Award winning author comes to the U.P.

Students will have the opportunity this week to hear award-winning author Robert Olen Butler read from his newest novel, “Hell.” “I think it’s a really exciting opportunity to meet a very successful writer,” said Rebecca Johns, assistant professor of English. Johns encourages Northern students to attend this reading by such a notable author and thinks it will be a very interesting event. Butler won the Pulitzer Prize for his story collection, “A Good Scent from a Strange Mountain,” as well as multiple other honors including the National Magazine Award and the National Fiction Award. This author of 11 novels will read an excerpt from his comedy, “Hell,” and answer questions from the audience. Butler is currently a professor of creative writing at Florida State University and helps many students find their way as young writers. This event is sponsored by the English department and Passages North literary magazine, and is free to both NMU students and the public. It will take place at the Women’s Federated Clubhouse, 104 W. Ridge St. Marquette, on Thursday, Nov. 5 at 7:30 p.m. Students are recommended to arrive early to ensure admission.

– Delaney Lovett

Site makes sharing writing easier

Students interested in sharing their work with other people in a national forum now have the opportunity. The National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) is taking entries into the National Gallery of Writing. NMU associate professor of English, Kia Richmond, a member of the NCTE, is encouraging all students, staff and faculty to participate in the national project by submitting their work to the gallery. “Because there is only one entry accepted per person per gallery, even the journey of trying to pick what describes and depicts you best in a piece of writing or video or otherwise is inspiring,” Richmond said. There are many galleries available to choose from, in a wide in a variety of topics, geographical locations, universities and other categories. Participants can also start their own galleries on a topic of their choice and serve as curators. All kinds of writers are invited to submit a anything that is meaningful to them: poems, e-mails, short stories, journals, pictures, videos and more are accepted. “As a teacher who teaches future teachers writing for many reasons, this is a chance to validate writing without being judged or graded. It’s a great opportunity,” Richmond said. For more information, consult the National Gallery of Writing Web site at www.galleryofwriting.org or Associate Professor Kia Richmond at [email protected].

– Lucia Lopez