Author Ellen Gilchrist will do a series of readings tonight at Poindexter Hall on the MUW campus. In addition to reading from her own novels, Gilchrist, a former student of Eudora Welty’s, will read Welty’s works as well.
MUW’s Kendell Dunkelberg said it was a honor for the university to host such an accomplished author.
“MUW is honored to host one of the South’s legendary writers, Ellen Gilchrist, for the Eudora Welty Writers’ Symposium,” Dunkelberg said. “Not only is Ms. Gilchrist a best-selling novelist, short story writer, and commentator with over 20 books to her name, she has a new book of stories coming out next year, ‘Acts of God,’ and she tells me that she’s completing a sequel to her memoir, ‘The Writing Life.’ Ms. Gilchrist will read from her published memoir and possibly from the sequel, including passages that recount her days with Eudora Welty, who taught her in classes at Millsaps College. She also plans to read from her fiction. One of the stories from ‘Acts of God’ was published, along with an interview, this August in Mississippi’s newest literary magazine, China Grove, which will also be available at the symposium.”
Gilchrist will read in Poindexter Hall’s Kossen Auditorium, starting at 7:30 p.m. The doors open at 7:00 with book sales and music. Following the reading, there will be a book signing with all Symposium authors.
According to Dunkelberg, the Symposium will continue on Friday and Saturday with 11 other authors, which include poets, novelists, short story writers, and the Eudora Welty Scholar. Sessions are Friday 9 am – 12 pm, 1:30-4:30 pm and Saturday 9am -12pm. Writers include MUW’s own Michael Farris Smith, reading from his novel, “Rivers,” at 1:30 on Friday, as well as Adam Vines, Holly Goddard Jones, Mitchell L. H. Douglas, Stephanie Powell Watts, L. Lamar Wilson, Seven Barthelme, Steve Yates, Stephen Fuller, Elizabeth Hughey and Cary Holladay.
All sessions are free and open to the public. No tickets or reservations are required.
Other events on campus include the Welty Art Exhibit “Intersections of Gender and Place,” the Welty Gala, and the ribbon cutting for Barnes and Noble. For more information,visit MUW’s homepage or see the symposium website http://www.muw.edu/welty
Sarah Fowler covered crime, education and community related events for The Dispatch.
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