Nickolas Butler’s A Forty Year Kiss: Book Launch & Conversation Hosted by John Hildebrand

Celebrate the launch of Nickolas Butler’s highly anticipated sixth novel, A Forty Year Kiss. This beautifully crafted, deeply moving small-town story follows a couple’s profound journey to rediscover love—forty years after their divorce. The evening will feature Butler reading from his new book, followed by an insightful conversation between the writer and award-winning author John Hildebrand, exploring the themes of resilience and second chances. 

About the Presenter

Nickolas Butler, born in Allentown, Pennsylvania and raised in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the Iowa Writers’ Workshop. He has won numerous accolades, including France’s PAGE Prix America, the Great Lakes Great Reads Award, and the Wisconsin Library Association Literary Award, among others. A former Burger King maintenance man, hot-dog vendor, coffee roaster, and innkeeper (twice), Butler’s diverse experiences have shaped his acclaimed literary career.

About the Host

John Hildebrand is the author of numerous books, including the award-winning Mapping the Farm: The Chronicle of a Family and, more recently, Long Way Round: Through the Heartland by River. His essays have appeared in Harper’s, Audubon, and Sports Illustrated. He is a Professor Emeritus at the University of Wisconsin–Eau Claire.