Shakespeare & Co. is delighted to host a reading and discussion with Missoula-based author Marcia E. Williams on Thursday, September 10, 2026, at 7:00 pm. Williams, a graduate of the University of Montana’s MFA Program in Creative Writing, will read from her debut memoir, Departures (Cornerstone Press, August 2026). This event is free and open to the public.

About Departures:
Marcia E. Williams grew up neither wanted nor loved. Important life choices followed: leaving home at sixteen, college, career, first husband, and even that lover. At age fifty-six she must either lead the life her mother wanted or escape the dysfunction and light out on her own. What Williams discovers in the process, along with her own self-worth, helps her recognize her mother's passionate desire for legitimacy in a swirl of generational trauma. Departures charts the pain of parental decisions felt across decades, and how Williams chose life out of turmoil.

Author Biography:
Marcia E. Williams is the founder of Independence Trust Company and a past board chair of the Heifer Foundation. She holds an MFA in creative writing from the University of Montana. She lives in Missoula, Montana, with her Labrador retriever.

Marcia E. Williams
Photography Credit: Ruth Williams