Writers’ Workshop alumna and former UI instructor Joy Williams will present a free reading at 8 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 5, in the Frank Conroy Reading Room of the Glenn Schaeffer Library, adjacent to the Dey House.
Williams, an Ida Beam Visiting Professor, is the author of four novels. Her first, State of Grace, was nominated for a National Book Award for Fiction. Her most recent novel, The Quick and the Dead, was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction. Her first collection of short stories was Taking Care, published in 1982. A second collection, Escapes, followed in 1990. A 2001 essay collection, Ill Nature: Rants and Reflections on Humanity and Other Animals, was a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award for Criticism. Honored Guest, a collection of short stories, was published in 2004. A 30th anniversary reprint of The Changeling was issued in 2008 with an introduction by the American novelist Rick Moody.
Her stories and essays are frequently anthologized, and she has received many awards and honors, including the Harold and Mildred Strauss Living Award from the American Academy of Arts and Letters and the Rea Award for the Short Story.
The Iowa Writers’ Workshop is a graduate program in the University of Iowa College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.
Individuals with disabilities are encouraged to attend all UI-sponsored events. If you are a person with a disability who requires a reasonable accommodation in order to attend this reading or for more information, call the Writers’ Workshop in advance at 319-335-0416.
For a UI arts calendar and details about upcoming events visit the Arts Iowa website.