From Minnesota to Hollywood: Courtney Kocak (Girl Gone Wild) with Minnesota

Join Minnesota native Courtney Kocak for a special homestate event celebrating her debut memoir Girl Gone Wild, an unwitting feminist coming-of-age story tracing her journey from small-town Minnesota to the underbelly of Hollywood.

Courtney will be joined by Kelly Foster Lundquist—author of Beard and a 2026 Minnesota Book Award finalist for Memoir & Creative Nonfiction—in conversation, moderated by Deborah Copperud, host of Read Minnesota Books.

Together, they’ll explore the complexities of writing personal truth, navigating ambition and identity, and what it means to tell stories that challenge cultural narratives around gender, power, and sexuality.

From selling merchandise on the Girls Gone Wild tour to confronting the realities of the entertainment industry, Girl Gone Wild examines how easily empowerment and objectification can blur—and what it takes to reclaim your voice.

✨ Expect:

• A dynamic author conversation
• Insights into memoir writing & publishing
• Audience Q&A
• Book signing

🎟️ Reserve your spot—space may be limited.

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Host or Publisher Courtney Kocak