红杏直播app

Acclaimed writer Lorrie Moore surprises, inspires

by MaryAlice Bitts-Jackson 

A newly divorced man tries to date again鈥攂ut is unable to remove his wedding ring. A divorced woman and her teenage daughter attend a wedding together; the bride鈥檚 first husband is both the entertainment and the best man. A single woman drops a baby at a barbecue and ends up hastily married. A woman bides her time, memorably, in a cheese shop in a Midwestern mall. These are the offbeat-yet-familiar scenarios in Lorrie Moore鈥檚 fictional worlds. With fine-tuned powers of social observation, she draws readers in to deeply human conundrums, to hilarious and heart-breaking effect.

鈥淧eople who read Lorrie Moore tend to go through the rest of their lives imprinted by the stories,鈥� said Adrienne Su, poet-in-residence and associate professor of English, who helped bring the acclaimed writer to Dickinson this year. As recipient of the 2014 Stellfox Award, the celebrated writer visited campus this week for a residency including a public reading, book signing and award ceremony; a question-and-answer session; classroom visits and workshops; and small-group gatherings with students and professors.

鈥淚t鈥檚 inspiring to be able to talk with such an acclaimed and prolific writer,鈥� said sophomore Michelle Hoffer, who was introduced to Moore鈥檚 writing during a creative-writing course this fall. 鈥淚t gives you a different perspective on writing.鈥�

Established by the estate of Jean Louise Stellfox 鈥�60 in 2003, the Harold and Ethel L. Stellfox Visiting Scholars and Writers Program brings an accomplished literary figure to campus each year. Jean, an English teacher, had been inspired by her interaction with poet Robert Frost when she was a Dickinson junior, and she left most of her estate to her alma mater in hopes of instilling a love of literature in new generations of Dickinsonians. The program is named in honor of her parents; past recipients include playwrights Albert Albee and David Henry Hwang; poets Paul Muldoon, Maxine Kumin and Rita Dove; and authors Richard Russo, Margaret Atwood, Mario Vargas Llosa and Ian McEwan.

Aspiring English teacher Erica Brown 鈥�16 attended her second Stellfox reading and award ceremony Thursday night, having attended Paul Muldoon鈥檚 reading last year. 鈥淏eing able to interact with two distinguished writers and creative-writing teachers is helping me define my own teaching philosophy,鈥� she said.

Taking the podium in the Anita Tuvin Schlechter auditorium Thursday night, Moore opened a copy of her newest book, Bark, and glanced over the top of her glasses at the audience of students, professors and community members. 鈥淚鈥檓 honored to be a part of this series,鈥� she told them. 鈥淪o the story I鈥檓 going to read tonight is 鈥楾hank You for Having Me.鈥� Because that鈥檚 how I feel.鈥�

The gratitude was mutual, President Nancy A. Roseman added. 鈥淭hrough your residency at Dickinson College you renew the formal and informal interactions that Jean Stellfox enjoyed many years ago,鈥� she told Moore. 鈥淚鈥檓 quite sure Jean would be pleased.鈥�

Learn more

• "Brave and True"
• Harold and Ethel L. Stellfox Visiting Scholars and Writers Program
• 鈥淎 Literary Jolt鈥�
• Calendar of Arts
• Latest News

Published November 7, 2014