Wednesday, July 8 | 6:00 PM | Liminal, 915 Elmwood Ave, Evanston, IL 60202
Drift into the deep waters of memory, survival, family, and dark comedy with nationally bestselling author Kathleen Rooney as she joins us for an unforgettable summer evening at the Chicago Literary Salon.
In her sharply funny and deeply human new novel, Man Overboard!, Rooney introduces Patrick “Kick” Kilpatrick—a former college swimmer who finds himself stranded in the open ocean after falling (or jumping?) off a Thanksgiving cruise ship somewhere in the Gulf of Mexico. As he fights to stay afloat hour by hour, memories begin to surface: a volatile father, a distant mother, simmering family tensions, and the accumulated heartbreaks and absurdities that brought him to this impossible moment.
By turns hilarious, tender, surreal, and profound, Man Overboard! explores what keeps us alive when life feels unbearable—and the strange mix of fear, humor, regret, and hope that shapes the human experience. As Kick drifts through shark-filled waters and conversations with his own past, Rooney crafts a story about survival in every sense of the word: emotional, physical, familial, and existential.
Your evening includes:
A signed hardcover copy of Man Overboard! from Three Avenues Bookshop
An immersive evening at Liminal featuring:
A welcome cocktail and thoughtfully curated menu inspired by the novel
A lively conversation with Kathleen Rooney exploring themes of dysfunctional families, mother-son relationships, fear of the ocean, mental health, comedy as survival, and the fragile, stubborn instinct to keep going
Intentionally crafted conversation prompts to spark reflection and connection—no prior reading required
Whether you’re drawn to emotionally layered literary fiction, stories about complicated families, or novels that balance humor and heartbreak with remarkable precision, join us for an evening that dives beneath the surface—into the fears, memories, and relationships that shape who we become.
A portion of the evening’s proceeds will be donated to Rose Metal Press, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit independent publisher dedicated to literary hybrid genres.
Seating is extremely limited. Reserve your place today.
About Man Overboard!
From the nationally bestselling author of Lillian Boxfish Takes a Walk, comes a funny and moving novel in which a former college swimmer falls off a cruise ship and must keep treading water as memories and regrets wash over him—perfect for fans of Where’d You Go, Bernadette; Florence Adler Swims Forever; and The Wedding People.
"Man Overboard! is destined to be the best book of the summer.” —Adriana Trigiani, New York Times bestselling author of The View From Lake Como
Patrick “Kick” Kilpatrick hates the ocean. Has always been terrified of it. And now he’s in a real pickle.
Drifting alone in the sea after falling (or jumping? He can’t remember as the all-inclusive drinks on the cruise he was taking with his extended family were, well, inclusive) Kick must survive. Breath by breath, hour by hour in the lonely sea.
As the waves crash over him, so too do the thoughts and memories of just how he got there. A Thanksgiving cruise with an obnoxious brother-in-law he has to bite his tongue to keep from screaming at. A father who gives the Great Santini a run for his money. And a mother, who already left the family boat, so to speak, a long time ago. His family may be complicated, and the pains of life may seem unbearable—infuriating enough to leap from the deck—but maybe the will to survive is stronger.
Man Overboard! is an inventive, slyly hilarious, and inspiring novel about what it means to be alive, stay alive, and what keeps us going no matter how choppy the waves of our journey become. Hold on for dear life!
About Kathleen Rooney:
Kathleen Rooney is a founding editor of Rose Metal Press, a publisher of literary work in hybrid genres, and a founding member of Poems While You Wait, a team of poets and their typewriters who compose commissioned poetry on demand. She is the author, most recently, of the novels Lillian Boxfish Takes a Walk and Cher Ami and Major Whittlesey. Her latest poetry collection Where Are the Snows, winner of the XJ Kennedy Prize, was released in Fall of 2022 by Texas Review Press and her latest novel, From Dust to Stardust, came out in September 2023. Her debut picture book Leaf Town Forever, co-written with her sister, Beth Rooney, was released by University of Minnesota Press in the fall of 2025. Her fifth novel, Man Overboard!, is forthcoming with Gallery, an imprint of Simon & Schuster, in July of 2026. She lives in Chicago with her spouse, the writer Martin Seay, and teaches at DePaul.