"My godmother gave me stationery -- it was jungle themed stationery that had my name, it was customized -- and I would write stories and send them to publishers."

"Iowa was not only the best location for me, but it felt like I could focus on my work here. The campus is so beautiful here, and the program itself is so enticing, it pushes me to be the best."

"I am always deeply inspired by everything that surrounds me – people, songs and sounds, landscapes, books, classes, talks, and the list could easily go on."

In today's podcast, novelist Rachel Yoder discusses her wild experience adapting Nightbitch to a soon-to-be-released feature film starring Amy Adams.

"Before coming to Iowa, I was living in New York City, desperately wanting to write but spending most of my waking hours in an office job."