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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.

 

 

Jeffrey Eugenides w/Claire Vaye Watkins

Literati Bookstore
Sunday, October 8, 2017
7:00-8:00 PM
Rogel Ballroom Michigan Union Map
Literati is thrilled to welcome Jeffrey Eugenides to Ann Arbor in support of the Pulitzer Prize winning author's first short story collection, Fresh Complaint. Following the reading, Jeffrey will be joined by Guggenheim award winning author and Helen Zell Writers' Program faculty member Claire Vaye Watkins. A Q&A and signing will follow.

Jeffrey Eugenides's bestselling novels have shown him to be an astute observer of the crises of adolescence, self-discovery, family love, and what it means to be American in our times. The stories in Fresh Complaint explore equally rich--and intriguing--territory. Ranging from the bitingly reproductive antics of "Baster" to the dreamy, moving account of a young travelers search for enlightenment in "Air Mail" (selected by Annie Proulx for Best American Short Stories), this collection presents characters in the midst of personal and national emergencies. We meet a failed poet who, envious of other peoples wealth during the real-estate bubble, becomes an embezzler; a clavichordist whose dreams of art founder under the obligations of marriage and fatherhood; and, in "Fresh Complaint," a high school student whose wish to escape the strictures of her immigrant family lead her to a drastic decision that upends the life of a middle-aged British physicist. Narratively compelling, beautifully written, and packed with a density of ideas despite their fluid grace, these stories chart the development and maturation of a major American writer.
Building: Michigan Union
Cost: Tickets may be purchased through Literati Bookstore
Website:
Event Type: Other
Tags: Books, Culture, Literature, Storytelling, Writing
Source: Happening @ Michigan from University of Michigan Helen Zell Writers' 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.