nine Editions, as well as a co-founder of The Writers Place and a BkMk Press advisory board member. The poet reads her work at The Writers Place, 3607 Pennsylvania, Kansas City, Mo.

Lawson and Patterson share their work for the Riverfront Reading Series at The Writers Place, 3607 Pennsylvania, Kansas City, Mo.

The Townleys read their work for The Writers Place Poetry Reading Series at the Johnson County Central Resource Library, 9875 West 87th Street, Overland Park, Kan.

Rickett, Dickey, and Anderson read at The Writers Place, 3607 Pennsylvania, Kansas City, Mo.

Miller and Gallaher share their work for the Riverfront Reading Series at The Writers Place, 3607 Pennsylvania, Kansas City, Mo.

The poet and memoirist reads her work for The Writers Place Poetry Reading Series at the Johnson County Central Resource Library, 9875 West 87th Street, Overland Park, Kan.

Contributors to Kansas City Voices: A Periodical of Writing and Art celebrate the magazine's release with readings at The Writers Place, 3607 Pennsylvania, Kansas City, Mo.

Duncan and Ott read their work for The Writers Place Poetry Reading Series at the Johnson County Central Resource Library, 9875 West 87th Street, Overland Park, Kan.

Vaughn and Carmen share their work for the Riverfront Reading Series at The Writers Place, 3607 Pennsylvania, Kansas City, Mo.

Rodriguez and Browder read their work at The Writers Place, 3607 Pennsylvania, Kansas City, Mo.

Writers pay tribute to the late founder of The Writers Place Poetry Reading Series, at the Johnson County Central Resource Library, 9875 West 87th Street, Overland Park, Kan.

Hughes and Tobaben share their work for the Riverfront Reading Series at The Writers Place, 3607 Pennsylvania, Kansas City, Mo.

Arroyo and Blanco are featured for the Riverfront Reading Series at The Writers Place, 3607 Pennsylvania, Kansas City, Mo.

Wagner and Field read their work for The Writers Place Poetry Reading Series at the Johnson County Central Resource Library, 9875 West 87th Street, Overland Park, Kan.

Karlin, Hoyt, and Hodgen read their work at The Writers Place, 3607 Pennsylvania, Kansas City, Mo.

Contributors to the I-70 Review celebrate the magazine's release with readings at The Writers Place, 3607 Pennsylvania, Kansas City, Mo.

Barth, Kofler, and Bettis share their work for the Riverfront Reading Series at The Writers Place, 3607 Pennsylvania, Kansas City, Mo.

Rodriguez and Wood read their work for The Writers Place Poetry Reading Series at the Johnson County Central Resource Library, 9875 West 87th Street, Overland Park, Kan.

Midwest Poets Series event, Rockhurst University, 54th Street and Troost, Kansas City, Mo.  No one will be turned away for lack of funds.

Shepard will read from his work at The Writers Place, 3607 Pennsylvania, Kansas City, Mo.

Guidry and Moritz share their work for the Riverfront Reading Series at The Writers Place, 3607 Pennsylvania, Kansas City, Mo.

Poets Nuernberger and Bar-Nadav read their work at The Writers Place, 3607 Pennsylvania, Kansas City, Mo.

Midwest Poets Series event, Rockhurst University, 54th Street and Troost, Kansas City, Mo.  No one will be turned away for lack of funds.

Midwest Poets Series event, Rockhurst University, 54th Street and Troost, Kansas City, Mo.  No one will be turned away for lack of funds.

Midwest Poets Series event with Les Murray, Australia's leading poet and one of the greatest contemporary poets writing in English. His work has been published in 10 languages. Murray will read at Rockhurst University, 54th Street and Troost, Kansas City, Mo.  No one will be turned away for lack of funds.