2026 has been distractingly ugly, making it hard to concentrate with the depth needed to read fiction. Dr. Susan Finch, an associate dean and professor of English and creative writing at Belmont University, presents short stories as the perfect antidote, leaving you feeling amped. Dear Second Husband, published this month by Carnegie Mellon University Press, is a collection of short stories set in our rapidly changing city. The book opens in the Davidson County satellite city Forest Hills, which was recently spectacularly ravaged by Winter Storm Fern. It’s as though Finch knew at the time she wrote the story — however many months or years ago that was — that locals would need a preoccupation from pain (both widespread and local). The rest of her collection follows suit: stories filled with half-quiet characters, humanity and humor. Above all else, it is a beautiful distraction. Following the book launch, Finch will hold a brief conversation about the craft of writing with fellow Belmont professor Dr. Gary McDowell.
6 p.m. at Barbara Massey Rogers Center at Belmont University
1601 Wedgewood Ave.
