UNL Creative Writing alum DeMisty Bellinger will read from her new collection of short fiction, “All Daughters are Awesome Everywhere,” which Kirkus Reviews called “a thoughtful, observant collection of short stories from an important voice.” The collection is the winner of the Barbara DiBernard Award.

A violinist nearly hits a bicyclist with her car on her rush to rehearsal, leading to a blissful affair and speculation about the effect of love on her violin playing. The whispering of schoolgirls leads a teacher to consider her own fears and failings. In the title story, the nature of motherhood, fatherhood and familial pride plays against a backdrop of death and high school theater. These are stories of human frailty and newfound strengths, with surprising confrontations.

Bellinger is the author of the novel “New to Liberty” and two collections of poetry, “Peculiar Heritage” and “Rubbing Elbows.” She is an associate professor of English and coordinator of the Center of Faculty Scholarship at Fitchburg State University.