AUBURN — National Public Radio contributor and freelance journalist Caitlin Shetterly will give a talk at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, April 12, at the Auburn Public Library.

A supporter of the arts, Shetterly will speak about the importance of art and artists in a struggling economy. She will also share selected passages from her new memoir, “Made for You and Me: Going West, Going Broke, Finding Home.”

The memoir is the story of newlywed Shetterly and her husband, Dan Davis, two hardworking freelancers, who began their lives together in 2008 by pursuing a lifelong, shared dream of going West.

At first, California was the land of plenty. Quickly, though, the recession hit and a surprise pregnancy that was also surprisingly rough made Caitlin too sick to work. By December, every job Dan had lined up fell through, and he could not find work. By March 2009, every cent of the couple’s savings had been spent.

So, after a year the couple packed up again, this time with a baby onboard, to make their way home to move in with Caitlin’s mother. As they drove home, Caitlin blogged about their situation and created audio diaries for NPR’s “Weekend Edition.” From all across the country, listeners offered help.

For NPR, Shetterly writes about arts and culture, food and lifestyle. She can be heard on “All Things Considered” and “Weekend Edition.” She is the founder and artistic director of Winter Harbor Theatre Company, where she produces and directs works that take on challenging issues of our time.