J. Harley McIlrath, author of a recently published collection of short stories entitled “Possum Trot” (Ice Cube Books, 2010), will appear at 4:30 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 24 in the Gould Library Athenaeum on the Carleton College Campus. The assistant manager and book buyer for the Grinnell College Bookstore, and manager of his own bookstore in Iowa for ten years, McIlrath has led an existence steeped in books, stimulating his own literary creation. “Possum Trot” draws inspiration from McIlrath’s rural upbringing in Newburg, Iowa, to create a collection of short stories rich with laughter, lament, and hope. Copies of “Possum Trot” are currently available at the Carleton Bookstore at a 15% discount; copies will also be sold at the event. McIlrath’s appearance is free and open to the public.
McIlrath’s debut collection is being promoted by Midwest Connections, and has garnered tremendous acclaim for its sharp insight and vivid depiction of country life:
“Harley McIlrath’s new stories are as wicked and disarming as prose by H. L. Mencken but with an added twist: they show how hope for the discouraged can be found in places no sane person would go. This is a humorous, biting, rattling collection of stories that promises to become an instant classic.” —Stephen Kuusisto, author, Planet of the Blind.
McIlrath earned a BA in English and philosophy and an MA in English from the University of Northern Iowa. He managed his own bookstore in Cedar Falls, Iowa, for ten years prior to becoming assistant manager and book buyer for the Grinnell College Bookstore and Pioneer Bookshop in Grinnell, Iowa.
The Gould Library is located on the Carleton College Campus and is accessible via Highway 3. For more information regarding McIllrath’s appearance, including disability accommodations, please contact the Carleton Bookstore manager, Tripp Ryder, at (507) 222-7840.
