The Kansas City Public Library hosts Thomas E. Kennedy for a discussion of how his account of a series of bus trips transcends mere travelogue and enters the realm of literature with Riding the Dog: On the Road with Literary Nonfiction on Thursday, October 9, at 6:30 p.m. at the Central Library, 14 W. 10th St.

Kennedy is a native New Yorker who has lived in Copenhagen for more than 30 years. He has authored nine novels, three short fiction collections, and five compilations of literary nonfiction. He will discuss his new book Riding the Dog: A Look Back at America, inspired by his Greyhound Bus trips across the country, and explains the proud tradition and evolution of literary nonfiction.

New Letters editor Robert Stewart will open the program with a brief introduction about literary fiction and its differences from the traditional concept of an essay. Stewart and Kennedy are the joint winners of the 2008 National Magazine Award for the Essay. This October marks New Letters’ 75th year of continuous quarterly publication.