The series will begin with Craig Johnson on Friday, June 7 at 7 p.m. Johnson is the author of eight novels in the Walt Longmire mystery series, which has garnered popular and critical acclaim. The Cold Dish was a Dilys Award finalist and the French edition won Le Prix du Polar Nouvel Observateur/BibliObs. Death Without Company, the Wyoming State Historical Association’s Book of the Year, won France’s Le Prix 813. Another Man’s Moccasins was the Western Writers of America’s Spur Award winner and the Mountains & Plains Independent Booksellers’ Book of the Year, and The Dark Horse, the fifth in the series, was a Publishers Weekly Best Book of the Year. Junkyard Dogs won the Watson Award for a mystery novel with the best sidekick, and Hell Is Empty, selected by Library Journal as the Best Mystery of the Year, was a New York Times best seller, as was As the Crow Flies. The Walt Longmire series is the basis for the hit A&E drama, Longmire, starring Robert Taylor, Lou Diamond Phillips, and Katee Sackoff.

Register for Craig Johnson here.

Author Cristina Henríquez will continue the series on Friday, June 14, at 7 p.m. Cristina Henríquez is the author of The Book of Unknown Americans, which was a New York Times Notable Book of 2014 and one of Amazon’s Top 10 Books of the Year. It was the Daily Beast Novel of the Year, a Washington Post Notable Book, an NPR Great Read, and was chosen one of the best books of the year by BookPage, Oprah.com, and School Library Journal. It was also longlisted for the Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Fiction. Henriquez is also the author of The World In Half (a novel), and Come Together, Fall Apart: A Novella and Stories, which was a New York Times Editors’ Choice selection. Cristina earned her undergraduate degree from Northwestern University and is a graduate of the Iowa Writers’ Workshop. She lives in Chicago.

Register for Cristina Henríquez here.

The series will end with internationally bestselling author Jennifer Weiner on Friday, June 28, at 7 p.m. A #1 New York Times bestselling author, Jennifer Weiner’s books have spent over five years on the New York Times bestseller list with over 11 million copies in print in 36 countries. She is the author of the novels Good in Bed (2001); In Her Shoes (2002), which was turned into a major motion picture starring Cameron Diaz, Toni Collette and Shirley MacLaine; Little Earthquakes (2004); Goodnight Nobody (2005); the short story collection The Guy Not Taken (2006); Certain Girls (2008); Best Friends Forever (2009); Fly Away Home (2010); Then Came You (2011); The Next Best Thing (2012); All Fall Down (2014), and Who Do You Love (2015). She is also the author of two middle-grade novels, The Littlest Bigfoot (2016) and Little Bigfoot, Big City (2017), and the nonfiction collection Hungry Heart: Adventures in Life, Love, and Writing (2016).

Register for Jennifer Weiner here. 

While no tickets are required, series organizers are requesting pre-registration. 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.

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.

The series will kick off with Anne Perry on Friday, June 9 at 7 p.m. Perry is the international bestselling author of over 50 novels, which have sold over 25 million copies.  The Times selected her as one of the 20th Century’s 100 Masters of Crime.  In 2015 she was awarded the Premio de Honor Aragón Negro. Her first series of Victorian crime novels, featuring Thomas and Charlotte Pitt, began with The Cater Street Hangman. The latest of these, The Angel Court Affair, is her most recent of many appearances on the New York Times bestseller list.

[Register for Anne Perry]

Author Kwame Alexander will continue the series on Friday, June 16, at 7 p.m. Alexander is a poet, educator, and the New York Times Bestselling author of 24 books, including The Crossover, which received the 2015 John Newbery Medal for the Most Distinguished Contribution to American literature for Children, the Coretta Scott King Author Award Honor, The NCTE Charlotte Huck Honor, the Lee Bennett Hopkins Poetry Award, and the Paterson Poetry Prize. Alexander writes for children of all ages. Some of his other works include The Playbook: 52 Rules to Help You Aim, Shoot, And Score in This Game of Life; the picture books, Animal Ark, Out Of Wonder and Surf’s Up; and novels Booked, He Said She Said, and the forthcoming Solo.

[Register for Kwame Alexander]

The series will end with #1 New York Times bestselling author Debbie Macomber on Friday, June 23, at 7 p.m. Macomber is one of today’s most popular writers with more than 200 million copies of her books in print worldwide. In her novels, Macomber brings to life compelling relationships that embrace family and enduring friendships, uplifting her readers with stories of connection and hope. Macomber’s novels have spent over 990 weeks on the New York Times bestseller list. Twelve of these novels hit the number one spot.

In 2017, Macomber’s all-new hardcover publications include If Not for You (March), Any Dream Will Do (August), and Merry and Bright (October). In addition to fiction, Macomber has also published two bestselling cookbooks, an adult coloring book, numerous inspirational and nonfiction works, and two acclaimed children’s books.

[Register for Debbie Macomber]

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.

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:

• Sara Gruen
• Matt de la Peña
• Jenny Lawson

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.

Maureen Corrigan will open this year’s series on Friday, June 12 at 7 p.m. Corrigan is one of America’s most trusted and loved book critics. For more than 20 years, Corrigan has been the book critic for NPR’s Fresh Air. She is also a columnist for The Washington Post and the critic-in-residence at Georgetown University where her courses are very popular, as well as a critic for The Village Voice. She is the author of two books of her own; Leave me Alone I’m Reading and So We Read On: How the Great Gatsby Came to Be and Why it Endures, which was named one of the ten best books of the year by Library Journal in 2014. Aside from her writings for The Washington Post and The Village Voice, Corrigan has also written reviews for The New York Times, The Boston Globe and The Nation among others. She is an associate editor of and contributor to Mystery and Suspense Writers and the winner of the 1999 Edgar Award for Criticism. In 2012 she served as a juror for the Pulitzer Prize in Fiction. (Register for Corrigan.)

Rainbow Rowell will continue the series on Friday, June 19, at 7 p.m. Rowell is the New York Times bestselling author of Fangirl, Eleanor & Park, and Attachments. Her latest book, Landline, received the Goodreads Choice Award for best fiction in 2014. Her work spans the young adult and adult genres, appealing to people of all ages. Formerly a columnist and ad copywriter at the Omaha World-Herald, Rowell’s two young adult novels, Eleanor & Park and Fangirl were released in 2013 and both were named by The New York Times as among the best young adult fiction of the year. (Register for Rowell.)

Piper Kerman will finish the series on Friday, June 26, at 7 p.m. Kerman is the author of the best-selling memoir Orange is the New Black, which was adapted into a critically-acclaimed series of the same name. The memoir chronicles what the author calls her “crucible experience”, the 13-months she spent in the Federal Correctional Institution in Danbury, Connecticut. Since her release, Kerman has worked tirelessly to promote the cause of prison and criminal justice reform. (Register for Kerman.)

Alternately, patrons may send an email to events@crlibrary.org.

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

Members of Friends of CRPL and Friends of Marion Library are invited to a “Meet and Greet” reception with Maureen Corrigan, Friday, June 12th from 6-6:45 in the atrium at Hotel Kirkwood, prior to her reading. Wine and soda will be served. The event is free to Friends members; or join at the door to attend if you are not already a member (cash and check only). Register in advance.

Do you want the chance to introduce one of your favorite authors? Broadcast your fandom by submitting your video telling us why YOU should be the one to introduce the author and you could win the opportunity of a lifetime. Complete rules and submission guidelines can be found at www.metrolibrarynetwork.org/outloud/yououtloud.

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 is provided by Hills Bank & Trust Co., Friends of the Cedar Rapids Public Library, Friends of the Marion Public Library, Friends of the Hiawatha Public Library, and Nancy and Stephen Miller.

Elizabeth Berg, one of America’s most beloved chroniclers of female friendship, has been on the New York Times Bestseller list multiple times. Her latest book, the New York Times bestselling Tapestry of Fortunes is about a motivational speaker who isn’t great about taking her own advice but finally does.

Durable Goods and Joy School were both selected as one of the American Library Association’s Best Books of the Year. Talk Before Sleep was shortlisted for the Abby (American Bookseller’s Book of the Year). Open House was an Oprah’s Book Club Selection. In 1997, Elizabeth won the New England Booksellers Award for her body of work. She has been translated into 27 languages.

Her writing has appeared in numerous publications, including Ladies’ Home Journal, Redbook, and the New York Times Magazine. She has also taught a writing workshop at Radcliffe College. She lives near Boston, Massachusetts. For more information on Elizabeth Berg, visit www.elizabeth-berg.net.

While no tickets are required, series organizers are requesting pre-registration in order to gauge audience size—seating is general admission and not guaranteed. To register, visit http://bit.ly/OutLoud and navigate to the event date. 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 Hills Bank and Trust, the University of Iowa Community Credit Union, the Friends of the Hiawatha Public Library, the Friends of the Marion Public Library, OPN Architects, and Nancy and Stephen Miller.

Wally Lamb is the author of four New York Times best-selling novels: Wishin’ and Hopin’, The Hour I First Believed, I Know This Much is True, and She’s Come Undone and was twice selected for Oprah’s Book Club. His fifth novel is We Are Water. Lamb also edited Couldn’t Keep It to Myself and I’ll Fly Away, two volumes of essays from students in his writing workshop at York Correctional Institution, a women’s prison in Connecticut, where he has been a volunteer facilitator for the past 14 years.

Lamb’s first two novels, She’s Come Undone and I Know This Much Is True, were # 1 New York Times bestsellers, New York Times Notable Books of the Year, and featured titles of Oprah’s Book Club. I Know This Much Is True was a Book of the Month Club main selection and the June 1999 featured selection of the Bertelsman Book Club, the national book club of Germany. Between them, She’s Come Undone and I Know This Much Is True have been translated into 18 languages.

Lamb’s third novel, The Hour I First Believed, explores chaos theory by interfacing several generations of a fictional Connecticut family with such nonfictional American events as the Civil War, the Columbine High School shootings, the Iraq War, and Hurricane Katrina. The book reached #4 on the New York Times bestseller list. In 2009, Lamb published Wishin’ and Hopin’, a comedic look at the year 1964 through the eyes of Felix Funicello, a parochial school fifth grader and a distant cousin of the iconic Annette. Wishin’ and Hopin’, too, was a New York Times bestseller. Lamb’s fifth novel, We Are Water, is an intricate, multi-voiced account of a New England family coming to terms with the past and one another during the first years of the Obama presidency.

Elizabeth Berg, one of America’s most beloved chroniclers of female friendship, will close out the series on Friday, July 18, at 7 p.m. Berg has been on the New York Times Bestseller list multiple times. Durable Goods and Joy School were both selected as one of the American Library Association’s Best Books of the Year. Talk Before Sleep was shortlisted for the Abby (American Booksellers Book of the Year). Open House was an Oprah’s Book Club Selection. In 1997, Elizabeth won the New England Booksellers Award for her body of work. She has been translated into 27 languages.

While no tickets are required, series organizers are requesting pre-registration in order to gauge audience size—seating is general admission and not guaranteed. To register, visit http://bit.ly/OutLoud and navigate to the event dates. 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 Hills Bank and Trust, the University of Iowa Community Credit Union, the Friends of the Hiawatha Public Library, the Friends of the Marion Public Library, OPN Architects, and Nancy and Stephen Miller.

Vowell is the New York Times bestselling author of six nonfiction books on American history and culture.  By examining the connections between the American past and present, she offers personal, often humorous accounts of everything from presidents and their assassins to colonial religious fanatics, as well as thoughts on American Indians, utopian dreamers, pop music, and the odd cranky cartographer. Vowell was a contributing editor for Public Radio International’s This American Life from 1996-2008, where she produced numerous commentaries and documentaries and toured the country in many of the program’s live shows. Vowell has made numerous appearances on the Late Show with David Letterman, Late Night with Conan O’Brien, and the Daily Show with Jon Stewart.

Wally Lamb will continue the series on Friday, July 11, at 7 p.m. Lamb is the author of four New York Times best-selling novels: Wishin’ and Hopin’, The Hour I First Believed, I Know This Much is True, and She’s Come Undone, and was twice selected for Oprah’s Book Club. His fifth novel is We Are Water, a disquieting and ultimately uplifting novel about a marriage, a family, and human resilience in the face of tragedy.

Elizabeth Berg, one of America’s most beloved chroniclers of female friendship, will close out the series on Friday, July 18, at 7 p.m. Berg has been on the New York Times Bestseller list multiple times. Durable Goods and Joy School were both selected as one of the American Library Association’s Best Books of the Year. Talk Before Sleep was shortlisted for the Abby (American Bookseller’s Book of the Year). Open House was an Oprah’s Book Club Selection. In 1997, Elizabeth won the New England Booksellers Award for her body of work. She has been translated into 27 languages.

While no tickets are required, series organizers are requesting pre-registration. To register, visit http://bit.ly/OutLoud and navigate to the event dates. 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 Hills Bank and Trust, OPN Architects, the University of Iowa Community Credit Union, the Friends of the Hiawatha Public Library, the Friends of the Marion Public Library, and Nancy and Stephen Miller.

Thanks again to Hills Bank for sponsoring the contest!

Submit your video and tell us why  YOU should be the one to introduce one of our Out Loud! Authors this summer: Sarah Vowell, Wally Lamb, or Elizabeth Berg.

Your video should make a compelling case for why you should be the one to introduce one of our three 2014 Out Loud! Series Authors—Sarah Vowell, Wally Lamb, and Elizabeth Berg. The Metro Library Network will select the best videos and post them on our Facebook page, where you can vote for your favorite. The top winner for each author will be invited to introduce their selected author at the Out Loud! Author Series this summer.

Contest Rules

• You must be a valid library card holder in the Metro Library Network (consisting of Cedar Rapids, Hiawatha, and Marion Public Libraries).
• Videos will be judged according to the following criteria: creativity, persuasiveness, speaking ability, and engagement.
• Your entry must obey all laws, including all applicable copyright and privacy laws. This also applies to any music samples used in your video.
• You agree to let the Metro Library Network place your entry on respective YouTube channels and Facebook pages, and use your video in its promotional and educational efforts.
• Your video should be no longer than three minutes. Videos longer than three minutes will be disqualified.
• Entries must be submitted by midnight on Wednesday, June 11, 2014, to be eligible. No extensions. Anything submitted after this day will not be considered.
• Entries may not contain commercial, sexually explicit, disparaging, or libelous content; promote any product or service; or contain any trademarks, copyrighted works (including music that is not within the public domain), or other intellectual property not owned by the submitter(s).
• The Metro Library Network reserves the right to reject or return for editing any video that doesn’t comply with these guidelines.

How to submit your video

You may submit your video one of two ways:

Online Submissions

1. Upload your video to YouTube or Vimeo.

2. Send an email to outloud@metrolibrarynetwork.org, including:

a. A link to your video
b. Your name and contact information (email and phone)

3. We will send you a confirmation email that we received your video within 24 hours.

Snail Mail or In-Person Submissions

1. Save your video to a CD, DVD, or flash drive

2. Put it in an envelope addressed to Cedar Rapids Public Library, ATTN: Out Loud! 450 5^th Avenue SE, Cedar Rapids, Iowa, 52401. Inside the envelope, please include:

a. Your name
b. Your contact information (email and phone)

3. Submissions must be postmarked on or before June 11, 2014.

4. In-person submissions need to be delivered to the Cedar Rapids Public Library, 450 5^th Avenue SE, Cedar Rapids, Iowa, 52401, by 9:00 pm on June 11, 2014.

Contest Timeline

• Deadline for submitting videos: Midnight, Wednesday, June 11, 2014 (9:00 pm for in-person submissions)
• Metro Library Network selects finalists: June 12-15, 2014.
• Videos posted on the Metro Library Network’s Facebook page for popular voting: Monday, June 16, 2014 – Friday, June 20, 2014 at 4 pm.
• Winners contacted by June 22, 2014.

Judging

Entries will be reviewed for eligibility and compliance with the contest rules. A panel of judges drawn from within the Metro Library Network will judge the entries on the following criteria:

• Creativity: 30%
• Persuasiveness: 30%
• Speaking Ability: 30%
• Engagement: 10%

Questions? For more information, contact: Amber Mussman, Cedar Rapids Public Library, mussmana@crlibrary.org or (319) 261-READ.

Download the YouOutLoudFlyer.