Two Rivers Reading Series at ARCC--Coon Rapids Campus
Poet Matt Rasmussen discussed his award-winning book, Black Aperture, which explores his brother’s suicide from various angles in poems that have been called "transformative" and an "exquisite labor of [. . .] witness." Rasmussen won the Walt Whitman Award and the Minnesota Book Award. He was also a finalist for the National Book Award.

You can watch his presentations at these links:
http://youtu.be/L91aHdVJnws
http://youtu.be/tfWuSyfuaiQ

Spring 2014

Two Rivers Reading Series at ARCC--Coon Rapids Campus
Graphic novelist Tyler Page read from and discussed Nothing Better.

Watch his presentation here:
http://youtu.be/Q6WTDZKN3XA

Fall 2013

Two Rivers Reading Series at ARCC--Coon Rapids Campus
Poet Cary Waterman read from her collection, Book of Fire.

Watch her presentation at these two links:
Session 1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cb8nEsi7fDU
Session 2
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=whDHaO7wOhg

Two Rivers Reading Series at ARCC--Coon Rapids Campus
Marya Hornbacher read from her memoir, Madness: A Bipolar Life, which discusses the challenges and hopes of living with mental illness.

Here are two videos of her presentation:
Session 1
http://youtu.be/mbhwfHMIIjk
Session 2
http://youtu.be/h29q1jtHsjQ

Spring 2013

Two Rivers Reading Series at ARCC--Coon Rapids Campus
Scott Wrobel, ARCC professor, read from and discussed his short story collection Cul de Sac.

Watch the reading here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tkrtj_b6vvg

Penumbra Theater Event at ARCC--Coon Rapids Campus
Penumbra Theater presented a reading and discussion of Spunk, a play based on three short stories by Zora Neale Hurston.

Here's the video of the presentation:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HFiR5swYJwI

Fall 2012

Kate Kysar read from and discussed her poetry book Pretend the World.  The event was exceptionally well-attended, with nearly 200 students in the audience.

Watch Kate Kysar's two sessions at these links:
Session 1 http://youtu.be/s6cYIL7GlVE
Session 2 http://youtu.be/u647Q19eGs8

Diane Wilson discussed Spirit Car, her memoir, which combines fictional stories with historical facts.

Watch her two sessions at the College here:
Session 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Re9B5zgRmY4&feature=youtu.be
Session 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VV8YBu7VmrI&feature=youtu.be

Spring 2012

Swati Avasthi

Avasthi read from and discussed her new novel Split, a Minnesota Book Award nominee. One reviewer stated that Split is “a great novel, full of compelling characters and a knock-your-socks-off plot.” Split is a New Voices Pick, a Young Adult Fiction Winner (International Reading Association Award), and a Best Fiction for Young Adults Award Winner (YALSA).

Jim Moore

Jim Moore read from and discuss his seventh poetry collection, Invisible Strings. The Star Tribune said about Moore’s poetry, “With his simple poems that celebrate humanity and articulate pain, Jim Moore elevates economy of phrase to an art.” His poems have appeared in numerous publications and journals, including American Poetry Review, The Nation, The New Yorker, and The Pushcart Prize Anthology.

Spring 2011

Wang Ping, the award-winning writer of poetry, fiction, and essays, returns to ARCC to read from her book of short stories, The Last Communist Virgin, a Minnesota Book Award-winning story collection about modern China and the contemporary Chinese-American experience.  See the video of her talk here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kv16DAHB82Q

A Reading/Discussion of August Wilson’s play Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom with Penumbra Theater
Associate Director Dominic Taylor, Education Director Sarah Bellamy, and cast members from St. Paul’s Penumbra Theatre Company lead a reading and discussion of this famous Wilson play.  Additionally, students, alumni, faculty, and staff enjoyed ARCC Day at the Guthrie, where they watched a performance of Wilson’s play and participated in a post-play discussion.
 
Tracy Youngblom and Richard Broderick Poetry Reading
ARCC faculty Tracy Youngblom read from her collection of poetry titled Driving to Heaven.  Former ARCC faculty Richard Broderick read from his two books of poetry titled Woman Lake and Rain Dance.

Fall 2010

Wang Ping read from her book of short stories, The Last Communist Virgin, a Minnesota Book Award-winning story collection about modern China and the contemporary Chinese-American experience.

Presentation (WMV, 84.2 MB)

Patricia Smith read from her poetry collection, Blood Dazzler, a 2008 National Book Award finalist. Blood Dazzler chronicles the human, physical and emotional toll exacted by Hurricane Katrina.

Presentation (WMV, 135 MB)