Alex Award-winning Iowa City author Bart Yates will read from his latest novel, The Very Long, Very Strange Life of Isaac Dahl. The subject of this intriguing and innovative novel, historian Isaac Dahl,  encapsulates his remarkable life in this chronicle of twelve remarkable days. “The life course of a gay man born at the end of World War I is the subject of Yates’s latest novel, and it’s an interesting study of how a queer fellow of the Greatest Generation might have navigated the many turbulent events of twentieth century America, as well as family, friendships, and love…Reminiscent of John Irving’s quirky family sagas, Yates’s novel is a great title for readers interested in gay representation in twentieth century historical fiction.” – Andrew J. Peters

Bart Yates is the author of seven novels including Leave Myself Behind, The Brothers Bishop, and The Third Hill North of Town (written as Noah Bly). Two of his books have been translated into Italian and one into Dutch.  He has a Bachelor of Music degree in Clarinet Performance from Drake University, and a Master of Music degree in Woodwind Performance from and Boston University. He is a freelance musician and teacher who gives private lessons in his studio, and he has also taught writing at the Iowa Summer Writing Festival. He lives in Iowa City.