Novelist Blackwell to appear as UCA Artist in Residence

CONWAY — Novelist Elise Blackwell will become part of the University of Central Arkansas’ 2010 Artist in Residence program Tuesday, March 9, and Wednesday, March 10. Blackwell will give a public reading and sign copies of her books at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 9, in Room 102 of the Lewis Science Center. On Wednesday, March 10, Blackwell will give a craft lecture/Q & A from noon to 1 p.m. in Winfred Thompson Hall 331.

Both events are free and open to the public.

Garry Craig Powell, assistant professor of writing at UCA, said Blackwell was chosen for the Artist in Residence program because she is a superb novelist whose unique work deserves to be much better known.

“First, Elise writes with great psychological insight about people facing terrible ethical dilemmas; second, much of her writing is about memory, about the burden of the past and how the moral decisions we make affect our whole lives; third, she writes with great precision and knowledge about fascinating worlds - Leningrad in the Second World War, Louisiana during the great flood of 1927,”Powell said. “And finally, she’s tremendously versatile. She is equally adept at handling tragic events and uproarious comedy - sometimes on the same page.” Blackwell is the author of three novels: Hunger; Grub;

and The Unnatural History of Cypress Parish.

Her fourth novel, An Unfinished Score, is to be released this spring.

According to eliseblackwell.com, “Her books have been chosen for numerous ‘best of the year’ lists, including the Los Angeles Times, Sydney Morning Herald and Kirkus. Her short stories and cultural criticism have appeared in Witness, Topic, Seed, Global City Review, Quick Fiction and elsewhere, and she has given readings at dozens of literary festivals, universitiesand bookstores.” Powell said people interested in writing would benefit from Blackwell’s residency in two ways.

“In the first place, they often become acquainted with the work of a wonderful writer for the first time, but also, they have the chance to listen to that writer talking about her work and to ask questions about the writing process, which may help the apprentice writer with his own craft,” Powell said.

The Artist in Residence program is funded through UCA’s arts fee and is administered by the College of Fine Arts and Communication.

For more information, call the Office of the Dean, College of Fine Arts and Communication, at (501) 450-3293 or email smaiden.uca.edu.

River Valley Ozark, Pages 141 on 02/28/2010

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