Iowa Nonfiction Writing Program alum Laura Julier will read from her River Teeth Nonfiction Prize-winning debut memoir, Off Izaak Walton Road, and will be joined in conversation with author Lori Erickson.

“In this lyric memoir, Laura Julier takes us on a journey through long-held feelings of loss and grief—experienced through various landscapes—until she lands in a cabin along the Iowa River, a place neglected and damaged, yet abounding in wildlife. Off Izaak Walton Road shows the power of natural places to heal both themselves and those who carefully attend to them. “Julier finds the hidden beauty and quiet life still thriving after derechos and historic floods. From barred owls fledging in a damaged silver maple to beavers damming a culvert, she notices the exquisite amongst the discarded and ties it to her own journey of self-discovery and emotional redemption.”—Mary Swander

 Laura Julier is the former editor of Fourth Genre. She is the coeditor of Nonfiction, the Teaching of Writing, and The Influence of Richard Lloyd-Jones. She currently works as a hospital chaplain and lives in Iowa City.

Lori Erickson is a travel writer who specializes in spiritual journeys.  She is the author of Every Step Is Home, The Soul of the Family Tree, Near the Exit, and Holy Rover. Her articles and essays have appeared in the Los Angeles Times, National Geographic Traveler, Better Homes & Gardens, Travel + Leisure, and USA Today. She lives in Iowa City.