Kate Baer, 3x New York Times Bestselling Poet, EMU writers read

Kate Baer is a 2007 EMU alum and New York Times bestselling author of three poetry collections, What Kind Of Woman (2020), I Hope This Finds You Well (2021), and And Yet (2022). Her work has been published in The New Yorker, Literary Hub, Huffington Post, and The New York Times. In an interview with Alex Moshakis of The Guardian, Kate described her first collection as a “friend angry on your behalf” for many women during the pandemic who had “lost their jobs, lost income, lost quality of life, because they were the ones that had to stay at home with the kids.” Her second collection was described by Entertainment Weekly as “viral erasure poems” that take “Instagram messages from disgruntled followers and collages them into feminist works.” Jessica Bennett, writing about Kate’s work in the New York Times, notes how her “words have resonated with women, many of whom tell her they are coming to poetry for the first time. In a year in which all people, but perhaps especially mothers, are grasping for words to express their exhaustion and anger, in Baer they have found someone to say it for them — and in snippets short enough that they actually have time to read a piece in its entirety.”

To catch the honesty, humor, affection, and depth of Kate’s poetry, come join us for an onstage conversation and reading facilitated by Kirsten Beachy, EMU Associate Professor of Creative Writing. Local bookseller Parentheses Books will be selling Kate’s books at the event. There will be a book signing afterward.

This event is part of Eastern Mennonite University’s Homecoming and Family Weekend, but all are welcome. All campus parking areas will be available to visitors this weekend.

This event will also stream on Eastern Mennonite University’s Facebook Live page.