Carl Klaus, founder of the University of Iowa’s Nonfiction Writing Program and professor emeritus, will read from A Self Made of Words at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 9, in a free reading at Prairie Lights Books in downtown Iowa City. The reading also will be streamed live on the UI Writing University website.

Though any single word or phrase or sentence might make little difference within the scope of an entire essay or book, collectively they create an impression of who you are or seem to be—an impression that's sure to influence how readers respond to your work. With A Self Made of Words, Klaus shows the reader how to take charge of how one comes across on the page, to craft an appropriate persona for a personal essay, a blog, a technical report, a letter to the editor, or a memoir.

His other work on persona is The Made-Up Self: Impersonation in the Personal Essay. He is also co-editor with Ned Stuckey-French of Essayists on the Essay: Montaigne to Our Time. A special page devoted to Essayists on the Essay can be found on Facebook.

Klaus's literary nonfiction includes My Vegetable Love, Weathering Winter, Taking Retirement, and Letters to Kate—essayistic works in the form of diaries and letters that reflect on his life and marriage, on gardening and food, on work and retirement, and on his abiding concern with time, change, and mortality. His current work-in-progress is Aging: An Octogenarian's Recollections.

Individuals with disabilities are encouraged to attend all UI-sponsored events. If you are a person with a disability who requires a reasonable accommodation in order to attend this reading, call Jan Weissmiller at Prairie Lights in advance, 319-337-2681.

For a UI arts calendar and details about upcoming events visit the Arts Iowa website.