READING | THURSDAY, October 2 | 7 PM | FREE
The UNM Creative Writing Program invites you to join them at FUSION | The Cell on October 2 at 7 PM for a reading from Michelle Gurule, author of Thank You, John. After the reading, Gurule will give a brief audience Q&A and sign books. Copies of Thank You, John will be available for purchase at the event.
"Your teeth will ache as you read this book, both with pain and with pleasure.” —Celia Laskey, author of Under the Rainbow and So Happy for You
Thank You, John is a story of a queer, chicana / white woman at the center of a sitcom-worthy family who exasperated by poverty, bad teeth, and the generational choices of her family (though lovable and hilarious!) enters a sugarbaby arrangement that she believes is written in her destiny. Crossed personal boundaries, dangerous power imbalances, cringey sex, and glares at The Cheesecake Factory might be a worthy sacrifice (right?) to pull herself out of poverty and pay all cash for a degree in writing and her nephew’s favorite kicks.
“A stunning debut ...When Gurule pulls back the curtain on sex work, she reveals the gnawing class anxiety that fuels our get-ahead economy.” —Mark Sundeen, author of The Man Who Quit Money
This event is free and open to all!
ABOUT MICHELLE GURULE
Michelle Gurule (she/her) is a writer and educator based in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Michelle earned her M.F.A. in Creative Nonfiction from the University of New Mexico in 2021. Her creative work explores the complexities of sex work, class, power, and Michelle’s intersectional identity.
UNM’s English Department offers a full array of creative writing workshops in poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction on the undergraduate and graduate levels.
Undergraduate students may register for introductory, intermediate, and advanced workshops in all three genres. Additionally, they are invited to attend readings sponsored by UNM’s Masters of Fine Arts Program and participate as readers on Blue Mesa Review. Qualifying undergraduates interested in pursuing creative writing on the graduate level are encouraged to work with a faculty mentor on a creative writing Honors Thesis. And every fall undergraduate creative writers compete for the prestigious Lena Todd Awards, a small cash stipend and the opportunity to share their work at the Works-in-Process Reading Series.
UNM’s MFA Program in Creative Writing is designed for graduate students committed to pursuing the writing life. This three-year degree combines studio-based workshops in fiction, poetry, and creative nonfiction with craft seminars and coursework in literature, teaching pedagogy, and professional writing.
Quality bar service provided by Safe House Distilling Co. and Teller Genuine Vodka.
