FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Cindy Deppe, media relations, 641-269-4834

January 10, 2007

WRITERS@GRINNELL SERIES RE-OPENS JAN. 24

Grinnell College’s Writers@Grinnell program for second semester will open Jan. 24 with a diverse schedule of accomplished writers from varied genres.

"The Writers@Grinnell program this spring involves writers inside and outside of mainstream publishing," said Ralph Savarese, associate professor of English and director of the writers program. "Their writing accomplishments--as graphic novelists, lyricists, and lawyers--expand the aspiring writers’ viewpoint of what is possible."

During January and February, the Writers@Grinnell schedule includes:

Jan. 24: Graphic novelist and comic strip author Josh Elder, who will read from his novel series "Mail Order Ninja" and his latest romantic comedy graphic novel, "Love Bytes." Elder’s "Ninja" is a syndicated comic strip in more than 45 major newspapers. He is currently working on the DC Comics’ series "The Batman Strikes."

Jan. 31: Fiction writer Padgett Powell will read from his short stories set in Southern literary tradition "proving what a wonderful and silly thing it is to be Southern, and, ultimately, human." Powell, who has published four novels and two collections of short stories, teaches in the MFA program at the University of Florida, at the Summer Literary Seminars, St. Petersburg, Russia, and previously at the Sewanee Writers Conference.

Feb. 14: Poet F.D. Reeve will read from two new books of poetry, "The Blue Cat Walks the Earth" and "The Toy Soldier." Professor Emeritus of English from Wesleyan University, Reeve is the author of 10 volumes of poetry, seven books of fiction, three books of literary criticism, and 12 books of translation. He received an award in literature from the American Academy of Arts and Letters.

Feb. 16: Reeve will combine talents with musician Eric Chasalow to present "The Puzzle Master, Oratorio," at 7:30 p.m. in Sebring-Lewis Hall of the Bucksbaum Center for the Arts. "The Puzzle Master" is the Greek mythological poem "Icarus" set to music that examines modern-day political and cultural values. Chasalow, professor of composition and director of Brandeis University’s Electro-Acoustic Music Studio, is widely recognized as one of the few composers of both electro-acoustic and traditional ensemble music. The oratorio production complements an interdisciplinary poetry and composition course team-taught at Grinnell by Savarese and Professor of Music John Rommereim.

All Writers@Grinnell events will be held in the Joe Rosenfield ’25 Center, Room 101, at 8 p.m. on the Grinnell College campus unless otherwise noted. The series will continue in March and April with readings by local writers Steve Andrews and Harley McIlrath (Mar. 6), distinguished author Ana Castillo (Apr. 10), and disability writers Steve Kuusisto and Kenny Fries (Apr. 17).

For more information about the Writers@Grinnell program, go to http://www.grinnell.edu/academic/english/creative/conference/. The Rosenfield Center is located at 1115 8th Ave. on the Grinnell College campus.

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