Spalding University’s Festival of Contemporary Writing, the state’s largest fall-spring reading series, will take place Saturday, Nov. 13, through Friday, Nov. 19, with readings by faculty and guests of the low-residency graduate programs of Spalding’s School of Creative and Professional Writing. Critically acclaimed poet Kiki Petrosino, author of White Blood and winner of the Spalding Prize for the Promotion of Peace and Justice in Literature, headlines the festival as Distinguished Visiting Writer.
All readings and events are free, ticketless, and open to the public. The University’s Covid-19 protocols require all participants to be masked while indoors. Plenty of free parking is available for the campus readings.
6:30 – 7:30 p.m. Saturday, November 13. Faculty Reading. (Brown Hotel, Citation Room, ground floor.) Masks required for all in attendance.
- Lynnell Edwards (poetry), This Great Green Valley
- Rachel Harper (fiction), This Side of Providence
- Bruce Marshall Romans (TV writing), Messiah
- Ellen Hagan (writing for children and young adults), Watch Us Rise (with Renée
Watson) - Kathleen Driskell (poetry), Blue Etiquette
5:30 – 6:30 p.m. Sunday, November 14. Faculty Reading. (Egan Leadership Center, 901 S. Fourth St.) Masks required for all in attendance.
- K. L. Cook (fiction), Marrying Kind
- Kira Obolensky (playwriting), Why We Laugh: A Terezin Cabaret
- Dianne Aprile (creative nonfiction), The Eye is Not Enough: On Seeing and Remembering
- Leah Henderson (writing for children and young adults), A Day for Rememberin’ (virtual appearance)
- Sam Zalutsky (screenwriting), Seaside
6:00 – 7:00 p.m. Wednesday, November 17. Distinguished Visiting Writer Kiki Petrosino discusses White Blood: A Lyric of Virginia. (Auditorium, Columbia Gym, 824 S. Fourth St.) Masks required for all in attendance.
Introduction by Kathleen Driskell. Book signing to follow.
11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. Friday, November 19. Faculty Reading. (Egan Leadership Center, 901 S. Fourth St.) Masks required for all in attendance.
- Jason Kyle Howard (professional writing and editing; creative nonfiction), A Few Honest Words: The Kentucky Roots of Popular Music
- Maggie Smith (poetry), Goldenrod
- Elaine Neil Orr (creative nonfiction; fiction), Swimming Between Worlds
- Silas House (fiction), Southernmost
The reading schedule may change without notice. Check Facebook for updated information: Facebook.com/SpaldingSchoolofWriting. For more information, email [email protected].
The School of Creative and Professional Writing at Spalding University offers three low-residency programs, including the flagship 65-credit-hour MFA in Writing program; a 35-credit Master of Arts in Writing, offering tracks in creative writing and professional writing & editing; and a 15-credit graduate certificate in writing, also with two tracks. The School of Writing offers concentrations in fiction; poetry; creative nonfiction; writing for children and young adults; writing for TV, screen, and stage; and professional writing and editing. Students begin the semester in the spring, summer, or fall with a residency in Louisville or abroad, then return home for an independent study with a faculty mentor for the rest of the semester. Students may customize the location, season, and pace of their studies. See spalding.edu/writing for more information, or find us on Twitter @SpaldingWriting