Northwest Missouri State University’s Visiting Writers Series continues this month with a reading from a humor writer and columnist as well as a Northwest faculty member.

The event featuring Mia Mercado and Dr. Jose Palacios Perez begins at 7 p.m. Thursday, March 23, in the J.W. Jones Student Union Living Room. It is free and open to the public.

Mercado is the author of two books, “Weird But Normal” and “She’s Nice Though.” She also is a contributor to The Cut and writes a weekly column, titled “I Can’t Shut Up About,” in which she shares her online interests.

Her work has been featured in multiple publications, including The New Yorker, The New York Times, The Washington Post, McSweeney’s, Gizmodo, The American Bystander and The Hairpin. She also has done brand work with companies, including Google, Hershey’s and Maisonette, and she is a recipient of two ADDY Awards, given by the American Advertising Federation-Kansas City Chapter, for her work with Hallmark.

Palacios Perez, who uses the pen name Joseph Avski and joined the Northwest faculty in 2014, has published poetry and short stories in Columbia, Argentina, Chile, Uruguay, Spain, Mexico and the United States. As the author of several books, including “El Infinito se Acaba Pronto,” he won the ninth annual National Novel Award from the Medellin Chamber of Commerce for “Heart of the Scorpio” and was a finalist in the 12th Novel Biennial “Jose Eustasio Rivera” for his novel “The Book of Infernos.”

He has a bachelor’s degree in physics from the Universidad de Antiogia, a master’s degree in bilingual creative writing from the University of Texas at El Paso and a doctorate in Hispanic studies from Texas A&M University.

The Visiting Writers Series is designed to enrich Northwest’s educational mission while promoting the values of community, civil discourse and self-expression. Kawasaki Motors Manufacturing Corporation, Green Tower Press and the Department of Language, Literature and Writing sponsor the series.

The 2022-23 series continues Tuesday, April 11, with Buki Papillon and concludes Thursday, April 20, with readings by Lisa Fishman, Jordan Dunn, Richard Meier. 

For more information about the Visiting Writers Series, contact Daniel Biegelson, the series director and a senior instructor of English, at dbiegel@nwmissouri.edu or 666.562.1266.