Award-winning fiction author Lee Smith will be explaining her writing methods in an upcoming discussion called "A Life in Books" on Thursday, Feb. 21 in the University Center Theatre.
In the discussion, Smith will be reflecting on the correlation between her writing style and growing up. Her most recent book, "Mrs. Darcy and the Blue-Eyed Stranger," will be available for sale after the event, along with her other fiction works and collections of short stories.
Throughout her career, Smith has won an Academy Award in Literature from the American Academy of Arts and Letters, the North Carolina Award for Literature and a Southern Book Critics Circle Award. She has written 12 books, both fiction and short story collections.
Cary Holladay, director of the River City Writers Series, said the event is beneficial to writers and non-writers alike.
"It's for everybody," Holladay said. "Students, faculty, people who love writing, books-They can be enriched [by this event]. They're fun and educational."
The series, which has existed since 1977, is the longest-running visiting writer program, according to Holladay. The Creative Writing Club, the Department of English, Student Event Allocation and the Hohenberg Foundation sponsor the series.
"The program brings top contemporary writers to the University," Holladay said. "It's a wonderful tradition of bringing outstanding writers here."
Courtney Santo, instructor of English, has taught one of Smith's books for her novel oral history class. According to her, students have responded positively to Smith's work, which has a strong down-home voice that students can relate to in subject matter, Southern language and locations. Parts of Tennessee are sometimes showcased in Smith's work, providing a tangible place in which many U of M students know.
"She tells generational stories," Santo said. "'Southern folk' is a good way to describe it."
Not only does Smith connect with Southerners, but women, too. Smith is also a women's writer, Santo said, writing about women's roles and what it means to be a woman in itself. Family comes up in Smith's work frequently, along with the decisions that women make in the home.
U of M students, particularly ones who may be just delving into the world of literature or reading, will benefit from this type of event, Santo said. An entry into the world of Smith would help students learn how to tell their own stories.
"She is an accessible writer," Santo said. "She writes beautiful sentences, not sentences that will take you three days to figure out. It's subject matter you're interested in and it's a wonderful example about how to tell stories, which college students are just learning how to do."
The River City Writers Series and the Marcus W. Orr Center for the Humanities are sponsoring the event, which is free and open to the public. A reception begins at 6 p.m. and the program starts at 6:30 p.m.
