Author to kick off reading series

Bascom’s memoir Chameleon Days, about his early childhood in Ethiopia as the son of missionaries, was published by Mariner Books after winning the 2005 Bakeless Literary Prize for creative nonfiction. Bascom writes often about the intersection between religion and culture. A novel, Squatters’ Rites, was published by New Day Press in the Philippines, and InterVarsity Press published his collection of essays, The Comfort Trap: Spiritual Dangers of a Convenience Culture. Bascom’s essays have won editor’s prizes from The Missouri Review and The Florida Review, as well as being selected for Best American Travel Writing and Best Creative Nonfiction.

A graduate of Wheaton College, Bascom earned a master’s degree in literature from the University of Kansas and a Master of Fine Arts degree in creative writing through the University of Iowa’s Nonfiction Writing Program. A professor at Drake University, he has led workshops for writers and editors in more than 30 countries.

The Deep Song Reading Series will also feature Dr. David McGlynn, assistant professor of English at Lawrence University, on Oct. 26; poet Todd Boss on Nov. 16; members of Northwestern’s English faculty on Feb. 15; and novelist Kali VanBaale on April 19.