Author Bios
Lily Brooks-Dalton
Lily Brooks-Dalton is the author of The Light Pirate, which was the runner-up for the Dayton Literary Peace Prize, a #1 Indie Next title, and a New York Times Editors' Pick. Her previous novel, Good Morning, Midnight, was the inspiration for the film adaptation The Midnight Sky and her memoir, Motorcycles I’ve Loved, was a finalist for the Oregon Book Award. Her work has been translated into 19 languages and she is the recipient of the PEN America L'Engle/Rahman Prize for mentorship.​
Amy Jo Burns
Amy Jo Burns is the author of the memoir Cinderland and the novel Shiner, which was a Barnes & Noble Discover pick and an NPR Best Book of the Year. Her novel Mercury was a Barnes & Noble Book Club pick, a Book of the Month selection, a People Magazine Book of the Week, and an Editor's Choice at The New York Times. A western Pennsylvania native, she lives in New Jersey with her family.
Jonathan Capehart
Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Jonathan Capehart is a co-host of the morning edition of The Weekend on MSNBC. From 2020 until 2025, he was anchor of The Saturday Show and The Sunday Show on MSNBC. Capehart is Associate Editor at the Washington Post, where he is also an opinion writer. He is also an analyst on The PBS News Hour. Capehart was deputy editorial page editor of the New York Daily News (2002-2004) and served on its editorial board (1993-2000). His editorial campaign in 1999 to save the Apollo Theater earned the board the Pulitzer Prize for Editorial Writing. His memoir “Yet Here I Am” will be published in May 2025.
Grant Ginder
Grant Ginder is the author of five novels, including Let’s Not Do That Again and The People We Hate at the Wedding, now a major motion picture starring Allison Janney, Kristen Bell, and Ben Platt. Originally from Southern California, Ginder received his MFA from New York University, where he teaches writing.
Myriam Gurba
Myriam Gurba is the author of four books, including Dahlia Season (2007) which won the Edmund White Award for Debut Fiction, Painting their Portraits in Winter (2015; Mean (2017), a true crime memoir that was a finalist for the Lambda Literary Award in LGBTQ Nonfiction, the Publishing Triangle's Judy Grahn Award for Lesbian Nonfiction, and the PEN America Award for Creative Nonfiction; and Creep: Accusations and Confessions, her first essay collection, which includes her viral essay, "Pendeja, You Ain't Steinbeck: My Bronca with Fake Ass Social Justice Literature," and was a finalist for a National Book Critics Circle Award in criticism. Gurba's writing has been widely anthologized and has also appeared in publications such as the New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Harper's Bazaar, Believer, Paris Review, and TIME. She is also a teacher, editor, anti-rape activist, public speaker, practitioner of plant-based magic, and a co-founder of Dignidad Literaria, a grassroots organization that combats white supremacy in the publishing industry.
Bruce Holsinger
Bruce Holsinger is the author of Culpability, the 116th selection of Oprah's Book Club and hailed by Oprah Winfrey as "a must-read for all generations." His four previous novels include The Gifted School, which won the Colorado Book Award, and The Displacements, the inaugural title in the United Nations Read for Action Book Club. He has also written many works of nonfiction, most recently On Parchment: Animals, Archives, and the Making of Culture from Herodotus to the Digital Age. His essays and reviews have appeared in The New York Times, Vanity Fair, and many other publications, and he has been profiled on NPR's Weekend Edition, Here & Now, and Marketplace. He teaches English at the University of Virginia and is the recipient of a Guggenheim Fellowship.
Rachel Howzell Hall
Rachel Howzell Hall is the New York Times bestselling author of The Last One; What Fire Brings; What Never Happened; We Lie Here; These Toxic Things; And Now She's Gone; They All Fall Down; and, with James Patterson, The Good Sister, which was included in Patterson's collection The Family Lawyer. A two-time Los Angeles Times Book Prize finalist as well as an Anthony, Edgar, International Thriller Writers, and Lefty Award nominee, Rachel is also the author of Land of Shadows, Skies of Ash, Trail of Echoes, and City of Saviors in the Detective Elouise Norton series. A past member of the board of directors for Mystery Writers of America, Rachel has been a featured writer on NPR's acclaimed Crime in the City series and the National Endowment for the Arts weekly podcast; she has also served as a mentor in Pitch Wars and the Association of Writers & Writing Programs. Rachel lives in Los Angeles with her husband and daughter. For more information, visit www.rachelhowzell.com.
Justinian Huang
Justinian Huang’s debut novel, The Emperor and the Endless Palace, was an Indie Next Pick and a 2025 Stonewall Honor Book. It was hailed by Booklist as "a sweeping triumph," and as "page-turning and deeply thoughtful," in a starred review by Publishers Weekly. He lives in Los Angeles, where he also works as a film executive, most recently on KPop Demon Hunters. Justinian's second novel, Lucky Seed, is a USA Today bestseller.
Ari Kolender
Ari Kolender is a 20-year veteran of some of the finest seafood establishments in the country, a James Beard Foundation Award Semifinalist, and a 2021 Rising Star Chef. In 2019, he opened his first restaurant, Found Oyster, in Los Angeles, and now also runs Queen's Raw Bar & Grill as well as The Bell in New Orleans. Find him online @arikolender.
Ryan La Sala
Ryan La Sala is a bestselling and award-winning author known for his genre-defying, queer-centered horror and fantasy, including The Dead of Summer, The Honeys, and Beholder. His work has been featured in The New York Times, NPR, Entertainment Weekly, and more. He writes to you from New York, overseen by his cat, Haunted Little Girl. He can hold his breath for one minute and three seconds. You can ping him on his shell phone at ryanlasala.com.
Lisa Lee
Lisa Lee is the recipient of the Marianne Russo Emerging Writer Award from the Key West Literary Seminar, an Emerging Writer Fellowship from the Center for Fiction, and a Pushcart Prize. She has received other fellowships and awards from Kundiman, Millay Arts, Hedgebrook, the Rona Jaffe Foundation, Tin House, Jentel Artist Residency, and the Korea Foundation. Her work has appeared in Ploughshares, VIDA, North American Review, Sycamore Review, Gulf Coast, and elsewhere. Lee holds an MFA from the University of Houston and a PhD in Creative Writing and Literature from the University of Southern California. She lives in Los Angeles.
Naeem Murr
Naeem Murr is the author of three novels, including The Boy (a New York Times Notable Book) and The Perfect Man (longlisted for the Man Booker Prize). A former Stegner Fellow at Stanford, he's been awarded a regional Commonwealth Writers Prize, a PEN Beyond Margins Award, and a Guggenheim Fellowship. He lives in Chicago.​
Erik Piepenburg
Erik Piepenburg has been writing for The New York Times since 2004, covering LGBTQ+ issues, film, theater, television, food and travel. His writing has also appeared in The Los Angeles Times, Time Out New York, the Chicago Reader, Out magazine, and other publications. Originally and proudly from Cleveland, he lives with his partner in New York City.
Shobha Rao
Shobha Rao moved to the United States from India at the age of seven. She is the author of the short story collection, An Unrestored Woman, and the novel, Girls Burn Brighter. Rao is the winner of the Katherine Anne Porter Prize in Fiction and was a Grace Paley Teaching Fellow at The New School. Her story “Kavitha and Mustafa” was chosen by T.C. Boyle for inclusion in Best American Short Stories. Girls Burn Brighter was long listed for the Center for Fiction First Novel Prize and was a finalist for the California Book Award and the Goodreads Choice Awards. She lives in San Francisco.
Victoria Redel
Victoria Redel has written four books of poetry and six books of fiction. Her short stories, poetry, and essays have appeared in Granta, The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, and BOMB, and she’s received fellowships from the Guggenheim Foundation, the National Endowment for the Arts, and the Fine Arts Work Center. Victoria is a professor at Sarah Lawrence College and splits her time between New York City and Utah.
Kat Rosenfield
Kat Rosenfield is the author of six books, including No One Will Miss Her (Edgar Award nominee for Best Novel), and the New York Times-bestselling A Trick of Light, co-authored with the late, great Stan Lee. A former reporter for MTV News and current columnist for The Free Press, her essays and cultural criticism have appeared in The Boston Globe, Vulture, Wired, AirMail, and The New York Times. She lives in Connecticut.
R. K. Russell
R. K. Russell was a professional football player in the NFL, and is a social justice advocate, essayist, and artist. In August 2019, Russell made history by becoming the first out active NFL player to identify as bisexual. Since coming out, he has written about his experience as a Black queer man in sports for The New York Times, The L.A. Times, and Out Magazine, among others. Russell has also spearheaded NFL Pride initiatives such as the NFL Super Bowl LVI Pride panel and the NFL's National Coming Out Day PSA. He has been honored by GAY TIMES (U.K.) as Sportsperson of the Year, and he was selected to the prestigious OUT 100 List in 2019. He lives in Los Angeles.
Kate Schatz
Kate Schatz is a feminist author from California. She's the New York Times bestselling author of Do the Work: An Anti-Racist Activity Book, with W. Kamau Bell, and the "Rad Women" book series (including Rad American Women A-Z, Rad Women Worldwide, and Rad American History A-Z). Her book of fiction, Rid of Me: A Story, was published as part of the cult-favorite 33 1/3 series.
Emily St. James
Emily St. James is a writer and cultural critic. This is her first novel. Her journalism and criticism have appeared in The New York Times, Vox, and The A.V. Club, and her writing for television has been featured on the Emmy-nominated series Yellowjackets. She lives in Los Angeles with her family.
Susan Straight
Susan Straight has published nine novels, including Mecca, A Million Nightingales, and Highwire Moon, and one memoir, In the Country of Women. She’s been a finalist for the Kirkus Prize, the Dayton Literary Peace Prize, the National Book Award, among other honors, and received the Lannan Prize, the O. Henry Award, the Edgar Award, a Guggenheim Fellowship, and the Robert Kirsch Award for lifetime achievement from the Los Angeles Times Book Prizes. Her fiction has been translated into ten languages. She was born in Riverside, California, where she lives with her family.
Thrity Umrigar
Thrity Umrigar is the bestselling author of nine previous novels, including Honor, which was a Reese's Book Club Pick, as well as four picture books and a memoir. Her books have been published in over twenty countries and in several languages. A former journalist, she has contributed to the Washington Post, the Boston Globe, the New York Times, the Cleveland Plain Dealer and other newspapers. She is a recipient of the Nieman Fellowship to Harvard, and winner of the Cleveland Arts Prize, the Seth Rosenberg prize and a Lambda Literary award. She is currently a Distinguished University Professor of English at Case Western Reserve University.
Nick Wolny
Nick Wolny is the personal finance columnist for Out magazine and a frequent television correspondent. He has previously written about LGBTQ+ topics for Fast Company, Business Insider, Fortune, Entrepreneur magazine, and The Advocate, and currently publishes Financialicious, a weekly newsletter on queer money matters. A classically trained French hornist by upbringing and rural Illinois boy at heart, he now lives in Los Angeles.
Sunday Event Descriptions
Mainstage | Sunday | 10:00 AM - 10:50 AM
Author Feud
Get ready to play along as festival authors face off in a Family Feud–style showdown: Fiction vs. Nonfiction. Playing for the Fiction team: Amy Jo Burns, Rachel Howzell Hall, Justinian Huang, and Chris Whitaker. And the Nonfiction team: Jonathan Capehart, Myriam Gurba, Lara Love, and R.K. Russell. This fast-paced, laugh-filled game puts you in the hot seat as the survey answerers. Expect surprises, friendly rivalry, and plenty of literary bragging rights on the line.
Mainstage | Sunday |11:00 AM - 12:30 PM
The Librarians Documentary Screening
As an unprecedented wave of book banning is sparked in Texas, Florida, and beyond, librarians under siege join forces as unlikely defenders fighting for intellectual freedom on the front lines of democracy. Presented by The Palm Springs Library Foundation. 92 mins. Followed by a Q&A.
Mainstage | Sunday | 1:45 PM - 2:20 PM
Dinning Out: Bringing Queer Stories to the Table
Moderated by New York Times writer Erik Piepenburg, and inspired by his book Dining Out, this lively conversation explores how gay restaurants, coffee shops, diners, and unconventional eateries helped shape queer placemaking and fuel the modern LGBTQ civil rights movement. Featuring chef and restaurateur Susan Feniger (Alice B.) and additional local chefs to be announced.
Mainstage | Sunday | 3:20 PM - 3:50 PM
Behind the Mic: Q&A with Audiobook Narrator Ron Butler
Get up close with award-winning audiobook narrator Ron Butler for a special, interactive event celebrating the art of narration. Hear excerpts from his acclaimed work, learn what goes into bringing stories to life, and ask your own questions about performance, voice, and craft. With more than 400 audiobooks—and dozens of major honors—Butler offers a rare, behind-the-mic experience for listeners and storytellers alike
Mainstage | Sunday | 4:00 PM - 5:30 PM
Strong Words Live!
Strong Words is the Art of Storytelling. It begins with a tasty fresh story layered with creamy language and topped with unforgettable performances. In just 90 minutes, you'll hear stories that make you laugh, make you cry, make you think and make you feel. And if you're not careful, we just might feed your soul. This show has been running for 16 years in Palm Springs and now the Coachella Valley, most recently at the Autry Museum, the Ebell of Los Angeles and the Rancho Mirage Library.
Theater A | Sunday | 9:30 AM - 10:50 AM
Writing Workshop with Corey Roskin
A dynamic mini-writing group open to anyone who wishes to explore their creativity through the written word. In a nurturing and supportive environment, writing prompts and fun exercises will be used to facilitate everyone's unique process. Bring yourself, your enthusiasm and desire to write and feel free to participate in one or both sessions.
Theater A | Sunday | 11:50 AM - 12:35 PM
The Debut Author Experience
Every debut is a beginning — but no two look the same. Emily St. James published her first novel, Woodworking, in March 2025. Lisa Lee's highly anticipated American Han arrives just days after the Palm Springs Book Festival — making this one of her very first public appearances before publication. Together, they offer a rare dual perspective on the debut experience: what it feels like one year into having a book in the world, and what it's like to be on the eve of your launch. An inspiring conversation for readers, writers, and anyone who's ever dreamed of telling their story.
Theater A | Sunday | 12:40 PM - 1:15 PM
Every Exit Brings You Home by Naeem Murr
Naeem Murr's luminous new novel follows a Gazan immigrant's heroic efforts to heal those around him and find love in the shadow of tragedy — earning a starred review from Kirkus and comparisons to the year's most essential fiction. Naeem sits down with Jason Blitman for a conversation about the book and why the most heartbreaking stories are often the ones we need most.
Theater A | Sunday | 1:45 PM - 2:20 PM
Same as it Ever Was by Claire Lombardo
Claire Lombardo captured hearts with The Most Fun We Ever Had — and she's back. The bestselling author and Reese's Book Club pick joins beloved Palm Springs favorite Byron Lane for a warm, wide-ranging conversation about her latest novel Same as It Ever Was, the messy beauty of family, and what keeps drawing her back to the stories only she can tell.
Theater A | Sunday | 2:30 PM - 3:15 PM
California Writers
They call Southern California home — but the stories they tell couldn't be more different. Join authors R.K. Russell (The Yards Between Us), Emma Sloley (The Island of Last Things), and Susan Straight (Sacrament) in conversation with Palm Springs City Council Member Grace Garner as they explore how craft, place, and a love of storytelling have the power to connect us all.
Theater A | Sunday | 3:20 PM - 3:50 PM
Immersive Audio Hamlet Experience by the Make Believe Association
Step inside the fractured mind of the prince in this immersive audio experience of the first episode of Hamlet, created by the Make Believe Association. Featuring breathtaking binaural sound design and performed by a full cast led by Daniel Kyri, this is Shakespeare’s tragedy as you’ve never heard it.
Theater B | Sunday | 9:30 AM - 10:20 AM
Folded Strories: Zine-Making Workshop with Maggie Downs
zine (noun) a small, handmade, self-published booklet—short for magazine—that uses art, words, and collage to share personal stories or ideas, with no rules and plenty of creativity.
Join author Maggie Downs and her son Everest for a joyful, all-ages workshop inspired by 50 Things to Do Before You’re 5. Together, they’ll guide participants in creating a handmade zine—mixing art, storytelling, and imagination—while inviting everyone to write about and share favorite things they’ve done before reaching their current age. A playful, creative celebration of books, memories, and creating.
Theater B | Sunday | 11:00 AM - 11:45 AM
Grow Your Own Story Garden with Myriam Gurba
A community storytelling event led by author Myriam Gurba, inspired by her book Poppy State. We all have a plant story—mowing a lawn, climbing a tree, tending a garden, or killing a houseplant. Join Myriam and your community to share personal plant stories, learn about Poppy State, and take part in a uniquely interactive, collective storytelling experience where memories take root and grow.
Theater B | Sunday | 11:50 AM - 12:35 PM
Writing for Young Adults
Bestselling middle-grade and young adult authors Ryan La Sala and Rex Ogle come together for a conversation about their newest books, the craft of writing for teens, and what makes a story truly resonate. Bring your burning questions about publishing, voice, and audience—and participate in a brief, interactive exercise designed to show writers of all ages that compelling storytelling starts with getting the fundamentals right.
Theater B | Sunday | 1:45 PM - 2:20 PM
How To Survive In The Woods by Kat Rosenfield
New York Times bestselling author Kat Rosenfield's new thriller plunges readers into Maine's Hundred Mile Wilderness for a story about control, survival, and the people we thought we knew. Kat sits down with literary event producer and Palm Springs Public Library Foundation board member Corey Roskin to talk twists, trail conditions, and what it really takes to survive.
Theater B | Sunday | 2:30 PM - 3:15 PM
Strories from the Archives: Queer History of the Desert
Presented by the LGBTQ+ History & Archives of the Desert, this special program brings the past to life through three powerful stories drawn from the Archives. Discover the people, places, and moments that shaped LGBTQ+ life in Palm Springs and the Coachella Valley, and learn how community-based archiving keeps these histories alive, accessible, and proudly ours for generations to come.
Theater B | Sunday | 3:20 PM - 3:50 PM
Money Proud by Nick Wolney
Your financial future doesn't care how old you are — but you should. OUT Magazine columnist Nick Wolny joins Palm Springs Public Library Foundation board member Franklin Cappadora for an honest, practical conversation about building wealth, shedding debt, and developing habits that actually stick. Drawing from his book Money Proud, Nick shares tools and insights that meet you wherever you are on your financial journey — and help you take the next step forward.