Iowa Nonfiction Writing Program alum Amy Kolen will read from her new book published by Ice Cube Press, Inside Voices: A Prison Choir, My Mother, and Me. “In this powerful, moving, masterfully written memoir, Amy Kolen, a volunteer singer, enters the gates of a prison, slowly liberating herself and finding emotional relief from her old family wounds. She sings in a choir, insiders and outsiders joining together to find harmony not only in the music but in the spirit of the experience. Kolen’s rehearsals inside the prison alternate with the outside reality of her mother’s confinement in her Health Center room, where, with a Beginner’s Mind, she connects with Lillian in a deeper way than ever in her life. In fluid, penetrating prose, Kolen allows us to step into this primal relationship, experience it with her, and find transformation. A must-read for anyone who has struggled with family dynamics or assumed the role of elder caretaker.”—Mary Swander

Amy Kolen’s essays have been published in several anthologies, including Best American Essays, 2002. Her work has also appeared in various publications, including Orion Magazine, The Missouri Review, Bayou, The Massachusetts Review, and The Florida Review, and has been shortlisted in Best American Essays, 2009. Holding an MFA in Nonfiction Writing from the University of Iowa, she sang with the Oakdale Community Choir for four years. She lives with her husband in Estes Park, Colorado.