CALS Speaker Series and NEA Big Read presents Ross Gay

Author of The Catalog of Unabashed Gratitude

Presented in partnership with the Oxford American

The first 100 people to arrive at the program will receive free copies of Catalog of Unabashed Gratitude.

Catalog of Unabashed Gratitude is a sustained meditation on that which goes away—loved ones, the seasons, the earth as we know it—that tries to find solace in the processes of the garden and the orchard. That is, this is a book that studies the wisdom of the garden and orchard, those places where all—death, sorrow, loss—is converted into what might, with patience, nourish us.

Ross Gay is the author of four books of poetry: Against Which; Bringing the Shovel Down; Be Holding, winner of the PEN American Literary Jean Stein Award; and Catalog of Unabashed Gratitude, winner of the 2015 National Book Critics Circle Award and the 2016 Kingsley Tufts Poetry Award. In addition to his poetry, Ross has released three collections of essays—The Book of Delights was released in 2019 and was a New York Times bestseller; Inciting Joy was released in 2022, and his newest collection, The Book of (More) Delights, was released in September of 2023.

“Whether you're feeling like you have a whole brass band of gratitude or if you're feeling like you only have a rusty horn, read this book." ~ Tess Taylor, NPR's All Things Considered

Moderator: Frederick McKindra, Oxford American Associate Editor. The program will be followed by a book signing with Ross Gay.

ASL interpretation will be provided for discussion and Q&A. Assisted listening device technology is also available upon request.

Doors open at 5:30pm. Advanced registration is suggested to ensure a seat in the theater.

As part of CALS NEA Big Read 2026 celebration of Ross Gay’s Catalog of Unabashed Gratitude, we will have additional ebook copies available on Libby for patrons to check out. You can download Catalog of Unabashed Gratitude through CALS online catalog, the CALS app, or the Libby app.

NEA Big Read is a program of the National Endowment for the Arts in partnership with Arts Midwest. El Proyecto NEA Big Read es una iniciativa del National Endowment for the Arts (el Fondo Nacional para las Artes de Estados Unidos) en cooperación con Arts Midwest.

No photos, videos, or audio recordings are allowed before, during, or after the performance. Selfies with the author are prohibited in book-signing lines or at any time during the event.