UMF spotlights Shana Youngdahl, fiction writer and poet, as final spring Visiting Writer, April 16

FARMINGTON, ME  (April 2, 2026)—The University of Maine at Farmington is excited to announce Shana Youngdahl as the final reader of the 2026 spring semester schedule of its popular Visiting Writers series.

Youngdahl will read from her work at 7:30 p.m., Thursday, April 16, in the Landing in the UMF Olsen Student Center. The reading is free and open to the public and will be followed by a book signing with the author.

Youngdahl is a fiction writer, poet and professor of creative writing at Lindenwood University. Her second novel, “A Catalog of Burnt Objects” (Dial Books, 2025), was inspired by the 2018 wildfires that devastated her hometown in Paradise, California. Publisher Weekly calls “A Catalog of Burnt Objects,” a “wrenching story of resilience and healing.“

Her debut novel, “As Many Nows as I Can Get” (Dial Books, 2019), was named a Seventeen Best Book of the Year, a New York Public Library Top Ten Best Book of the Year and a KirkusBest Book of the Year.

Youngdahl is also the author of two poetry collections published by Stephen F. Austin University Press. She holds an M.F.A. in Poetry from the University of Minnesota.

“A Catalog of Burnt Objects” is available at the reading and for pre-purchase at the University Store on the UMF campus and Devany, Doak, and Garret Booksellers.

The Visiting Writer Series is sponsored by the UMF Bachelor of Fine Arts in Creative Writing Program.

More Information on the UMF Creative Writing Program

As the only Bachelor of Fine Arts in Creative Writing program in the state of Maine and one of only two in all of New England, the UMF program invites students to work with faculty, who are practicing writers, in workshop-style classes to discover and develop their writing strengths in the genres of poetry, fiction and non-fiction. Small classes, an emphasis on individual conferencing, and the development of a writing portfolio allow students to see themselves as artists and refine their writing under the guidance of accomplished and published faculty mentors.

Students can pursue internships to gain real-world writing and publishing experience by working on campus with The Sandy River Review, a student-run literary magazine; or The Farmington Flyer, a university newspaper.

Media Contact: Amy Neswald, UMF professor of creative writing, at amy.neswald@maine.edu.

More on University of Maine at Farmington

A nationally recognized regional public university, the University of Maine at Farmington is known for its commitment to teacher preparation, the creative arts, health and science, environmental studies, business and public service. Located in the heart of Maine’s four-season outdoor recreational region, UMF provides a challenging but welcoming academic community—here in Farmington and online—that prepares students for enriching professional careers, engaged citizenship and an enduring love of learning.

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EDITOR’S NOTE:

Image: https://farmington.edu/app/uploads/2026/04/RP256-031AA.webp
Photo Caption: Shana Youngdahl
Photo Credit: Submitted Image

Image: https://farmington.edu/app/uploads/2026/04/RP256-031BB.webp
Photo Credit: Submitted Image