BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 PRODID:-//CalDiscovery//caldiscovery//EN CALSCALE:GREGORIAN METHOD:PUBLISH DESCRIPTION:Discovered and maintained by CalDiscovery (https://caldiscover y.com). Event details belong to their publishers. Contains information fro m CalDiscovery\, which is made available under the ODbL 1.0. SOURCE:https://caldiscovery.com/cedar-rapids-ia/literary.ics X-PUBLISHED-TTL:PT1H X-WR-CALDESC:Discovered and maintained by CalDiscovery (https://caldiscove ry.com). Event details belong to their publishers. Contains information fr om CalDiscovery\, which is made available under the ODbL 1.0. X-WR-CALNAME:CalDiscovery - cedar-rapids-ia (literary) BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Flash Forward DTSTART:20260905T180000Z DTEND:20260905T193000Z DTSTAMP:20260904T062550Z UID:10047565-1788613200-1788618600@downtowniowacity.com CATEGORIES:literary DESCRIPTION:Flash Forward is PorchLight’s monthly studio session for wri ters interested in short form writing: flash fiction\, micro essays\, pros e poetry\, and more. Join us to learn more about these miniature marvels. Each session includes a discussion of short form works we love\, a genera tive writing prompt\, optional sharing\, and light positive feedback. \nWh ether you’re new to these very short forms or an old hand\, we’d love to have you join us! \nFirst meeting is free. If you decide you want to be come a regular group member purchase a monthly membership for as little as $5 here. Memberships help us keep the Porchlight on! LAST-MODIFIED:20260904T062550Z LOCATION:PorchLight Literary Arts Center\, 1019 E Washington St\, Iowa Cit y\, IA\, United States URL:https://downtowniowacity.com/event/flash-forward/2026-09-05/ X-SOURCE-NAME:Iowa City Downtown District X-SOURCE-URL:https://downtowniowacity.com/events END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:International Lights Salon Series DTSTART:20260906T000000Z DTEND:20260906T013000Z DTSTAMP:20260904T062550Z UID:10047720-1788634800-1788640200@downtowniowacity.com CATEGORIES:community,literary DESCRIPTION:Enjoy conversation\, connection\, and community over light sna cks and wine. A collaboration with the International Writing Program\, the International Lights Salon provides a space for visiting International wr iters\, local artists\, university students\, and community members to eng age in dialogue. \nJoin us online or in person. For a zoom link email Jenn ifer at jennifer@porchlightliterary.org \nSeptember 5th’s topic will rev olve around queer aesthetics in writing and creating queer writing communi ties. Our conversationalists will be: \nNina Dragičević is a poet\, writ er\, sound artist\, and sociologist\, the author of nine volumes of poetry \, essays\, and theory\, as well as numerous sound-poetry compositions and installations. Known for a distinct formal and stylistic hybridity\, ling uistic precision\, and an articulated queer and feminist stance\, her work has been characterised by critics as “striking\,” “pioneering\,” and “majestic\,” as “strong\, powerful poetry that deserves a lot of attention.” \nDragičević is the recipient of the 2025 Lastovka Award\ , the 2023 Werner Düttmann Fellowship (Akademie der Künste\, Berlin)\, t he 2023 Dr Ana Mayer Kansky Award (University of Ljubljana)\, the 2021 Jen ko Award\, the 2020 Župančič Award\, two 2018 Knight of Poetry Awards\, and was a 2018 Palma Ars Acustica finalist. \nAmber Esau is the author of Hungus\, her debut poetry collection published earlier this year\, and co -editor of a queer poetry anthology\, Spoiled Fruit (2023). She has perfor med her poetry extensively\, and her work has been published in various jo urnals and anthologies in Aotearoa-New Zealand. She is working on a mixed media speculative fantasy novel set in the South Pacific. \nJun Li is a Ho ng Kong writer director. His film works include Tracey (2018)\, Drifting ( 2021)\, and Queerpanorama (2025). He won Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Director at the 58th and 62nd Golden Horse Film Awards for the latter two. His theatre works include Song of Grief (2018-2019) and In a Perfect Worl d (2025)\, which is nominated for Best Production and Best Play at the Hon g Kong Drama Awards. \nSangyoung Park is a prominent South Korean novelist and screenwriter\, internationally recognized for his sharp emotional ins ight\, wit\, and nuanced exploration of urban life\, intimacy\, and identi ty. His bestselling novel\, Love in the Big City\, has been translated int o more than twenty languages and was longlisted for the International Book er Prize\, the Dublin Literary Award\, and the Prix Médicis étranger. Be yond the page\, Park has established himself as a versatile creator\, serv ing as the writer and creator for the global television adaptation of his own work. \nElizabeth Rodriguez Fielder is a scholar of twentieth and twen ty-first century transnational American literature and culture. Her teachi ng and research interests include multiethnic literature and culture\, (sp ecifically African American and Latinx Studies)\, performance studies\, wo men of color feminism\, southern studies\, and social movement activism. S he received her PhD from University of Mississippi in English\; an MA in A merican Studies from Columbia University\; and a BA in English/Creative Wr iting from SUNY Binghamton. Her book project “Cultural Activism and the Civil Rights Movement” is a multidisciplinary study of creative activism and performance by minority artists and revolutionaries in the 1960s and 70s. This book engages in the role of creativity in social movements and a rgues that the aesthetics of cultural production shaped civil rights polit ics. Rodriguez Fielder presents a vision of social movement activism where the collaborative production of performances and of experimental media ov erlapped with quotidian activities\, such as farming okra and sewing quilt s. LAST-MODIFIED:20260904T062550Z LOCATION:PorchLight Literary Arts Center\, 1019 E Washington St\, Iowa Cit y\, IA\, United States URL:https://downtowniowacity.com/event/international-lights-salon-series/ X-SOURCE-NAME:Iowa City Downtown District X-SOURCE-URL:https://downtowniowacity.com/events END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Writing Grief DTSTART:20260906T150000Z DTEND:20260906T163000Z DTSTAMP:20260905T061916Z UID:10047544-1788688800-1788694200@downtowniowacity.com CATEGORIES:literary DESCRIPTION:Grief Writing – A monthly exploration of loss and heartbreak \n“I am not suggesting that we live a life preoccupied with sorrow. I a m saying that our refusal to welcome the sorrows that come to us\, our ina bility to move through these experiences with true presence and conscious awareness\, condemns us to a life shadowed by grief. Welcoming everything that comes to us is the challenge. This is the secret to being fully aliv e.” – Francis Weller \n \nJennifer New leads this monthly group that uses writing as a reflective tool to explore loss. Francis Weller’s Fiv e Gates of Grief provides a backbone to consider grief from multiple ang les\, e.g.\, death of loved ones\, loss of health or ability\, grief for t he world. This is an ongoing group\; you’re welcome to attend once or ea ch time. No writing experience is needed. \nTime: First Saturday of each m onth\, 10 am to 11:15 am Central Time.  \nRegister here to receive a Zoo m link: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScCAE8cbaf5Va-3V5TrXUTtTO J9-PIlnE4eqq3xEw5kIR9_1A/viewform Or come in-person. \nPayment: This clas s is offered via dana – the Buddhist concept of giving without expectat ion of receiving anything in return. Making donations to recognize the lea der’s teachings are appreciated. LAST-MODIFIED:20260905T061916Z LOCATION:PorchLight Literary Arts Center\, 1019 E Washington St\, Iowa Cit y\, IA\, United States URL:https://downtowniowacity.com/event/writing-grief/2026-09-06/ X-SOURCE-NAME:Iowa City Downtown District X-SOURCE-URL:https://downtowniowacity.com/events END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Help with Writing DTSTART:20260907T230000Z DTEND:20260908T010000Z DTSTAMP:20260905T061916Z UID:10042774-1788804000-1788811200@downtowniowacity.com CATEGORIES:literary DESCRIPTION:Free help with writing at the Iowa City Library. Drop by with any project: \n\njob applications materials\, including resumes and cover letters\nschool assignments\, scholarship essays\, college application ess ays\, and materials\nemails\, social media posts\, website content\nletter s of all kinds\, including to judges\, immigration officials\, parole offi cers and landlords\nautobiographical writing\, family histories\, and loc al history projects\nspeeches and presentations\ncreative writing: short stories\, books\, plays\, poetry\nbasic Microsoft Word and web navigation skills related to writing\n\nThe Johnson County Community Writing Center is staffed and funded by the University of Iowa Writing Center and Kirk wood Community College. LAST-MODIFIED:20260905T061916Z LOCATION:Iowa City Public Library\, 123 South Linn Street\, Iowa City\, IA \, 52240\, United States URL:https://downtowniowacity.com/event/help-with-writing/2026-09-07/ X-SOURCE-NAME:Iowa City Downtown District X-SOURCE-URL:https://downtowniowacity.com/events END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Regular Meeting of The Noble Pen DTSTART:20260911T000000Z DTEND:20260911T020000Z DTSTAMP:20260822T003821Z UID:event_316221527@meetup.com CATEGORIES:literary DESCRIPTION:Cedar Rapids Creative Writing Meetup Group\nThis is our weekly face to face meeting. Authors have the opportunity to submit their work f or critique\, and reviewers get the opportunity to read material from up a nd comers to published authors.\n\nWe meet at one of our member’s house. And\, for those so inclined\, you can bring your own bottle! LAST-MODIFIED:20260822T003821Z URL:https://www.meetup.com/cedar-rapids-creative-writing-meetup-group/even ts/316221527/ X-SOURCE-NAME:Cedar Rapids Creative Writing Meetup Group END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Today’s Office with the Birdchick DTSTART:20260912T000000Z DTEND:20260912T013000Z DTSTAMP:20260905T000839Z UID:10002021-1789153200-1789158600@indiancreeknaturecenter.org CATEGORIES:literary DESCRIPTION:What is Creekside Forest School like?Watch this video to hear directly from current students\, alumni\, and parents about all the reason s why they LOVE being a part of the nature-based preschool at Indian Creek Nature Center. LAST-MODIFIED:20260905T000839Z URL:https://indiancreeknaturecenter.org/event/todays-office-with-the-birdc hick/ X-SOURCE-NAME:Indian Creek Nature Center X-SOURCE-URL:https://indiancreeknaturecenter.org END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Meeting Live Raptors Program DTSTART:20260913T190000Z DTEND:20260913T200000Z DTSTAMP:20260905T000839Z UID:10002038-1789308000-1789311600@indiancreeknaturecenter.org CATEGORIES:literary DESCRIPTION:What is Creekside Forest School like?Watch this video to hear directly from current students\, alumni\, and parents about all the reason s why they LOVE being a part of the nature-based preschool at Indian Creek Nature Center. LAST-MODIFIED:20260905T000839Z URL:https://indiancreeknaturecenter.org/event/meeting-live-raptors-program -2/ X-SOURCE-NAME:Indian Creek Nature Center X-SOURCE-URL:https://indiancreeknaturecenter.org END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Creekside Forest School Open House DTSTART:20260917T180000Z DTEND:20260917T190000Z DTSTAMP:20260905T000839Z UID:10002045-1789650000-1789653600@indiancreeknaturecenter.org CATEGORIES:community,literary DESCRIPTION:What is Creekside Forest School like?Watch this video to hear directly from current students\, alumni\, and parents about all the reason s why they LOVE being a part of the nature-based preschool at Indian Creek Nature Center. LAST-MODIFIED:20260905T000839Z URL:https://indiancreeknaturecenter.org/event/creekside-forest-school-open -house-5/ X-SOURCE-NAME:Indian Creek Nature Center X-SOURCE-URL:https://indiancreeknaturecenter.org END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Regular Meeting of The Noble Pen DTSTART:20260918T000000Z DTEND:20260918T020000Z DTSTAMP:20260829T005002Z UID:event_316320565@meetup.com CATEGORIES:literary DESCRIPTION:Cedar Rapids Creative Writing Meetup Group\nThis is our weekly face to face meeting. Authors have the opportunity to submit their work f or critique\, and reviewers get the opportunity to read material from up a nd comers to published authors.\n\nWe meet at one of our member’s house. And\, for those so inclined\, you can bring your own bottle! LAST-MODIFIED:20260829T005002Z URL:https://www.meetup.com/cedar-rapids-creative-writing-meetup-group/even ts/316320565/ X-SOURCE-NAME:Cedar Rapids Creative Writing Meetup Group END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Czech 'Em Out Book Club: Power of the Powerless DTSTART:20260921T180000Z DTEND:20260921T200000Z DTSTAMP:20260731T000650Z UID:10017672-1789995600-1790002800@ncsml.org CATEGORIES:community,literary DESCRIPTION:September’s selection — The Power of the Powerless\, by V áclav Havel \nAs America commemorates the 250th anniversary of the signin g of the Declaration of Independence and what would have been Václav Have l’s 90th birthday\, NCSML is proud to announce the unveiling and dedicat ion of “Havel’s Place” on the campus of the National Czech & Slovak Museum & Library on Friday\, September 18 at 5 p.m. to kickoff BrewNost. T he first president of the Czech Republic was a supporter of NCSML and work ed to strengthen the relationships between the Czech Republic and the U.S. \nIt is fitting that the September book club selection is a poignant work from Václav Havel. \nThe Power of the Powerless (Czech: Moc bezmocných) is an expansive political essay written in October 1978 by the Czech dram atist\, political dissident and later politician\, Václav Havel. The essa y dissects the nature of the communist regime of the time\, life within su ch a regime and how by their very nature such regimes can create dissident s of ordinary citizens. The essay goes on to discuss ideas and possible ac tions by loose communities of individuals linked by a common cause\, such as Charter 77. Officially suppressed\, the essay was circulated in samizda t form and translated into multiple languages. It became a manifesto for d issent in Czechoslovakia\, Poland and other communist regimes. \nAbout the Book Club Moderator: \nSteve Pederson is an UW Eau Claire graduate with a history major and a Scandinavian studies minor. He taught U.S. history\, economics\, and advanced placement American history in two Wisconsin high schools. Living in Iowa for the past 19 years\, Steve is currently employe d as a tour guide for the Walter’s Frank Lloyd Wright Usonian home at Ce dar Rock State Park in rural Buchanan County. \nCost: Free \nCzech ‘Em O ut Book Club meets on the third Monday of each month with NCSML volunteer Steve Pederson in the Skala Bartizal Library following the reading of each month’s selected book. You can purchase this month’s book from the Mu seum Store. People are welcome to attend as many or as few book club meeti ngs as they wish. \nJoin the book club for other picks: \nOctober 19 — T he Lights of Prague\, by Nicole Jarvis \nNovember 16 — Measure of a Man: From Auschwitz Survivor to Presidents’ Tailor\, by Martin Greenfield wi th Wynton Hall \nDecember 21 — Prague Stories\, by Richard Bassett \nWou ld you like to join from afar to take part in this book club? Please join us on Zoom at the following link! \nhttps://us06web.zoom.us/j/85795134158? pwd=7F3mh0daxQME2pzxbxpDUIzhL6L96P.1 \nMeeting ID: 857 9513 4158  Passcod e: 2222 \nBy Phone: One tap smart phone: +16469313860\,\,85795134158#\,\,\ ,\,*2222# US LAST-MODIFIED:20260731T000650Z URL:https://ncsml.org/event/czech-em-out-book-club-havel-power-powerless/ X-SOURCE-NAME:National Czech & Slovak Museum & Library X-SOURCE-URL:https://ncsml.org/events END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Nature Center Book Club DTSTART:20260922T203000Z DTEND:20260922T213000Z DTSTAMP:20260905T000839Z UID:10002024-1790091000-1790094600@indiancreeknaturecenter.org CATEGORIES:literary DESCRIPTION:What is Creekside Forest School like?Watch this video to hear directly from current students\, alumni\, and parents about all the reason s why they LOVE being a part of the nature-based preschool at Indian Creek Nature Center. LAST-MODIFIED:20260905T000839Z URL:https://indiancreeknaturecenter.org/event/nature-center-book-club-9/ X-SOURCE-NAME:Indian Creek Nature Center X-SOURCE-URL:https://indiancreeknaturecenter.org END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Through Nature's Lens: Reflections on Iowa's Challenges and Opport unities DTSTART:20260925T000000Z DTEND:20260925T010000Z DTSTAMP:20260905T000839Z UID:10002040-1790276400-1790280000@indiancreeknaturecenter.org CATEGORIES:literary DESCRIPTION:What is Creekside Forest School like?Watch this video to hear directly from current students\, alumni\, and parents about all the reason s why they LOVE being a part of the nature-based preschool at Indian Creek Nature Center. LAST-MODIFIED:20260905T000839Z URL:https://indiancreeknaturecenter.org/event/through-natures-lens-reflect ions-on-iowas-challenges-and-opportunities/ X-SOURCE-NAME:Indian Creek Nature Center X-SOURCE-URL:https://indiancreeknaturecenter.org END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Regular Meeting of The Noble Pen DTSTART:20260925T000000Z DTEND:20260925T020000Z DTSTAMP:20260905T010029Z UID:event_316425352@meetup.com CATEGORIES:literary DESCRIPTION:Cedar Rapids Creative Writing Meetup Group\nThis is our weekly face to face meeting. Authors have the opportunity to submit their work f or critique\, and reviewers get the opportunity to read material from up a nd comers to published authors.\n\nWe meet at one of our member’s house. And\, for those so inclined\, you can bring your own bottle! LAST-MODIFIED:20260905T010029Z URL:https://www.meetup.com/cedar-rapids-creative-writing-meetup-group/even ts/316425352/ X-SOURCE-NAME:Cedar Rapids Creative Writing Meetup Group END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Messy Play DTSTART:20260926T140000Z DTEND:20260926T160000Z DTSTAMP:20260905T000839Z UID:10001993-1790413200-1790420400@indiancreeknaturecenter.org CATEGORIES:literary DESCRIPTION:What is Creekside Forest School like?Watch this video to hear directly from current students\, alumni\, and parents about all the reason s why they LOVE being a part of the nature-based preschool at Indian Creek Nature Center. LAST-MODIFIED:20260905T000839Z URL:https://indiancreeknaturecenter.org/event/messy-play-15/ X-SOURCE-NAME:Indian Creek Nature Center X-SOURCE-URL:https://indiancreeknaturecenter.org END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Girl Scout Brownies: Bugs DTSTART:20260926T173000Z DTEND:20260926T190000Z DTSTAMP:20260905T000839Z UID:10002090-1790425800-1790431200@indiancreeknaturecenter.org CATEGORIES:literary DESCRIPTION:What is Creekside Forest School like?Watch this video to hear directly from current students\, alumni\, and parents about all the reason s why they LOVE being a part of the nature-based preschool at Indian Creek Nature Center. LAST-MODIFIED:20260905T000839Z URL:https://indiancreeknaturecenter.org/event/girl-scout-brownies-bugs-3/ X-SOURCE-NAME:Indian Creek Nature Center X-SOURCE-URL:https://indiancreeknaturecenter.org END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Bird Banding at the Barn DTSTART:20260927T133000Z DTEND:20260927T163000Z DTSTAMP:20260905T000839Z UID:10002142-1790497800-1790508600@indiancreeknaturecenter.org CATEGORIES:literary DESCRIPTION:What is Creekside Forest School like?Watch this video to hear directly from current students\, alumni\, and parents about all the reason s why they LOVE being a part of the nature-based preschool at Indian Creek Nature Center. LAST-MODIFIED:20260905T000839Z URL:https://indiancreeknaturecenter.org/event/bird-banding-at-the-barn-34/ X-SOURCE-NAME:Indian Creek Nature Center X-SOURCE-URL:https://indiancreeknaturecenter.org END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Regular Meeting of The Noble Pen DTSTART:20261002T000000Z DTEND:20261002T020000Z DTSTAMP:20260815T073218Z UID:event_gkvbxsyjcnbcb@meetup.com CATEGORIES:literary DESCRIPTION:Cedar Rapids Creative Writing Meetup Group\nThis is our weekly face to face meeting. Authors have the opportunity to submit their work f or critique\, and reviewers get the opportunity to read material from up a nd comers to published authors.\n\nWe meet at one of our member’s house. And\, for those so inclined\, you can bring your own bottle! LAST-MODIFIED:20260815T073218Z URL:https://www.meetup.com/cedar-rapids-creative-writing-meetup-group/even ts/gkvbxsyjcnbcb/ X-SOURCE-NAME:Cedar Rapids Creative Writing Meetup Group END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Regular Meeting of The Noble Pen DTSTART:20261009T000000Z DTEND:20261009T020000Z DTSTAMP:20260815T073218Z UID:event_gkvbxsyjcnblb@meetup.com CATEGORIES:literary DESCRIPTION:Cedar Rapids Creative Writing Meetup Group\nThis is our weekly face to face meeting. Authors have the opportunity to submit their work f or critique\, and reviewers get the opportunity to read material from up a nd comers to published authors.\n\nWe meet at one of our member’s house. And\, for those so inclined\, you can bring your own bottle! LAST-MODIFIED:20260815T073218Z URL:https://www.meetup.com/cedar-rapids-creative-writing-meetup-group/even ts/gkvbxsyjcnblb/ X-SOURCE-NAME:Cedar Rapids Creative Writing Meetup Group END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Regular Meeting of The Noble Pen DTSTART:20261016T000000Z DTEND:20261016T020000Z DTSTAMP:20260815T073218Z UID:event_gkvbxsyjcnbtb@meetup.com CATEGORIES:literary DESCRIPTION:Cedar Rapids Creative Writing Meetup Group\nThis is our weekly face to face meeting. Authors have the opportunity to submit their work f or critique\, and reviewers get the opportunity to read material from up a nd comers to published authors.\n\nWe meet at one of our member’s house. And\, for those so inclined\, you can bring your own bottle! LAST-MODIFIED:20260815T073218Z URL:https://www.meetup.com/cedar-rapids-creative-writing-meetup-group/even ts/gkvbxsyjcnbtb/ X-SOURCE-NAME:Cedar Rapids Creative Writing Meetup Group END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Haunted Prague with Author Michele Patrick DTSTART:20261016T230000Z DTEND:20261017T003000Z DTSTAMP:20260803T000840Z UID:10017697-1792173600-1792179000@ncsml.org CATEGORIES:literary DESCRIPTION:Prague is the most hauntingly beautiful — and just plain hau nted — of places\, where a ghost or ghoul seems to lurk in almost every doorway. Join Michele Patrick\, author of Haunted Prague: Stories of Spiri ts\, Sorcerers\, and the Supernatural\, for a photo-filled virtual journe y through Golden Prague\, exploring the city’s incredible beauty while d iscovering its magic and mystery through supernatural tales such as the He adless Horseman\, the Golem\, and the Ghostly Organist. In this brand-new presentation\, she will also discuss the importance of legends to both the Czech and Slovak peoples and provide an in-depth preview of her upcoming book\, Hidden Prague\, which reveals the strange\, true stories hidden b ehind many of the city’s facades. She will finish by offering a Hallowee n appropriate reading from Haunted Prague. Her presentation aims to captu re the spirit of Prague\, provide fascinating stories from Czech history\, and delight anyone who enjoys a spooky tale! \nA book signing of Haunted Prague will follow event. \nMichele is an award-winning writer of Slovak d escent who has served as speechwriter for the President’s Cabinet and th e United States Senate\, among others. She was also communications directo r for the 2015 White House Conference on Aging.  Michele was a Fulbright Scholar in Central/Eastern European economics at the University of London\ , focusing on the former Czechoslovakia\, and a National Champion in Colle giate Public Speaking. \nCost: Free LAST-MODIFIED:20260803T000840Z URL:https://ncsml.org/event/haunted-prague-author-michele-patrick/2026-10- 16/ X-SOURCE-NAME:National Czech & Slovak Museum & Library X-SOURCE-URL:https://ncsml.org/events END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Haunted Prague with Author Michele Patrick DTSTART:20261017T180000Z DTEND:20261017T193000Z DTSTAMP:20260808T001417Z UID:10017698-1792242000-1792247400@ncsml.org CATEGORIES:literary DESCRIPTION:Prague is the most hauntingly beautiful — and just plain hau nted — of places\, where a ghost or ghoul seems to lurk in almost every doorway. Join Michele Patrick\, author of Haunted Prague: Stories of Spiri ts\, Sorcerers\, and the Supernatural\, for a photo-filled virtual journe y through Golden Prague\, exploring the city’s incredible beauty while d iscovering its magic and mystery through supernatural tales such as the He adless Horseman\, the Golem\, and the Ghostly Organist. In this brand-new presentation\, she will also discuss the importance of legends to both the Czech and Slovak peoples and provide an in-depth preview of her upcoming book\, Hidden Prague\, which reveals the strange\, true stories hidden b ehind many of the city’s facades. She will finish by offering a Hallowee n appropriate reading from Haunted Prague. Her presentation aims to captu re the spirit of Prague\, provide fascinating stories from Czech history\, and delight anyone who enjoys a spooky tale! \nA book signing of Haunted Prague will follow event. \nMichele is an award-winning writer of Slovak d escent who has served as speechwriter for the President’s Cabinet and th e United States Senate\, among others. She was also communications directo r for the 2015 White House Conference on Aging.  Michele was a Fulbright Scholar in Central/Eastern European economics at the University of London\ , focusing on the former Czechoslovakia\, and a National Champion in Colle giate Public Speaking. \nCost: Free LAST-MODIFIED:20260808T001417Z URL:https://ncsml.org/event/haunted-prague-author-michele-patrick/2026-10- 17/ X-SOURCE-NAME:National Czech & Slovak Museum & Library X-SOURCE-URL:https://ncsml.org/events END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Czech 'Em Out Book Club: The Lights of Prague DTSTART:20261019T180000Z DTEND:20261019T200000Z DTSTAMP:20260808T001417Z UID:10017673-1792414800-1792422000@ncsml.org CATEGORIES:literary DESCRIPTION:October’s selection — The Lights of Prague\, by Nicole Ja rvis \nIn the quiet streets of Prague all manner of mysterious creatures l urk in the shadows. Unbeknownst to its citizens\, their only hope against the tide of predators are the dauntless lamplighters – secret elite of m onster hunters whose light staves off the darkness each night. Domek Myska leads a life teeming with fraught encounters with the worst kind of evil: pijavice\, bloodthirsty and soulless vampiric creatures. Despite this\, D omek finds solace in his moments spent in the company of his friend\, the clever and beautiful Lady Ora Fischerová – a widow with secrets of her own. \nWhen Domek finds himself stalked by the spirit of the White Lady – a ghost who haunts the baroque halls of Prague castle – he stumbles across the sentient essence of a will-o’-the-wisp captured in a mysterio us container. Now\, as its bearer\, Domek wields its power\, but the wisp\ , known for leading travellers to their deaths\, will not be so easily con trolled. \nAfter discovering a conspiracy amongst the pijavice that could see them unleash terror on the daylight world\, Domek finds himself in a r ace against those who aim to twist alchemical science for their own danger ous gain. \nAbout the Book Club Moderator: \nSteve Pederson is an UW Eau C laire graduate with a history major and a Scandinavian studies minor. He t aught U.S. history\, economics\, and advanced placement American history i n two Wisconsin high schools. Living in Iowa for the past 19 years\, Steve is currently employed as a tour guide for the Walter’s Frank Lloyd Wrig ht Usonian home at Cedar Rock State Park in rural Buchanan County. \nCost: Free \nCzech ‘Em Out Book Club meets on the third Monday of each month with NCSML volunteer Steve Pederson in the Skala Bartizal Library followin g the reading of each month’s selected book. You can purchase this month ’s book from the Museum Store. People are welcome to attend as many or a s few book club meetings as they wish. \nJoin the book club for other pick s: \nNovember 16 — Measure of a Man: From Auschwitz Survivor to Presiden ts’ Tailor\, by Martin Greenfield with Wynton Hall \nDecember 21 — Pra gue Stories\, by Richard Bassett \nWould you like to join from afar to tak e part in this book club? Please join us on Zoom at the following link! \n https://us06web.zoom.us/j/85795134158?pwd=7F3mh0daxQME2pzxbxpDUIzhL6L96P.1 \nMeeting ID: 857 9513 4158  Passcode: 2222 \nBy Phone: One tap smart ph one: +16469313860\,\,85795134158#\,\,\,\,*2222# US LAST-MODIFIED:20260808T001417Z URL:https://ncsml.org/event/czech-em-out-book-club-lights-prague/ X-SOURCE-NAME:National Czech & Slovak Museum & Library X-SOURCE-URL:https://ncsml.org/events END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Regular Meeting of The Noble Pen DTSTART:20261023T000000Z DTEND:20261023T020000Z DTSTAMP:20260815T073218Z UID:event_gkvbxsyjcnbdc@meetup.com CATEGORIES:literary DESCRIPTION:Cedar Rapids Creative Writing Meetup Group\nThis is our weekly face to face meeting. Authors have the opportunity to submit their work f or critique\, and reviewers get the opportunity to read material from up a nd comers to published authors.\n\nWe meet at one of our member’s house. And\, for those so inclined\, you can bring your own bottle! LAST-MODIFIED:20260815T073218Z URL:https://www.meetup.com/cedar-rapids-creative-writing-meetup-group/even ts/gkvbxsyjcnbdc/ X-SOURCE-NAME:Cedar Rapids Creative Writing Meetup Group END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Regular Meeting of The Noble Pen DTSTART:20261030T000000Z DTEND:20261030T020000Z DTSTAMP:20260821T063851Z UID:event_gkvbxsyjcnbmc@meetup.com CATEGORIES:literary DESCRIPTION:Cedar Rapids Creative Writing Meetup Group\nThis is our weekly face to face meeting. Authors have the opportunity to submit their work f or critique\, and reviewers get the opportunity to read material from up a nd comers to published authors.\n\nWe meet at one of our member’s house. And\, for those so inclined\, you can bring your own bottle! LAST-MODIFIED:20260821T063851Z URL:https://www.meetup.com/cedar-rapids-creative-writing-meetup-group/even ts/gkvbxsyjcnbmc/ X-SOURCE-NAME:Cedar Rapids Creative Writing Meetup Group END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Regular Meeting of The Noble Pen DTSTART:20261106T010000Z DTEND:20261106T030000Z DTSTAMP:20260828T065021Z UID:event_gkvbxsyjcpbhb@meetup.com CATEGORIES:literary DESCRIPTION:Cedar Rapids Creative Writing Meetup Group\nThis is our weekly face to face meeting. Authors have the opportunity to submit their work f or critique\, and reviewers get the opportunity to read material from up a nd comers to published authors.\n\nWe meet at one of our member’s house. And\, for those so inclined\, you can bring your own bottle! LAST-MODIFIED:20260828T065021Z URL:https://www.meetup.com/cedar-rapids-creative-writing-meetup-group/even ts/gkvbxsyjcpbhb/ X-SOURCE-NAME:Cedar Rapids Creative Writing Meetup Group END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Regular Meeting of The Noble Pen DTSTART:20261113T010000Z DTEND:20261113T030000Z DTSTAMP:20260904T070118Z UID:event_gkvbxsyjcpbqb@meetup.com CATEGORIES:literary DESCRIPTION:Cedar Rapids Creative Writing Meetup Group\nThis is our weekly face to face meeting. Authors have the opportunity to submit their work f or critique\, and reviewers get the opportunity to read material from up a nd comers to published authors.\n\nWe meet at one of our member’s house. And\, for those so inclined\, you can bring your own bottle! LAST-MODIFIED:20260904T070118Z URL:https://www.meetup.com/cedar-rapids-creative-writing-meetup-group/even ts/gkvbxsyjcpbqb/ X-SOURCE-NAME:Cedar Rapids Creative Writing Meetup Group END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Czech 'Em Out Book Club: Measure of a Man: From Auschwitz Survivor to Presidents' Tailor DTSTART:20261116T190000Z DTEND:20261116T210000Z DTSTAMP:20260809T121445Z UID:10017674-1794834000-1794841200@ncsml.org CATEGORIES:literary DESCRIPTION:November’s selection — Measure of a Man: From Auschwitz Su rvivor to Presidents’ Tailor\, by Martin Greenfield with Wynton Hall \nH e’s been called “America’s greatest living tailor” and “the most interesting man in the world.” Now\, for the first time\, Holocaust sur vivor Martin Greenfield tells his incredible life story. Taken from his Cz echoslovak home at age fifteen and transported to the Nazi concentration c amp at Auschwitz with his family\, Greenfield came face to face with “An gel of Death” Dr. Joseph Mengele and was divided forever from his parent s\, sisters\, and baby brother. \nIn haunting\, powerful prose\, Greenfiel d remembers his desperation and fear as a teenager alone in the death camp and how an SS soldier’s shirt dramatically altered the course of his li fe. He learned how to sew\; and when he began wearing the shirt under his prisoner uniform\, he learned that clothes possess great power and could e ven help save his life. \nMeasure of a Man is the story of a man who suffe red unimaginable horror and emerged with a dream of success. From sweeping floors at a New York clothing factory to founding America’s premier cus tom suit company\, Greenfield built a fashion empire. Now 86 years old and working with his sons\, Greenfield has dressed the famous and powerful of D.C. and Hollywood\, including Presidents Dwight Eisenhower\, Bill Clinto n\, and Barack Obama\, celebrities Paul Newman\, Leonardo DiCaprio\, and J immy Fallon\, and the stars of Martin Scorsese’s films. \nWritten with s oul-baring honesty and\, at times\, a wry sense of humor\, Measure of a Ma n is a memoir unlike any other that will inspire hope and renew faith in t he resilience of man. \nAbout the Book Club Moderator: \nSteve Pederson is an UW Eau Claire graduate with a history major and a Scandinavian studies minor. He taught U.S. history\, economics\, and advanced placement Americ an history in two Wisconsin high schools. Living in Iowa for the past 19 y ears\, Steve is currently employed as a tour guide for the Walter’s Fran k Lloyd Wright Usonian home at Cedar Rock State Park in rural Buchanan Cou nty. \nCost: Free \nCzech ‘Em Out Book Club meets on the third Monday of each month with NCSML volunteer Steve Pederson in the Skala Bartizal Libr ary following the reading of each month’s selected book. You can purchas e this month’s book from the Museum Store. People are welcome to attend as many or as few book club meetings as they wish. \nJoin the book club fo r the final 2026 pick: \nDecember 21 — Prague Stories\, by Richard Basse tt \nWould you like to join from afar to take part in this book club? Plea se join us on Zoom at the following link! \nhttps://us06web.zoom.us/j/8579 5134158?pwd=7F3mh0daxQME2pzxbxpDUIzhL6L96P.1 \nMeeting ID: 857 9513 4158  Passcode: 2222 \nBy Phone: One tap smart phone: +16469313860\,\,857951341 58#\,\,\,\,*2222# US LAST-MODIFIED:20260809T121445Z URL:https://ncsml.org/event/czech-em-out-book-club-measure-man/ X-SOURCE-NAME:National Czech & Slovak Museum & Library X-SOURCE-URL:https://ncsml.org/events END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Czech 'Em Out Book Club: Prague Stories DTSTART:20261221T190000Z DTEND:20261221T210000Z DTSTAMP:20260816T000149Z UID:10017675-1797858000-1797865200@ncsml.org CATEGORIES:literary DESCRIPTION:December’s selection — Prague Stories\, by Richard Bassett \nThe Golden City of Prague has long been an intellectual center of the w estern world. The writers collected here range from the early nineteenth c entury to the present and include both Prague natives and visitors from el sewhere. Here are stories\, legends\, and scenes from the city’s past an d present\, from the Jewish fable of the golem\, a creature conjured from clay\, to tales of German and Soviet invasions. The international array of writers ranges from Franz Kafka to Ivan Klíma to Bruce Chatwin\, and inc ludes the award-winning British playwright Tom Stoppard and former America n Secretary of State Madeleine Albright\, both of whom have Czech roots. C overing the city’s venerable Jewish heritage\, the glamour of the belle- époque period\, World War II\, Communist rule\, the Prague Spring\, the V elvet Revolution\, and beyond\, Prague Stories weaves a remarkable selecti on of fiction and nonfiction into a literary portrait of a fascinating cit y. Richard Bassett\, former Central European correspondent for The Times\, knows his subject inside out. Here is Prague in all its brilliance\, a ci ty rich in folklore both Slavic and Jewish\, whose history is the stuff of legend — Jan Hus\, Charles IV and his eponymous bridge\, serial defenes trations\; Prague in the dark years of World War II\, in the gray years of Communism\, in the excitement of the Velvet Revolution. And here is today ’s Prague\, a vibrant cosmopolitan capital where a new generation of Cze ch writers – Sylva Fischerova\, Daniela Hodrova and others – explores its identity in new and exciting ways. A unique collection of fiction and non-fiction to delight and stimulate travelers and stay-at-homes alike. \n About the Book Club Moderator: \nSteve Pederson is an UW Eau Claire gradua te with a history major and a Scandinavian studies minor. He taught U.S. h istory\, economics\, and advanced placement American history in two Wiscon sin high schools. Living in Iowa for the past 19 years\, Steve is currentl y employed as a tour guide for the Walter’s Frank Lloyd Wright Usonian h ome at Cedar Rock State Park in rural Buchanan County. \nCost: Free \nCzec h ‘Em Out Book Club meets on the third Monday of each month with NCSML v olunteer Steve Pederson in the Skala Bartizal Library following the readin g of each month’s selected book. You can purchase this month’s book fr om the Museum Store. People are welcome to attend as many or as few book c lub meetings as they wish. \nWould you like to join from afar to take part in this book club? Please join us on Zoom at the following link! \nhttps: //us06web.zoom.us/j/85795134158?pwd=7F3mh0daxQME2pzxbxpDUIzhL6L96P.1 \nMee ting ID: 857 9513 4158  Passcode: 2222 \nBy Phone: One tap smart phone: + 16469313860\,\,85795134158#\,\,\,\,*2222# US LAST-MODIFIED:20260816T000149Z URL:https://ncsml.org/event/czech-em-out-book-club-prague-stories/ X-SOURCE-NAME:National Czech & Slovak Museum & Library X-SOURCE-URL:https://ncsml.org/events END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR