Living Writers

Living Writers is a master class in how works of literature come to be. The program is free and open to everyone: the only prerequisite is a passion for reading.

Join us this fall — in person or online — as we discuss some extraordinary works of fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and drama. Feel free to dip in as you please, reading one book, or three, or even all ten.

Apropos of Ezra Pound’s famous formulation (“Poetry is news that stays news”), we try to select works that offer a temporary refuge from the headlines as well as a deeper engagement with them. This year’s lineup is no exception. Several of the writers on our list seem to be asking some variation on this question: How do we find hope in the face of an apocalypse?

Click on each of the images below to view a synopsis and reviews, a brief biography of the author, and our rationale for selecting the book. You can also listen to a three-question podcast with each author and sign up for a Zoom book discussion a few days before their visit to campus. Be sure to follow us on Twitter @ColgateLW.

Please note that Jamaica Kincaid's visit to Colgate has been rescheduled for December 1.