THIS EVENT HAS BEEN CANCELED BECAUSE OF WEATHER-RELATED TRAVEL COMPLICATIONS IN DENVER

BOONE—Jess Walter visits Appalachian State University March 25 for a Hughlene Bostian Frank Visiting Writers Series presentation.

Walter will present a craft talk titled “The Shape of the Thing: Finding Structure in Voice” at 3:30 p.m. in Plemmons Student Union’s Price Lake Room followed by a 7:30 p.m. reading in the student union’s Table Rock Room.

His presentation is free and open to the public. Books will be available for sales and signing.

Walter is the author of five novels, the most recent of which is “The Financial Lives of the Poets,” which was released in September 2009. His book “The Zero” was a finalist for the 2006 National Book Award. His novel “Citizen Vince” won the 2005 Edgar Allan Poe Award for best novel.

A reviewer with the Boston Globe wrote “Lifts off like a rocket … This vigorous, engaging novel is one of the sharpest satires to come along in years” in praise of “The Financial Lives of the Poets.”  The Washington Post review stated the book was “A deliciously antic tale of an American dream gone very sour … sharp, wide-eyed, soulful … a scathing indictment of our country’s character and the ‘ruined systems’ we labor under.”

Walter also wrote “Ruby Ridge” about the lengthy confrontation in Northern Idaho between white separatist Randy Weaver and federal agents. The book was originally published as “Every Knee Shall Bow” and was made into a 1996 CBS miniseries.

Walter has been a finalist for the L.A. Times Book Prize and the PEN USA Literary Prize in both fiction and nonfiction. His books have been New York Times, Washington Post and NPR best books of the year and have been translated into 20 languages.

Parking is available after 5 p.m. on campus. Parking nearest Plemmons Student Union is located in the College Street parking deck next to Belk Library and Information Commons.

The Visiting Writers Series is supported by the Appalachian State University Foundation; Appalachian’s offices of Academic Affairs, Multicultural Student Development, and Cultural Affairs; the College of Arts and Sciences, the Department of English, University College, The Center for Appalachian Studies, the Writing Across the Curriculum program, the Sustainable Development Program, the Summer Reading Program, the University Bookstore, and The Appalachian Journal.

Business sponsors are The Gideon Ridge Inn and The Red Onion Restaurant. Community sponsors include John and Marjorie Idol, Paul and Judy Tobin, Alice Naylor, Thomas McLaughlin, Mildred Luckhardt and The High Country Writers.

The Visiting Writers Series is named in honor of Hughlene Bostian Frank, class of 1968, a trustee and generous supporter of Appalachian State University.

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