Thursday, September 24th, 2026, HoCoPoLitSo once more proudly partners with Howard Community College and Howard County Library System to present the sixth annual installment in the Bauder Lecture Series, which this year features a keynote from Mat Johnson, acclaimed author of Backflash, followed by an in-depth conversation hosted by Steven Leyva, poet, professor, and author of The Opposite of Cruelty.

We invite all to join us for this free and public event, in person at the Horowitz Visual and Performing Arts Center on the college campus, or online streamed live via Vimeo at this link. The event is held in two segments: a keynote, reading, and stage conversation at 12:30 p.m., followed by a brief reception; and a reprise at 6:00 p.m. HoCoPoLitSo shall offer books from both authors for purchase and signing to in-person attendees.

Overwhelmed with grief over the death of his mother, shamed by his failures in marriage and fatherhood, and burdened by massive debt, Devin’s life is spiraling out of control. That is, until he discovers the impossible: nostalgia is his superpower. With a random touch of family memorabilia, he can mentally travel back in time, reliving the best moments of his past while finding relief from the present. With his mother gone, Devin can now investigate her greatest secret: the identity of the father he never knew. But the more Devin “backflashes” into time, the faster his present life falls apart. On this hunt for a truth that was never supposed to come to light, Devin must come to terms with his past if he wants any chance at a future. Backflash is a riveting literary graphic novel thriller laced with sly humor and raw emotion that explores time travel in wild and unpredictable ways.

Mat Johnson is an award-winning novelist, graphic novelist, and professor whose work explores race, identity, and American history through satire, historical fiction, and humor. The son of a Black mother and an Irish-American father, Johnson draws on his own experiences to offer thought-provoking perspectives on what it means to be a person of color in America. His acclaimed novels include Hunting in Harlem, Pym, and Loving Day, the latter of which was named a New York Times Notable Book and is widely used in common reading programs at colleges and universities. Johnson is also the author of the graphic novel Incognegro, which examines racial passing and American’s history of lynching through a noir mystery. His honors include the Dos Passos Prize for Literature and recognition as the first James Baldwin Fellow. Johnson is a professor in the Creative Writing Program and English Department at the University of Oregon.

Steven Leyva was born in New Orleans, Louisiana and raised in Houston, Texas. His poems have appeared or are forthcoming in 2 Bridges Review, Scalawag, Nashville Review, jubilat, Vinyl, Prairie Schooner, and Best American Poetry 2020. He is a Cave Canem fellow and author of the chapbook Low Parish and author of The Understudy’s Handbook which won the Jean Feldman Poetry Prize from Washington Writers Publishing House. His second book of poems, The Opposite of Cruelty, was released by Blair Publishing in 2025. Steven holds an MFA from the University of Baltimore, where he is an associate professor in the Klein Family School of Communications Design.

The Bauder Lecture Series is made possible by the generous support of Dr. Lillian Bauder, a community leader and Columbia resident. Each year, the Howard County Book Connection— a partnership of HoCoPoLitSo and representatives from most departments of Howard Community College— selects one book, whose author is invited to headline the lecture; HoCoPoLitSo provides for a local author to join as a special guest, moderating an on-stage writer-to-writer conversation and audience Q&A. In addition, up to two students are honored with the presentation of the Don Bauder Awards, for their response to the chosen book in an essay or other creative format. The awards honor the memory of Don Bauder, late husband of Dr. Lillian Bauder, and a champion of civil rights and social justice causes.

For more information, or to view last year’s lecture, please visit Howard Community College’s Bauder Lecture Series event listing, or the home page of the Howard County Book Connection.

HoCoPoLitSo is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization (FEIN 52-1146948) registered in the state of Maryland, donations to which are tax-deductible to the fullest extent allowed by law. A copy of our current financial statement is available upon request. Documents and information submitted to the State of Maryland under the Maryland Charitable Solicitations Act are available from the Office of the Secretary of State for the cost of fees and postage.

HoCoPoLitSo is supported in part by funds gratefully received from the Maryland State and Howard County Arts Councils; Howard County Government; Community Foundation of Howard County; Dr. Lillian Bauder; and from numerous other, generous individual and corporate contributors. Event proceeds support the live and recorded literary programs offered by HoCoPoLitSo for student and general audiences. The artistic contents and opinions expressed at HoCoPoLitSo events do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of HoCoPoLitSo’s grantors, donors, or individual Board or staff members.

The Bauder Lecture Series and Blackbird Poetry Festival are partnerships of HoCoPoLitSo and Howard Community College. The Howard County Poet Laureate and Youth Poet Laureate Programs are a partnership of HoCoPoLitSo, Howard County Arts Council, and the Office of the Howard County Executive.