Angela Pelster will read from her new essay collection, The Evolution of Fire: Essays on Crisis and Becoming. Described by publisher Milkweed as "a luminous collection of essays about crisis, hope, and the decision to resist or embrace evolution — a book about time, for our time," The Evolution of Fire is praised by bestselling author Hanif Abdurraqib as "stunningly written — vivid in imagery, in the braiding together of language, and in the honoring of every person it shines a light on."

Angela Pelster is a multi-award-winning essayist recognized by PEN, the McKnight Foundation, Bread Loaf, and the Minnesota State Arts Board. Published in LitHub, Ploughshares, Granta, The Kenyon Review, and other outlets, she lives and works in St. Paul, Minnesota.