The Art of the Short Story: Lydia Mathis on Desperate Bodies with Roxane Gay

Join us for the launch of Lydia Mathis’s debut story collection, Desperate Bodies, with writer, professor, and publisher Roxane Gay.
Set in the American South, Desperate Bodies explores the desire, humor, and horror in the everyday lives of Black women and girls. Through vivid and unflinching prose, Mathis illuminates the madness of the ordinary: an overworked college safety officer is confronted by a bloody figure who walks into her office; a sex worker runs into a client en route to a parent-teacher conference; a teacher is plagued by a ghost determined to tidy her apartment.
Mathis’s stories serve as a frank investigation into the power imbalances, ambitions, and strengths that characterize girlhood and womanhood. Her conversation with Gay will touch upon these themes, as well as the importance of the short story as a tool for accessing unique truths through hyperspecificity. A book signing will follow the event.
We offer two in-person ticket options: the $10 Standard Ticket and the $40+ Supporter Ticket. Both provide the same access, but if you’re able, we kindly suggest registering for the Supporter Ticket to help sustain our programs. Please note that tickets do not include books; we encourage you to order in advance online or purchase copies at the event.