Author Woody Brown to appear at Pasadena’s Vroman’s Bookstore (Photo – Vroman’s)
An adult daycare facility may not seem like the most dynamic setting for a novel, but author Woody Brown is working to change that perception with his debut work, Upward Bound.
By Melanie Hooks
Brown will discuss the novel in conversation with Mona Simpson on Saturday, April 4, at 4:00 pm at Vroman’s Bookstore in Pasadena. The event will highlight the book’s exploration of the lives of non-speakers, individuals with cerebral palsy, and other disabled adults—perspectives that are rarely centered in fiction.
Brown brings a groundbreaking personal and academic background to his writing. In 2022, he became the first nonspeaking autistic graduate of UCLA, earning the English department’s top writing honors. He later completed a Master of Fine Arts in creative writing at Columbia University in 2024. Based in Los Angeles, Brown is currently working on a second novel.
The novel is set in a struggling adult daycare center serving Los Angeles’ disabled community, a place depicted as a last resort for many of its clients and staff. Through a series of interconnected stories, Brown introduces readers to characters including Carlos, a young aide coping with the loss of his mother; his sister Mariana; Jorge, a nonspeaking man Carlos hopes to befriend; and Tom, a young man with cerebral palsy navigating unrequited love.
Other figures include Dave, the center’s director and a former aspiring actor now staging an ambitious holiday show, and Walter, a recent community college graduate forced to return to the center after a family tragedy. Their stories intersect in unexpected and often emotional ways, forming the core of the novel.
The April 4 event is free to attend, with books available for purchase and signing. RSVP here for a free ticket.
Author Woody Brown Signing: Upward Bound Saturday, April 4, 2026 4:00 pm Location Vroman's Bookstore 695 E. Colorado Blvd. Pasadena, CA 91101 RSVP here.
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