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Sunday April 19, 2026 4:00pm - 5:00pm PDT
In an era when the humanities, historical inquiry, and institutions of higher education under direct attack, it’s more important than ever to discuss the limits and joys of higher education and the quest for knowledge. In doing so, it's also important to acknowledge the traditionally Eurocentric and elitist ideals behind campus novels, and how to navigate these issues in fiction. In this event you'll meet authors Zoe B. Wallbrook, Charlene Wang, Penny Zang, and Lacey N. Dunham, whose debut novels run parallel tracks of mystery and suspense, each utilizing a campus setting to explore thematic threads of identity, social hierarchies, and the bonds of female friendship. This virtual discussion on crafting campus novels and their importance in our current political climate will explore what makes campus novels so compelling and how their role is shifting in current literary conversations.

*This event is virtual and will premiere on our YouTube channel at the time scheduled above. Here is the link!

Purchase the authors' books via our official festival bookseller Auntie's Bookstore!

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Authors
avatar for Charlene Wang

Charlene Wang

Charlene Wang was born in Beijing and, after immigrating to the US when she was three, has lived in seven different cities from Los Angeles to Rockville to Biloxi. Graduating with a B.A. in English from Dartmouth College and a J.D. from University of Virginia School of Law, she worked... Read More →
avatar for Penny Zang

Penny Zang

Penny Zang is an English professor and holds an MFA in creative writing from West Virginia University. Her work has appeared in New Ohio Review, Louisville Review, Iron Horse Literary Review, and elsewhere. She is the recipient of the Elizabeth Boatright Coker Fiction Fellowship... Read More →
avatar for Zoe B Wallbrook

Zoe B Wallbrook

Zoe B. Wallbrook is a recently tenured professor whose academic research has appeared in outlets such as the New York Times and The New Yorker. She was selected for mentorship by LA Times bestseller Elizabeth Little, and History Lessons, her first novel, was a runner-up for the E... Read More →
avatar for Lacey Dunham

Lacey Dunham

Lacey N. Dunham is the author of the novels THE BELLES, a 2025 most anticipated book at Debutiful and Crime Reads, and the forthcoming FALL OF THE HOUSE OF GRAYSTONE, both from Simon & Schuster / Atria. Named one of 2025's Writers to Watch by Poets & Writers Magazine, Dunham has received... Read More →
Sunday April 19, 2026 4:00pm - 5:00pm PDT
YouTube Channel: EWU's Get Lit! Programs

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