An Evening with Jared Lemus in Conversation with Brian Broome

Author Jared Lemus, an MFA graduate from the University of Pittsburgh, is returning to Pittsburgh to talk about his new collection of stories, Guatemalan Rhapsody. He will be joined in conversation by author Brian Broome and there will be a time for Q&A with the audience and book signing following the discussion. We hope you will join us!

Want to pre-order a copy of the book? You can do so . Please designate in the memo field if you want to pick up the book at the event.

About the book:

A vibrant debut story collection—poignant, unflinching, and immersive—masterfully moving between sharp wit and profound tenderness, Guatemalan Rhapsody offers a kaleidoscopic portrait of an ever-changing country, the people who claim it as home, and those who no longer do.

Ranging from a custodian at an underfunded college to a medicine man living in a temple dedicated to San Simon, the patron saint of alcohol and cigarettes, the characters in these stories find themselves at defining moments in their lives, where sacrifices may be required of them, by them, or for them.

In “Saint Dismas,” four orphaned brothers pose as part of a construction crew, stopping cars along the highway and robbing anyone stupid enough foolish enough to hit the brakes. In “Heart Sleeves,” two wannabe tattoo artists take part in a contest, where one of them hopes to win not only first place but also the heart of his best friend’s girlfriend. And, in “Fight Sounds,” a character who fancies himself a Don Juan is swept up in the commotion of an American film crew shooting a movie in his tiny town, until the economic and sexual politics of the place are turned on their head.

Across this collection, Lemus’s characters test their loyalty to family, community, and country, illuminating the ties that both connect us and constrain us. Guatemalan Rhapsody explores how we journey from the circumstances that we are forged by, and whether the ability to change our fortunes lies in our own hands or in those of another. Revealing the places where beauty, desperation, love, violence, and hope exist simultaneously, Jared Lemus’s debut establishes him as a major new voice in the form.

About the author:

Jared Lemus is a writer of short fiction whose stories have appeared in or are forthcoming in The Atlantic, Story, The Kenyon Review, among other places. A Latine writer, Lemus has been a Tin House Scholar and Colgate Writers’ Conference fellow. He holds an MFA from the University of Pittsburgh and is Visiting Writer at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill.

About the conversation partner:

Brian Broome's debut memoir, Punch Me Up to the Gods, is an NYT Editor's Pick and the winner of the 2021 Kirkus Prize for Nonfiction, The Publishing Triangle Award, and The GLAAD award for nonfiction. He is a contributiong columnist at The Washington Post. His work has also appeared in Hippocampus, Poets and Writers, Medium, and more. Brian was a K. Leroy Irvis Fellow and an instructor in the Writing Program at the University of Pittsburgh. His new novel "Willis" will be published in the summer of 2026.

Host or Publisher Riverstone Books