DSM Book Festival

2025 DSM Book Festival Headlining Authors
A stellar lineup of outstanding writers!

Readers and book lovers in central Iowa will be thrilled to find an outstanding array of authors appearing at the DSM Book Festival on Saturday, March 22. Festival hours will be from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. The free, fun-filled event, presented by Beaverdale Books and Beaverdale Neighborhood Association, will be held at the Franklin Event Center, located at 4801 Franklin Avenue in Des Moines. In addition to author programs, panels, workshops, and children’s activities, the event will offer attendees the opportunity to have their books signed, visit with publishers, and enjoy mingling with fellow booklovers. Find more information using the grey tabs.

Four headlining presentations will be offered in the venue’s large theater, including fiction writer Claire Lombardo, historian Alexis Coe, award-winning Hanif Abdurraqib, and AViD author C.J. Box.

10:00 AM: Claire Lombardo’s debut novel, The Most Fun We Ever Had, was an instant New York Times bestseller and has been translated or is forthcoming in over a dozen languages. Her second novel, Same as It Ever Was, was published in June 2024. Lombardo is a graduate of the University of Illinois-Chicago and the Iowa Writers’ Workshop. Her short fiction has appeared in, among others, Playboy, Barrelhouse Magazine, Little Fiction, and Longform. Prior to publishing The Most Fun We Ever Had, Claire spent several years working with homeless children and families in Chicago. She has taught fiction writing at the Iowa Writers’ Workshop and Grinnell College. A native of Oak Park, Illinois, she now lives in Minnesota, with her dog, Renee. Moderated by Kali White VanBaale. Presented by Prairie Meadows.

12:00 Noon: Alexis Coe is an award-winning, New York Times bestselling presidential historian and senior fellow at New America, a bi-partisan think tank. Coe is the leading presidential biographer of her generation, known for her unique insights, engaging style, and ability to reach larger, more diverse audiences in different mediums. Her books have achieved critical and commercial success. She is the author of, most recently, You Never Forget Your First: A Biography of George of Washington. Her next book, Young Jack: A Biography of John F. Kennedy, 1917-1957, will be published in 2025, and her first book, Alice+Freda Forever: A Murder in Memphis, debuted in 2014. In 2024, Coe went on a 13-stop cross-country discussion tour for New America. Her project, “How Should a President Be,” is in anticipation of America’s 250th anniversary in 2026. Coe frequently appears on CNN, MSNBC, CBS, History, PBS, and is a frequent guest on NPR. She has been featured in and written for most major publications, including the New Yorker, the New York Times, the Washington Post, and Best American Essays. Moderated by Rachel Hansen.  Presented by State Historical Society of Iowa.

2:00 PM: Hanif Abdurraqib is a poet, essayist, and cultural critic from Columbus, Ohio. He will be on tour for his book, There’s Always This Year. His poetry has been published in Muzzle, Vinyl, PEN American, and various other journals. His essays and music criticism have been published in the FADER, Pitchfork, The New Yorker, and The New York Times. His first full length poetry collection, The Crown Ain’t Worth Much, was released in June 2016 from Button Poetry. It was named a finalist for the Eric Hoffer Book Prize and was nominated for a Hurston-Wright Legacy Award. With Big Lucks, he released a limited-edition chapbook, Vintage Sadness, in summer 2017 (you cannot get it anymore and he is very sorry.) His first collection of essays, They Can’t Kill Us Until They Kill Us, was named a book of the year by Buzzfeed, Esquire, NPR, Oprah Magazine, Paste, CBC, The Los Angeles Review, Pitchfork, and The Chicago Tribune, among others. His book Go Ahead in The Rain: Notes To a Tribe Called Quest became a New York Times Bestseller, was a finalist for the Kirkus Prize, and was longlisted for the National Book Award. His second collection of poems, A Fortune for Your Disaster, won the 2020 Lenore Marshall Prize. In 2021, he released the book A Little Devil in America with Random House, which was a finalist for the National Book Award, the National Book Critics Circle Award, and the PEN/Diamonstein-Spielvogel Award for the Art of the Essay. The book won the 2022 Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Nonfiction and the Gordon Burn Prize. Hanif is a graduate of Beechcroft High School. Moderated by Caleb Rainey.  Presented by Beaverdale Books.

4:30 PM: AViD Author C. J. Box is the New York Times bestselling author of thirty novels including the Joe Pickett series. He won the Edgar Alan Poe Award for Best Novel, for Blue Heaven, as well as the Anthony Award, Prix Calibre 38 (France), the Maltese Falcon Award (Japan), the Macavity Award, the Gumshoe Award, two Barry Awards, and the 2010 Mountains & Plains Independent Booksellers Association Award for fiction.  He was recently awarded the 2016 Western Heritage Award for Literature by the National Cowboy Museum as well as the Spur Award for Best Contemporary Novel by the Western Writers of America in 2017. Over ten million copies of his books have been sold in the U.S. and abroad and they have been translated into twenty-seven languages. Two television series based on his novels are in production (BIG SKY on ABC and JOE PICKETT on Spectrum Originals and Paramount+). He is an Executive Producer for both series. Moderated by Heather Gudenkauf.  Cosponsored by Des Moines Public Library AViD Author Series.

Featured Conversations– Choir Room (1105)

9:15 AM: All Iowa Reads 2025 Author: Tim Johnston, moderated by Ted Wheeler.

11:15 AM: Is It Hot in Here, Or Is It My Book?  Chloe Angyal, Denise Williams, Leigh Michaels, moderated by Tracey Garvis Graves.

1:15 PM: A Celebration of Literary Arts:  Ada Zhang, Claire Lombardo, Carmen Maria Machado, Lan Samantha Chang, moderated by Marc Dickinson. Sponsored by DMACC.

3:15 PM: Iowa Fiction Authors:  Carol Roh Spaulding, Sean Adams, Ted Wheeler, moderated by Courtney Crowder.

Featured Panels – Cafeteria

9:15 AM: Historical Happenings in Iowa: Jeff Bremer, Jerry Harrington, moderated Andrew Klumpp.

11:15AM: Plain Talk about The Midwest: Chris Jones, Neil Hamilton moderated by Pat Boddy.

1:15 PM: So, You Want to Be a Writer… What’s Next?  The Story Society of Iowa with Heather Gudenkauf, Julie Stone, Kim Stuart, Nicole Baart, Tracey Garvis Graves, moderated by Kali White VanBaale.

3:15 PM:  Des Moines Community Playhouse Treasure Trunk Theatre.  Embark on a theatrical adventure inspired by Giraffes Can’t Dance by Giles Andreae! In this interactive read-aloud, children will use their voices, bodies, and imaginations to bring jungle animals to life. Through movement, sound, and creative dramatization, they’ll explore animal characteristics while building foundational performance skills. Intended audience is families of youth 3-7.

4:45 & 5:15 PM: Literary Trivia – Everybody Wins! Iowa – Two 10-question sessions.  Prizes!

Featured Conversations – Room 108

9:15 AM: Books and Coffee Pairings: Storyhouse Bookpub & Daisy Chain Coffee.

11:15 AM: Inspiring Words: Jann Freed, Joyce Rupp, Melissa Rose Harris, Shannon Evans, moderated by Debra Landwehr Engle.

1:15 PM: Content that Connects Iowans: Beth Hoffman, Chuck Offenburger, Dave Busiek, Laura Belin, Rachelle Chase, moderated by Julie Gammack, Iowa Writer’s Collective.  Sponsored by Bankers Trust.

3:15 PM: Exploring Local History: Darcy Maulsby, Elodie Opstad, Mary Christopher, William S. Morris, moderated by Rachelle Chase.

Author Panels – Room 149

9:15 AM: Getting Published in the Heartland: Paul Brooke (Gold Wake Press), Steve Semken (Ice Cube Press)

11:15 AM:  A Meeting of the Minds: Barbara Barrett, Sharee Stover, Winter Austin, moderated by Mary Lee Ashford. Presented by Sisters in Crime.

1:15 PM: Iowa Nonfiction Authors: Laura Julier, Kevin Koch, moderated by Megan Bannister.

3:15 PM: Banned Books 2.0: Assessing the Damage Done Under SF 496: Sara Parris.  Presented by Annie’s Foundation.

Panels – Room 147

9:15 AM: Eating Well in the Heartland: Angela Tedesco, Beth Dooley, Beth Howard, moderated by Beth Hoffman.

1:15 PM: Drawing Readers: Words from Book Illustrators: Claire Sedovic, Paula Kerman, Sarah Becan, moderated by Nic Roth.

3:15 PM: Poetry Palooza Preview: Diane Glass, Kelli Lage, Kelsey Bigelow.

Panels – Room 145

9:15 AM: Booked for School: Encouraging Authors to Visit Your School: Abena Sankofa Imhotep, Charlotte Gunnufson, moderated by Tina Cho.

11:15 AM: Sparking Curiosity: The Secrets to Writing for Children: Erin Russell, Norene Paulson, moderated by Brooke Van Sickle.

1:15 PM: Life, Written: Turning Personal Stories into Memoirs: Amy Lee Lillard, Beth Howard, Mary Helen Stefaniak, moderated by Susan Stapleton.

3:15 PM: Writing Together: The Impact of Collectives: Ana McCracken (Ames Writers Collective), Jennifer Colville (Porchlight Literary Arts Center), Zedeka Poindexter (Nebraska Writers Collective).

Indie Bookstore Picks and Children’s Storytimes – Room 118

9:30 AM: Storytime with Authors: Erika Baty and Jenifer Owenson

10:30 AM: Reading in Public presents BIPOC Recommendations

11:30 AM: Little Book presents Graphic Novels for All Ages

12:30 PM: Storytime with Authors: Abena Sankofa Imhotep and Victor D. O. Santos

1:30 PM: NOS Books presents Translated Book Recommendations

2:30 PM: Storytime with Authors: Charlotte Gunnufson and Tina Cho

3:30 PM: Dungeon’s Gate presents Sci Fi & Fantasy Recommendations

4:30 PM: The Wandering Raccoon presents Book Club Recommendations

Festival Authors 

9:30 a.m. – 11 a.m.

Ann Hanigan Kotz | Moonshine by Moonlight

Ann Schreiber | Perseverance. Reinvention.

John Burns III | Dessyre (des-i-ray): inspired by actual events

Barbara Barrett | Murder on the Court

Beatrice Rendon | The Sunflowers Babushka Planted

Bill R. Douglas | The People Are Kind: A Religious History of Iowa

Courtney Morstatter | Puff and Spotzie Adventures Oregon Trail

Forrest Lonefight | Life Belongs to the Loud

Jan Walters | Hazzard Avenue – A Ghost and A Cop Series

Laura Meleney | Interpreting Your Dreams – Your Personal Guide to Life and Dream Alignment

Rebecca Anne Nguyen | The 23rd Hero

Renee Welk | Ease the Chaos

Sarah Brandi | Cali the Clucky Chicken

Shannon E. Hilscher | Living Authentically Through Color

Thomas Patrick Graves | Their Times, Our Times

11:15 a.m. – 12:45 p.m.

Abby Jacobson | Petals of Unspoken Verses

Daniel L. Henderson | The Spiritual Journey to Antiracism: A Travel Guide for White People

Dave Markward | From Dubuque to Selma and Beyond: My Journey to Understand Racism in America

Elizabeth Donne | Sophia’s Letter (Book 1 of the “Ladies of Munro” series)

Erika Baty | Chocolates

Gene Francis Gross | The Girl in the Net

Joseph LeValley | Burying the Lede

Joshalyn Hickey Johnson | Susie Clark the Bravest Girl You’ve Ever Seen

Kelli Lage | Early Cuts

Kelsey Bigelow | Far From Broken

Marilyn J. Baszczynski | daughter, while i’m still here

Nate McClendon | Emerging You

Nettie Marie Magnan | Dropseed: The Story of Three Sad Women

Rhonda Mumby | A Journey to My Life

Stephen Mizell | Serenade

1 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.

Adriana Ballew | Starlight Bound

Anastatia Caraballo | Growing Pains

Gayl Siegel | Blood Meal: A Madalyn Mitchell Mystery, Book Two

Jamie Seitz | Weight of Water

Jason Liegois | The Yank Striker: A Footballer’s Beginning

Jenifer Owenson | Giggly, Jiggly, Wiggly

Jennifer Deaver | The Voyage

Jeremy Griffin | Scream Queen: Stories

Jolene Stratton Philo | See Jane Dig!

Katy Swalwell | From Here & Queer: A Love Letter to LGBTQIA+ Youth

Laura Nguyen | Career Break Compass

Marissa McQueen | When the Time Is Right

Rachel L. Gary | Forged in Fire ~ From Ashes to Empowerment

Victor D.O. Santos | What Makes Us Human

2:45 p.m. – 4:15 p.m.

Ben Arzate | Doomsday Daytrip

Christine McQuillan | Princess Avalon Big Dreams

Clementine Msengi | Spared: Escaping Genocide in Rwanda and Finding a Home in America- A True Story of Hope and Resilience

David Cole | The Election Calculation

Jamie Wendt | Laughing in Yiddish: poems

Jamieya B-Johnson | In Sheep’s Clothing

Jason Mailey | The Cure

Jeane Martz | The Last Chapter

Joe Egan | Run to the Rio

Kelsey Josephson | Forsaken Beauty and the Etherbeast

Kevin J Koch | Midwest Bedrock: The Search for Nature’s Soul in America’s Bedrock

Laura Camerona | More Than Sad

Ryan John Null | The Flare Chronicles: Into the Blaze

Saily Bah | Rise Above: How to Turn a Negative Situation in to a Positive One

Sharon L. Clark | I’ll Call You Mine

4:30 p.m. – 6 p.m.

Aaron Waseskuk | SoulBound Vol 1 & Vol 2

Angela Funk | The World Beyond the Horizon

Angela Youngers | Another Dance

Danielle J. K. Terrell | SPECIES: Cabin 6

Ellie Blue | The King’s Secret

H. Prescott Lemon | Smaller Than Death: Tales from the Underlords Universe

Justin Carter | Brazos

Kristi Hemmer, M.Ed. | Quit Being So Good: Stories of an Unapologetic Woman

Richard Kim Francisco | METAMORPHOSIS

Ryan Lumbard | Let’s Play Construction

Stephen Dunn | ’Pug,’ ‘Fireball,’ and Company: 116 Years of Professional Baseball in Des Moines, Iowa

Terri Leedom | My Silly Granny, A Story of Dementia

William E Burleson | Ahnwee Days

Merchants

Bluestem Coffee Roasting Co.

Evergreen

Night Court Graphics

Papercake Creations

PaperPie

Non-Profits – DMPL Kids Zone

501st Legion Central Garrison Korriban Squad

Annie’s Foundation

Everybody Wins! Iowa

Iowa Library for the Blind and Print Disabled

Raising Readers in the Heartland

Non-Profits – East Gym

Ames Writers Collective

Des Moines Poetry Palooza

Iowa Jewish Historical Society

Sisters in Crime – Iowa

State Historical Society of Iowa

Publishers

Ice Cube Press

Ringtale Publishing

Split/Lip Press

Local Food Trucks will be set up near the southwest side of the venue.  A dining area for folks attending the festival will be available in Room 148.

Loaded Food Truck – Loaded baked potatoes and fries.

Travelin’ Tom’s Coffee – Wide variety of hot and cold coffee drinks, lemonade, energy drink, chai, cocoa and more.

Brick & Ember Pizza Company – Brick oven, wood-fired pizza.

Roadside Taco – tacos

Outside Scoop – Ice cream treats

Faustinos Taqueria is an easy walk one block west on Franklin Avenue- Tacos, burritos, tortas, and drinks.

Soft drink machines are also available inside the Franklin Event Center.