Hartwick College Visiting Writer Series Kicks Off on Sept. 23
ONEONTA—Authors Tessa Yang and David James Keaton will visit the Hartwick College campus during the 2026-27 Visiting Writer Series, with readings from their work scheduled for Wednesday, September 23 and Thursday, April 8, respectively. Both events are free and open to the public.
The series kicks off this month with Yang, author of the short story collection “The Runaway Restaurant” (7.13 Books, 2022) and the novel “The Jellyfish Problem” (Berkeley, 2026). Yang’s work has been published in “Best Small Fictions 2024,” The Cincinnati Review, “Flash Fiction America,” Foglifter, The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction and elsewhere. She has an MFA from Indiana University and currently lives in upstate New York. Yang’s recent book, “The Jellyfish Problem,” will be available for purchase at the reading.
The series concludes Thursday, April 8 with Keaton. Keaton received his BFA in creative writing from Bowling Green State University and his MFA from the University of Pittsburgh. He has published more than 100 pieces of fiction and nonfiction, five novels and three collections of short stories. His first collection, “Fish Bites Cop! Stories to Bash Authorities” (Comet Press, 2013), was named the 2013 Short Story Collection of the Year by “This Is Horror.”
His second collection, “Stealing Propeller Hats from the Dead” (Perpetual Motion Machine Publishing, 2015), received a starred review from “Publishers Weekly.” His most recent novels include “Head Cleaner” (Polis Books, 2023; repr. Datura Books, 2026) and “Shallow Ends: A Novel” (Podium Publishing, 2024). Keaton is also the co-editor of “Hard Sentences: Crime Fiction Inspired by Alcatraz” (Broken River Books, 2017) and “Tales from the Crust: An Anthology of Pizza Horror” (Perpetual Motion Machine Publishing, 2019), and is the editor of “Dirty Boulevard: Crime Fiction Inspired by the Songs of Lou Reed” (Down & Out Books, 2018).
Both readings, presented by the Department of Literature, Media and Writing and the Visiting Writers Series at Hartwick College, begin at 7 p.m. Yang’s reading will take place in the Shineman Celebration Room in Shineman Chapel House due to larger-than-anticipated attendance. Keaton’s April reading will be held in Eaton Lounge, Bresee Hall. For more information, contact Associate Professor of English Bradley J. Fest at festb@hartwick.edu or (607) 431-4921.
