It’s official! We’re bringing back our regular reading series featuring some of our wonderful and talented local authors. This was something we used to do in the pre-pandemic days, and we’re thrilled to be restarting this tradition once more, under the brilliant curatorial eye of Lynne Lampe. Come for company, companionship, community, and - of course - come for the words.
The five authors who will be reading at the first evening on Thursday, October 15 are:
Terry Allen is an Emeritus Professor of Theatre Arts at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, where he taught acting, directing and playwriting. He is the author of five poetry collections: Monsters in the Rain, Art Work, Waiting on the Last Train, Rubber Time, and Preserving the Past for the Present.
Megan Beilsmith is a native Missourian and Columbia resident. She graduated from Stephens College in 2020 with a bachelor’s degree in Theatre Arts, but she has always had a passion for writing. Of Eon is her debut novel, where she strives to highlight the late bloomers who long for love.
Kim Carr is a Missouri author, photographer, farmer, and lifelong animal lover who shares true stories from around her farm. Through her Around the Farm series, she combines storytelling and photo illustration to introduce readers of all ages to unforgettable animals, unexpected friendships, and the everyday adventures of farm life.
De Hage Minner is a retired research nurse and quality educator for MU Sinclair School of Nursing. She has taught and consulted in Missouri nursing homes, and her articles have been published in nursing journals. De’s memoir simmered for many years after the birth of her first child, a daughter with Down syndrome. Angie’s birth set the family on a pathof discovery that included serious health scares, hilarious and gut-wrenching moments, thought-provoking dilemmas, and enlightenment about Angie’s need for enabled independence as a contributing adult.
Sharon SingingMoon is a poet, an award-winning visual artist, and founding host of SPOKEN at Cafe Berlin. She co-edited several anthologies and is the editor of Soul of Our Soul–Palestine in Poetry and Prose, 2025. Her work has been nominated for Best of the Net and a Pushcart Prize. She has published two collections, The Weight of One Hummingbird Feather and Random Seed.
