Author Event: Maida Korte, author of Gutted, in conversation with Kyoko Mori
Old Town Books 130 S Royal St, Alexandria, Virginia 22314
Old Town Books
2026 Eventbrite banners - 9.26 Gutted
Maida Korte, author of Gutted, will be in conversation with Kyoko Mori at Old Town Books on September 26 at 7PM
We love watching remodel videos online, but have you ever wondered what it’s like to actually update an old house yourself? Maida Korte merges memoir and renovation in her debut Gutted: How an Old House Remodeled Me. And you can learn about her process as she will be in conversation with Kyoko Mori at Old Town Books on September 25th at 7 PM.
About the book: Gutted: How an Old House Remodeled Me
What if the only way to rebuild your life is to begin by tearing down the walls?
When a successful designer, entrepreneur, and lifelong city dweller hesitantly agrees to follow her husband’s dream of country living, she doesn’t expect to be undone by a sagging Victorian farmhouse and the relentless wind howling through uninsulated walls. But as holes are patched and rooms slowly take shape, something surprising happens: space opens up. Not just in their crumbling home, but in her heart.
Told with humor, vulnerability, and the insight of a woman rebuilding more than just a house, Gutted: How an Old House Remodeled Me is a love story—not only between a wife and her husband but also between a woman shaped by fast-paced living and a slower, quieter way of life. With each creaky floorboard and stripped layer of old wallpaper, Maida Korte discovers unexpected beauty, remembers buried dreams, and finds strength in the women who came before her.
For anyone who has ever wondered what lies beyond the edge of timelines and control, this is a warm, wise, and deeply human invitation to slow down, dig deep, and make peace with change—one shingle at a time.
About the author:
Maida Korte loves to write about the intersection of interior design and family life, revealing the humor, heart, and lessons found in both. A midwestern native with a tireless work ethic, she raised four daughters while running a design firm—an experience she jokes qualifies her to run a small country. A former HGTV guest, she holds degrees in interior design and writing. Gutted is her debut book. Maida lives in Lake in the Hills, Illinois, with her husband.
About her conversation partner:
Kyoko Mori’s new nonfiction book, Cat & Bird, was published in March 2024 by Belt Publishing. She is the author of three other nonfiction books—The Dream of Water; Polite Lies; and Yarn—and four novels—Shizuko’s Daughter; One Bird; Stone Field, True Arrow; and Barn Cat. Her essays and stories have appeared in The Best American Essays, Harvard Review, The American Scholar, Colorado Review, Conjunctions, and others. She teaches in the MFA Program in Creative Writing at George Mason University. Kyoko lives in Washington, DC with her Siamese cat, Miles.
