Postmortem: Exploring the Impact of the John Wayne Gacy Murders with True Crime Author Courtney Lund O'Neil

Join the Coronado Public Library and Warwick's Bookstore for an unforgettable evening with author Courtney Lund O'Neil, in conversation with Jacqueline Alnes, as she shares her gripping true crime memoir Postmortem. In the vein of I’ll Be Gone in the Dark, this compelling work revisits the chilling crimes of "Killer Clown" John Wayne Gacy, offering a unique perspective on the emotional aftershocks that his violence left behind. Praised as as “harrowing” and “unforgettable” in a starred review from Publishers Weekly, O'Neil’s skill in blending her mother’s memories with her own reflections, offers “profound new insights into an oft-told American horror story.”

With thought-provoking layers of personal reflection, community impact, and the broader American psyche, Postmortem offers an intimate view of how one family's grief rippled outward, forever affecting their lives and countless others. Don’t miss this opportunity to hear the author share her poignant story and insights.

Free open seating is first-come, first-served, subject to available space. Guaranteed Preferred Seating is available with pre-order of Postmortem through Warwick's at https://www.warwicks.com/event/oneil-2025  or by calling the store at 858-454-0347.

Courtney Lund O'Neil teaches at the University of California, San Diego, and her writing has appeared in The New York Times, Glamour, The Washington Post, Oprah Daily, Parents, Chicago Tribune, Harper's Bazaar, and more. She is the recipient of the Marcia McQuern Award for Excellence in Creative Nonfiction and the Marye Lynn Cummings Endowed Scholarship in both Creative Nonfiction and Poetry. O'Neil holds a PhD from Oklahoma State University and an MFA from the University of California, Riverside. She lives with her husband and children in Southern California and can be found online at CourtneyLundONeil.com.

Jacqueline Alnes is the author of The Fruit Cure: The Story of Extreme Wellness Turned Sour, and has published essays and interviews in the New York Times, Electric Lit, Guernica, Longreads, and elsewhere