Please join us at the Boise Depot for the opportunity to hear two great local writers read and discuss their craft and their works in this event moderated by Boise's 2023-2024 Writer-in-Residence Natalie Disney.

Chokecherry by Lyd Havens
In Chokecherry, Lyd Havens gathers their griefs: the sudden death of their uncle when they were a child, losing both of their grandparents in the span of a year, estrangement from a parent, and unrequited love, among others. What follows is a bouquet of visceral, unflinching poems that simultaneously lament and rejoice. Through memory and all its unreliability, the landscapes of their genealogy, and allusions to grief in history and art, Havens explores the toll mental illness and addiction have taken on their family, while still giving thanks for the love that has helped them not only survive, but live. Chokecherry is equal parts mourning and celebration, loss and growth, rage and tenderness.

Delivery by Tomás Baiza
All Daniel Corriente wants is to escape his past and be “normal,” but as he enters his senior year in college, he must face the past traumas that have made him who he is. During his journey, Dani will find himself at the intersections of seemingly conflicting identities — Mexican/Chicano/Anglo, thug/intellectual, straight/queer, loner/friend. Along the way, Dani will begin to weave toward clarity with the help of a therapist, feuding mentors, an elitist boss, a persistent drug addict, a former love, and an old woman obsessed with his character flaws and the pizzas with extra green peppers. If he has any hope of finding himself, Dani must ultimately answer the question posed by one of his customers—a question that haunts him at every turn: &¿Qué tipo de persona quieres ser? What kind of person do you want to be?

For free tickets for the keynote and more Treasure Valley Reads events, please visit www.readmetv.com

This event is sponsored by the Idaho Humanities Council.