New York Times Bestselling Author Kate Baer to Headline the 2026 Visiting Writer Series at Fresno Pacific University

Kate Baer, New York Times bestselling author, will be the guest at this year’s Jean & Louis Janzen Visiting Writer Series.

The event takes place on Thursday, February 5, 2026, at 7:00 p.m. in the Lin Family Performance Studio, located in the Warkentine Culture and Arts Center on the Fresno main campus, 4838 E. Butler Ave., Fresno.

The evening will consist of a reading from Baer, light refreshments and a book-signing reception.

Kate Baer

An accomplished writer with a devoted readership, Baer is the author of What Kind of Woman, I Hope This Finds You Well, And Yet and How About Now. Her work has been published in The New Yorker, Literary Hub, Huffington Post and The New York Times. She currently resides and writes in Pennsylvania.

Jean & Louis Janzen Visiting Writers Series

The Visiting Writers Series honors the service, teaching and contributions of Dr. Louis Janzen and Jean Janzen, award-winning Central Valley poet and Fresno Pacific University faculty. Founded in the fall of 2007, the series was established to showcase the creative works from writers to the FPU community.

Michael Hammond

Director of Content Strategy and Media Relations

Michael Hammond is the director of content strategy and media relations at Fresno Pacific University. Prior to working at FPU, he had a 19 year long career in church ministry. Michael got engaged to his high school sweetheart atop a castle in Germany, has three kids (whose names also all start with an M) and is on a lifelong quest to develop an encyclopedic knowledge of The Office.