Readings & Events
The Zell Visiting Writers Series constitutes the backbone of the HZWP events calendar, bringing the world of contemporary literature to Ann Arbor with visits from working writers that include readings, extensive student-moderated Q&A sessions, individual consultations, craft lectures, and public panel discussions with members of our faculty. The Edwards Readings and Webster Readings are organized by first-year and second-year students respectively, and feature their poetry and prose. Post-graduate Zell fellows are regularly invited to introduce and/or open for writers scheduled to visit local bookstore Literati.
In addition to the various reading series, HZWP also seeks to offer an array of programming that incorporates the considerable resources of the University writ large and strengthens ties with the greater Metro Detroit area. Recent such events include the Medical Arts Dinner, an interdisciplinary exchange with members of the University of Michigan Medical Arts Program, and the Fortify Writing Summit, a writing retreat at the Charles T. Fisher Mansion sponsored jointly with Literary Detroit and Write-A-House. The Helen Zell Writers’ Program is committed to fostering community and providing our students with varied opportunities for development as writers, artists, and responsive, invested human beings.
About "A Perfect Life":
A luminous and insightful novel that considers the moral complexities of scientific discovery and the sustaining nature of love. A young researcher at MIT, Jane Weiss is obsessed with finding the genetic marker for Valentine’s Disease, a neurodegenerative disorder. Her pursuit is deeply personal—Valentine’s killed her mother, and she and her freewheeling sister, Laurel, could be genetic carriers; each has a fifty percent chance of developing the disease. Having seen firsthand the devastating effect Valentine’s had on her parents’ marriage, Jane is terrified she might become a burden on whomever she falls in love with and so steers clear of romantic entanglement. Then, the summer before her father’s second wedding, Jane falls hard for her future stepbrother, Willie. But Willie’s father also died from Valentine’s, raising the odds that their love will end in tragedy.
When Willie bolts at a crucial moment in their relationship, Jane becomes obsessed with finding the genetic marker to the disease that threatens both their families. But if she succeeds in making history, will she and her sister have the courage to face the truth this newfound knowledge could hold for their lives? A Perfect Life is a novel of scientific and self discovery, about learning how to embrace life and love, no matter what may come. Eileen Pollack conjures a thought-provoking, emotionally resonant story of one woman’s brilliance and bravery as she confronts her deepest fears and desires—and comes to accept the inevitable and the unexpected.
| Building: | Hatcher Graduate Library |
|---|---|
| Event Type: | Other |
| Tags: | Books, Literature, Writing |
| Source: | Happening @ Michigan from Institute for the Humanities, University of Michigan Helen Zell Writers' Program, Department of English Language and Literature, Women in Science and Engineering (WISE) Program |
Many HZWP events are free and open to the public. For additional information, including information about co-sponsorships, please contact the MFA Office at 734.615.3710.
