2026 AUTHOR CONVERSATIONS

Nightjar, 1:30 PM - 2:45 PM

Featuring: Lisa Knopp; Moderator: Ashley Anderson

The recent proliferation of GLP1 weight loss medication, together with ever-more-impossible standards of physical perfection that we see on social media, underscore the urgency of looking closely at the phenomenon of eating disorders. We are thrilled to welcome Lisa Knopp back to Unbound to discuss Bread: A Memoir of Hunger. In this gripping memoir, Lisa untangles the genetic, biological, familial, psychological, cultural, and spiritual factors that cause eating disorders. This panel is sponsored by the University of Missouri Press.

Little Ragtag, 10:45 AM to 12:00

Featuring: Jean Becker; Moderator: Charles Zug

Behind every polished presidential moment is an "advance team" tasked with managing the high-stakes logistics the public never sees. Jean Becker, chief of staff to President George H.W. Bush for nearly 25 years, shares funny and touching stories from vital teams over the years. This panel is sponsored by the Kinder Institute on Constitutional Democracy.

Orr Street Studies, 3:15 - 4:45

Featuring: Jenna Blum and Emily Franklin ; Moderator: Mary O'Malley

Monstrous creatures, monstrous deeds! Two bestselling, multi-genre authors discuss their new novels--one a gripping psychological thriller, the other a rich reimagining of Frankenstein's origin story. The talk covers the craft of their genre-hopping careers, the monster of art-making, as well as the monsters who walk among us disguised as men.