Palm Springs Speaks Presents Author Paula McLain
About this Event
Join us on Tuesday, January 19, 2027 at 7:30 PM at the Palm Springs Cultural Center to hear Paula McLain, New York Times best selling author of six books, including The Paris Wife, in conversation with fellow author and part-time desert resident Wade Rouse, discussing her latest novel Skylark. She will be the second speaker of Season Eight of Palm Springs Speaks, featuring incredible female voices this season!.
Paula McLain is the author of the New York Times bestselling novels: The Paris Wife, Circling the Sun, Love and Ruin, and When the Stars Go Dark, as well as two collections of poetry and a memoir. Her work has been published in over thirty-five countries, and featured in The New York Times, The Guardian, Town & Country, Real Simple, and elsewhere. Her latest novel, Skylark, a GMA January 2026 pick, is a mesmerizing tale of Paris above and below, revealing a story of courage and resistance that transcends time.
Event Details:
Location: Palm Springs Cultural Center, 2300 E Baristo Rd, Palm Springs, CA 92262
Tickets: $45 General Admission | $75 Premium Seating (includes a copy of her book)
ADA-accessible seating available
Book Signing: Paula McLain will sign books following her talk.
Thank You to Our Sponsors
This event is presented by the Friends of the Palm Springs Library and is made possible by the generous support of our sponsors including: The City of Palm Springs, Palm Springs Cultural Center, Kimpton Rowan Palm Springs, and Follett Books.
About Paula McLain
McLain was born in Fresno, California in 1965. After being abandoned by both parents, she and her two sisters became wards of the California Court System, moving in and out of various foster homes for the next fourteen years. When she aged out of the system, she supported herself by working as a nurse’s aid in a convalescent hospital, a pizza delivery girl, an auto-plant worker, a cocktail waitress–before discovering she could (and very much wanted to) write.
She received her MFA in poetry from the University of Michigan in 1996, and is the author of two collections of poetry, a memoir, Like Family: Growing Up in Other People’s Houses, and the debut novel, A Ticket to Ride. Her writing has appeared in The New York Times, O: The Oprah Magazine, Good Housekeeping, Real Simple, Huffington Post, the Guardian and elsewhere. Learn more about her at:
About Our Moderator Wade Rouse
Wade Rouse is a USA TODAY and internationally bestselling author of 22 books, including five memoirs and numerous novels written under his own name and the pen name Viola Shipman, which honors his beloved grandmother. His books have been translated into more than 30 languages and featured on the Today show, Good Morning America, and NPR. Several of his novels have been optioned for film and television.
A former journalist, magazine writer, and People reporter, Wade divides his time between Saugatuck, Michigan, and Palm Springs with his husband and their rescue dog, Gerti. His 2026 novel, That’s What Friends Are For, is set in Palm Springs and inspired by The Golden Girls. He also hosts the popular literary livestream, Wine & Words with Wade.. For more information, visit: or
Where is it happening?
Event Location & Nearby Stays:
USD 49.87 to USD 81.88
