Author of 'Acts of God' and 'House Arrest' visits WMU
Jan. 23, 2003
KALAMAZOO -- Novelist and short-story author Mary Morris visits Western Michigan University for a reading of her works Thursday, Jan. 30, beginning at 8:30 p.m. in room 1301 of Wood Hall.
Morris's books include the novels Acts of God, House Arrest and The Night Sky, the travel memoir, Nothing To Declare, and the story collection, The Lifeguard (all from Picador USA). She is a recipient of the Rome Prize for Literature. She teaches writing at Sarah Lawrence College and lives in Brooklyn, N.Y.
Morris began writing when she was a graduate student at Columbia. "I wrote one [short story] and sent it to Redbook. They bought it and paid me a phenomenal amount of money. I wrote another, and they paid me more money. I thought, this is great, I'm going to make a living as a short story writer. Then for 10 years I didn't sell another story commercially. I was just about to give up when I got an NEA grant."
The Spring 2003 Reading Series is sponsored by the Creative Writing Program in the WMU Department of English. Future readings in the series are:
Campbell McGrath
Wednesday, Feb. 5, 8:30 p.m.
1001 Wood Hall
Claudia Allen
Tuesday, Feb. 11, 8:30 p.m.
1301 Wood Hall
New Issues Press Reading
Featuring Myronn Hardy, Sarah Messer and Martha Serpas
Tuesday, March 11, 8:30 p.m.
1301 Wood Hall
Patricia Powell
Thursday, March 20, 8:30 p.m.
1301 Wood Hall
For more information, contact Arnie Johnston, chair of the Department of English at <arnie.johnston@wmich.edu> or call the department office at 269 387-2572.
Media contact: Thom Myers, 269 387-8400, thomas.myers@wmich.edu