Cost: FREE

With “such authority, such radar-perfect detail, that she is able to make even the most extreme situations seem real” (New York Times), Mary Gaitskill writes nuanced depictions of sexual obsession, addiction, and dysfunctional relationships. Her story collections include the seminal Bad Behavior, Don’t Cry, and the PEN/Faulkner-nominated Because They Wanted To. Veronica, the story of a broken model’s reminiscence of youth and friendship, was nominated for a National Book Award. The Mare tells the story of an on-the-rocks married couple’s efforts to teach an inner city eleven-year-old to ride horses.

Joe Meno is the author of six novels, including the bestselling Hairstyles of the Damned, The Boy Detective Fails, and The Great Perhaps. In addition to authoring two short story collections and three plays, he is a frequent contributor to literary journals and Punk Planet magazine. A professor of creative writing at Chicago’s Columbia College, Meno is the winner of the Nelson Algren Literary Award, a Pushcart Prize, and the Great Lakes Book Award. His latest novel tells the story of a Korean War vet and his grandson’s bleak sojourn across the heartland in search of a stolen horse.