Palm Springs Speaks presents...
Author Paula McLain
In conversation with Wade Rouse
Tuesday, Jan 19, 2027
7:30pm
Palm Springs Cultural Center
2300 E. Baristo Rd
Palm Springs, CA 92262
TICKETS:
– $75 with a book & preferred seating (taxes and fees not included)
– $45 General Admission (taxes and fees not included)
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. 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.
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: paulamclain.com
In Conversation With...
Wade Rouse
Wade Rouse is the USA TODAY and #1 internationally bestselling author of 22 books, including five memoirs and two novels under his own name, and 15 novels written under his grandmother’s name, Viola Shipman, a pen name he chose to honor the working poor Ozarks seamstress whose sacrifices changed his family’s life. Wade’s books have been translated into over 30 languages, selected multiple times as Must-Reads by NBC’s Today Show, Indie Next Picks by the nation’s independent booksellers as well as Michigan Notable Books of the Year. His work has been featured on Good Morning America, NPR and Chelsea Lately. His novels, The Clover Girls, A Wish for Winter and most recent novel, The Bluff, have been optioned for film and TV. Wade was a finalist for the Goodreads Choice Awards in Humor (he lost to Tina Fey) and was named by Writer’s Digest as “The #2 Writer, Dead or Alive, We’d Like to Have Drinks With” (Wade was sandwiched between Ernest Hemingway and Hunter Thompson). His 2026 novels That’s What Friends Are For and The Bluff, were national bestsellers. That’s What Friends Are For, set in Palm Springs and inspired by The Golden Girls, was named the “Feel Good Book to Read” in March by the Today show and Kwame Alexander, and his Christmas novel, The Bluff, set on Mackinac Island, was featured in OprahDaily, Katie Couric Media and named the Reader’s Digest December Book Club Pick. Wade’s next novel, Lake Como Fomo – his first romance – will publish June 8.
A former journalist, magazine writer and People reporter, his writing has appeared in a diverse range of publications and media, including Time, Newsweek, All Things Considered, Parade, Coastal Living, Good Housekeeping, Salon, Forbes, Writer’s Digest and Publisher’s Weekly. Wade earned his B.A. from Drury University and his master’s degree in journalism from Northwestern University. He divides his time between Saugatuck, Michigan, and Palm Springs with his husband, Gary, and their desert rescue dog, Gerti, and hosts the popular Facebook Live literary happy hour, “Wine & Words with Wade,” every Thursday at 6:30 p.m. ET on the Viola Shipman Facebook page. For more, please visit www.violashipman.com or www.waderouse.com
ASL Interpreting Services
- Guests may request an American Sign Language (ASL) interpreter by contacting us at palmspringspeaks@gmail.com at least two (2) weeks prior to the event date to schedule an ASL interpreter. Requests made with less notice will be subject to availability and not guaranteed.
- Specific seats are designated for interpreting. In addition to securing an interpreter, our team will partner with the box office to invoice you directly the correct seats for purchase. Please do not purchase seats on your own if you require the use of interpreting services.