Sept. 10: Minnesota State Mankato's 2026-2027 Good Thunder Reading Series Opens
Mankato, Minn. – Minnesota State University, Mankato’s 2026-2027 Good Thunder Reading Series will host five writers this year, with fall semester events scheduled for Sept. 10 and Oct. 29 and spring semester events scheduled for Feb. 4, March 4 and April 15.
All of the events are free and open to the public.
This year’s Good Thunder Reading Series begins with a visit by author Rita Bullwinkel on Thursday, Sept. 10.
Sept. 10 schedule:
- 10-11 a.m. – Workshop, Memorial Library, first floor.
- 3-3:50 p.m. – Craft Talk, Centennial Student Union, Ostrander Auditorium. Books available for purchase.
- 7:30-8:15 p.m. – Bullwinkel will read from her work, Carnegie Art Center, 120 S. Broad St., Mankato. Books available for purchase.
About the featured writer (courtesy of the Good Thunder Reading series): Rita Bullwinkel is the author of two books: “Headshot” (2024) and “Belly Up” (2018). “Headshot” was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize, the Los Angeles Times Book Prize, the Center for Fiction First Novel Prize and the Gordon Burn Prize. It was also longlisted for the Booker Prize and the Dublin Literary Award. In 2025, Bullwinkel was awarded the Addison M. Metcalf Award by the American Academy of Arts and Letters, which biennially honors a young American writer of great promise. (Click here for more on Rita Bullwinkel.)
Founded in 1981, the Good Thunder Reading Series brings nationally and internationally acclaimed writers from diverse backgrounds and literary traditions to Mankato, Minnesota, with the goal of promoting access to great literature, inspiring creativity, and connections in our communities, and fostering lively conversations about how writers work and why writing matters.
The 2026-27 Good Thunder Reading Series is made possible through a Prairie Lakes Regional Arts Council grant as well as Minnesota State Mankato’s Department of Creative Arts; College of Humanities and Social Sciences; the Nadine B. Andreas Endowment; the Eddice B. Barber Visiting Writer Endowment; the Robert C. Wright Endowment; Friends of the Library; and individual donors.
For more information or to get involved, contact Robin Becker, a creative writing faculty member at Minnesota State Mankato, at robin.becker@mnsu.edu, or visit gt.mnsu.edu.
Minnesota State Mankato, a comprehensive university with 15,721 students, is part of the Minnesota State system, which includes 26 colleges and seven universities.
