The University of Memphis River City Writers Series will host novelist Madison Smartt Bell for a book reading and public interview on Monday and Tuesday.
Bell will read from his works at 8 p.m. in the University Center Bluff Room on Monday and will take part in an interview with students in Patterson Hall, room 456, at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday. Both events are free and open to the public.
Bell, a native of Nashville, has penned 15 novels, including "All Souls' Rising," his historical narrative about Haiti that won the 1996 Anisfield-Wolf Book Award for best book dealing with race.
River Writer Series director and associate English professor Cary Holladay said Bell is a prolific writer whose works touch on a tremendous range of subject matter.
Holladay said Bell will probably read from his latest volume: "The Color of Night," a dark, apocalyptic novel that delves into the violence of the Sept. 11 attacks through its impact on a troubled casino dealer in Nevada. Afterward, the author will talk to the group and answer questions.
Holladay said since its creation in 1977, River City Writers Series has generally brought two to three writers each semester, giving students and the public a chance to meet and talk with award-winning wordsmiths.
"This contact can instruct and inspire our students in the craft of writing," she said.
