The Friends of Fondren Library invite you to the
2026 Annual Membership Celebration and Dinner
chaired by Caroline Baker Hurley and Bob Parkey ’88
Keynote Speaker
Katherine Center
New York Times bestselling author
BookPage calls Katherine Center “the reigning queen of comfort reads.” She’s the New York Times bestselling author of over half a dozen books, including “How to Walk Away,” “Things You Save in a Fire,” and “What You Wish For.” Katherine writes laugh-and-cry books about how life knocks us down—and how we get back up. She’s been compared to both Jane Austen and Nora Ephron, and the Dallas Morning News calls her stories “satisfying in the most soul-nourishing way.” Her books have made countless Best-Of lists, including RealSimple’s Best Books of 2020, Amazon’s Top 100 Books of 2019, Goodreads’ Best Books of the Year, and many more. Bestselling author Emily Henry calls her summer 2022 book, “The Bodyguard,” “a shot of pure joy.” The movie adaptation of Katherine’s novel “The Lost Husband” (starring Josh Duhamel) hit #1 on Netflix, and her novel “Happiness for Beginners” is in production now as a Netflix original starring Ellie Kemper. Katherine lives in her hometown of Houston, Texas, with her husband, two kids, and their fluffy-but-fierce dog.
Rice University, Cohen House
Tuesday, Sept. 15, 2026
6:30 p.m.
Business Casual
Purchase tickets or a table
Underwriter table for 8 guests, including one signed copy of “The Shippers” and a program mention $2,500
Patron table for 8 guests $1,200
Individual tickets are $150 per person.
Self-parking in the Founder’s Court Lot (near Cohen House) is $13 per car. Credit card required.
For additional information, please email fofl@rice.edu.
Copies of Katherine’s recent bestseller, “The Shippers,” and her novel, “The Bodyguard,” currently in production for a movie, will be available for purchase. She will sign copies of her books at the event.
Event Cost $150 per person