FALL 2020
VIRTUAL FREE & OPEN TO THE PUBLIC.
Presented in ZeLL VIsIting partnership with the University of Michigan WRITERS SERIES Museum of Art.
SEPTEMBER 3 & 4 ALL EVENTS TAKE PLACE VIA ZOOM. Kaveh Akbar Thursdays, 5-6:30pm Janey Lack Visiting Writer in Poetry Reading and Q&A Akbar’s debut book of poetry, Fridays, 10-11am Calling a Wolf a Wolf, confronts Craft Lecture addiction and the path of REGISTER & LOGIN recovery— traversing faith, the self, and the constant battle of tinyurl.com/ZellWriters alcoholism and sobriety. Please contact [email protected] with any questions or accommodation needs.
OCTOBER 29 & 30 SEPTEMBER 17 & 18 Megha Majumdar Eduardo C. Corral Zell Visiting Writer in Fiction Zell Visiting Writer in Poetry Majumdar’s debut novel, Corral’s harrowing book of A Burning, follows three poetry, Guillotine, gives voice unforgettable characters and depth to undocumented whose lives are entangled in immigrants, border patrol the wake of a catastrophe in agents, and scorned lovers contemporary India. Her work through dramatic portraits of tackles class, fate, corruption, contradiction, survival, and justice, and what it feels like to deeply human, relentless face profound obstacles and yet interiority. nurture big dreams in a country spinning toward extremism. OCTOBER 15 & 16 NOVEMBER 5 & 6 Tea Obreht Zell Visiting Writer in Fiction Patricia Smith Zell Visiting Writer in Poetry Obreht’s New York Times bestselling novel, Inland, is Smith’s latest book of poetry, grounded in true but little- Incendiary Art, showcases her known history of the lawless, mastery of poetic forms—from drought-ridden lands of the her Motown crown of sonnets to Arizona Territory in 1893. elegant ghazals—and fearlessly Mythical, lyrical, and sweeping engages with America’s in scope, the novel subverts and continuous war on black bodies. reimagines the myths of the The book earned a Kingsley Tufts American West. Poetry Award and was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize.
OCTOBER 22 & 23 DECEMBER 3 & 4 Jenny Zhang Lauren Groff Zell Visiting Writer in Fiction Janey Lack Distinguished Writer in Residence Zhang’s debut story collection, Groff’s latest book, a story Sour Heart, centers on collection called Florida, immigrants who have traded explores loneliness, rage, family, their endangered lives as and the passage of time. With artists in China and Taiwan for shocking accuracy and effect, the constant struggle of life she pinpoints the moments, at the poverty line in 1990s decisions, and connections New York City. She's currently behind human pleasure and adapting Sour Heart into a pain, hope and despair, love and fury— feature-length film for A24. the moments that make us alive.