Hopkins – Minnesota Writers Off the Page: Kristin Collier

In her striking new memoir, “What Debt Demands: Family, Betrayal, and Precarity in a Broken System,” Grand Central Publishing (2025). Kristin Collier recounts the moment she discovered she owed $200,000—not from debt she incurred, but from loans her mother had taken out in her name without her knowledge. She reflects on the emotional and financial toll of this betrayal, and the lasting impact it has had on her life. Collier’s story also broadens into a powerful exploration of the collective burden of debt in today’s society. She will be joined in conversation by fellow writer Jennifer Eli Bowen, author of “The Book of Kin: On Absence, Love, and Being There.”

Following the discussion, audience members are invited to participate in a Q&A session and have further informal conversation with the featured speakers. Light refreshments will be provided, copies of “What Debt Demands: Family, Betrayal, and Precarity in a Broken System” will be available for purchase, and the evening will finish with a book signing.

About the Author
Kristin Collier is the author of “What Debt Demands: Family, Betrayal, and Precarity in a Broken System,” Grand Central Publishing (2025). She has received funding from the Minnesota State Arts Board, a Jack Hazard fellowship, and a Yaddo artist residency. Her writing has been published in journals such as the Los Angeles Review of Books, Oprah Daily, and Longreads. She is an organizer with the Debt Collective and a visiting scholar and TREC community engagement fellow at Metro State University.

About the Moderator
Jennifer Eli Bowen is a writer, arts instructor, and editor, whose most recent essay collection “The Book of Kin: On Absence, Love, and Being There,” Milkweed Press (2025) has been shortlisted for the MN Book Awards in the Memoir/Creative Non-fiction category. Her work has received a Pushcart Prize, The Arts and Letters Prize, The Tim McGinnis Award, and has appeared in The Sun, The Iowa Review, Orion, and Kenyon Review, among others. Jennifer is the Founding Artist Director of the Minnesota Prison Writing Workshop. She teaches creative writing in prisons across the state of Minnesota, and occasionally at local colleges. She also edits creative prose and conducts interviews. Jen lives in St. Paul, a block in any direction from sidewalk poetry and snow.

This event is presented in partnership with Cream & Amber, a unique book store where reading and beer come together and people can connect with each other. This event is part of the Minnesota Writers Off the Page series, bringing the inspirational voices of Minnesota’s authors directly to readers.

Registration

This event is free, however registration is required.

Registration Questions: registrations@mnhum.org

Register Now