Celebrating Twenty-Five Years of Fine Writers h Sherman Alexie 3/27 Jon Meacham 9/12 A. S. Byatt 11/12 Belle Boggs 1/16 James Dodson 10/14 Isabel Wilkerson 2/20 Martin Marty 9/13 Lou Berney 11/21 Junot Diaz 10/16 Joseph Bathanti 3/6 Mary Pope Osborne 4/5 VisitingWriters.LR.edu A Note from the Director s a visual artist, photographer, 2013–2014 VisitiNG and filmmaker, I have learned that WRITERS SERIES n our experience with the Visiting Writers Series, luck we foster communication when we STEERING COMMITTEE is not just random chance. It is an act of generosity from bring our stories together. When people who care about making a positive impact on the we take the time to read, to dare Chair SALLY FANJOY culture and emotional well-being of our community. The to be present with our neigh - Series Director RAND BRANDES gifts that we have received have made us feel very lucky bors, and to listen to differing Series Consultant LISA HART Iover the past twenty-five years. We were lucky that when we points of view, we are en - Student Asst. ABIGAIL MCREA presented the initial idea to start the Series to Dr. Robert riched and enlightened. Student Asst. MADISON TURNER Luckey Spuller, then Dean of Lenoir-Rhyne “College,” that We are transformed by fresh thoughts and new TONY ABBOTT he saw its potential and supported it the first year and for Aperspectives. ¶ The Lenoir-Rhyne Visiting Writers MARY HELEN CLINE years to come. We were lucky that subsequent university Series engages a wide spectrum of the community, LAURA COSTELLO Administrations continued to see the value of the Series, promotes civic discourse, creates opportunity for SANDRA DEAL which enabled us to enhance the Series and the cultural and people to come together and to hear new ideas and MIKE DUGAN educational experiences of our students. We are lucky to have attracts visitors from neighboring cities and states. SARAH EMBRY the backing of our President, Dr. Wayne Powell and of our Most importantly it sends out ripples of thoughtful DEVON FISHER Provost, Dr. Larry Hall as we plan for the future. We’ve been energy that reach a diverse population. ¶ Every LRU MICHELE FRANCOIS lucky that the Lenoir-Rhyne faculty has embraced the Series Visiting Writers Series event opens the doors, real and SUSAN GAITHER JONES by incorporating into their classes the works of our visiting imaginative, to all ages and ethnicities and provides a SANFORD GUTTLER writers and by encouraging their students to attend our events. space for creative stimulation. I am grateful to be able CHRISTIAN HARKINS We were lucky to find an ever-evolvingSteering Committee to serve and to help ensure that we keep our hearts KEITH HART of talented community members who were passionate about and minds open for the future of our community and KELLEY HURLEY reading and improving the quality of life in our area. We have for our children. VERONICA MCCOMB been lucky because these Steering Committee members CHRISANNE MITCHELL have helped us identify writers whose stars were rising and Sally Fanjoy, Chair ADELIA PARRADO-ORTIZ to bring them to Lenoir-Rhyne just as they burst onto the Lenoir-Rhyne University CARINA RICHARDSON national scene. We’ve been lucky to receive the enthusiastic Visiting Writers Series MISA SHUFORD support of our local and state Arts Councils, foundations, Steering Committee ALLISON WHITTON and corporate sponsors who continue to believe in us and in the importance of literary arts programming. We’ve been With a special thank you to Elizabeth lucky to collaborate with many local cultural, civic, and Harris Brandes ~ Muse to the Series, government organizations on projects that have changed Goddess of Generosity, and Guardian of Goodness (and Grammar) for 25 years. our communities and our hearts and minds. We were lucky when we started The BIG Read and brought the traveling Vietnam War Memorial “The Wall that Heals” to Hickory or sponsored Wes Moore’s visit, a visit that was so important to our youth. When Soledad O’Brien interviewed Mitchell Gold and initiated an on-going conversation on lgbt rights, we were lucky to have helped open those doors. We were lucky to be able to launch The Little Read, an elementary school arts literacy program, thanks to the generosity of Ron and Sandra Deal and their family. We were lucky to find so many smart and energetic student assistants like Madison Turner and Abigail McRea and administrative assistants like Lisa Hart to manage the daily demands of the program. Finally, we were lucky to live in a community that values higher education, supports our students, and sustains the Series through their generous contributions that allow us to keep our events free and open to the public. Now that’s what I call luck! Thanks to all of you for your many, many gifts. Sincerely, Rand Brandes, August 23, 2013 3 A Quarter Century of Literary Elites paST VWS STEERING COMMITTEE MEMBERS An Evening with undreds of elite writers have made the pilgrimage LOUISE ACKERMAN to Hickory, North Carolina, for the past twenty-five JULIA ALLEN years. Some have won Nobel and Pulitzer prizes. Jon Meacham NANCY ALLEN Others have sold millions of books around the Thursday, September 12, 2013 DALE BAILEY world. ¶ They come to Hickory for one reason: to P. E. Monroe Auditorium, 7:00 PM ANNE BEACH Hparticipate in Lenoir-Rhyne University’s Visiting Writers Series. DEANNE BLACKBURN The authors draw big crowds eager to hear them read from Jon Meacham is a Pulitzer CONNIE BRAY their works. It’s not uncommon for visiting writers to engage Prize-winning author and BECKY CARR with LR’s students and faculty in intimate panel discussions executive editor at Random KATE CARTWRIGHT or question and answer sessions. They also interact with their House. He is a former co- BARRY DELLINGER fans for photos and autographs. ¶ The series was born of one anchor of the public-affairs JOHN DEPERCZEL man’s passion: Dr. Rand Brandes joined LR’s faculty in 1988 broadcast “Need to Know MATTHEW FEREBEE and two months later started the Visiting Writers Series.¶ on PBS” and former editor LInda FERGUSON Dr. Anthony Abbott, a long-time supporter of the series and of Newsweek. His most BECKY FERRELL retired English department chair at Davidson College, served recent book is Thomas Jefferson: The Art of Power, MARTHA FOGLEMAN as LR’s visiting-writer-in-residence in the spring of 2007. And a number one New York Times bestseller. It has CLEM GEITNER he’s served on its board ever since. ¶ “The VWS is remarkably been named one of the best books of 2012 by the ELIN GEORGE successful, not only because of its consistently fine list of New York Times Book Review, the Washington KIM GILLILAND writers and its variety of styles and personalities, but because Post, Entertainment Weekly, and the Seattle Times, AMY GREENSFELDER of how well the writers are cared for at LR, especially by Rand among others. His book American Lion: Andrew KAY GREGORY [Brandes], who has done an absolutely stunning job of running Jackson in the White House was awarded the JOANNE HALE the program,” Abbott said. “I know of no program that does Pulitzer Prize in 2009. He is also the author of two LISSA HAMILTON more to enhance the national reputation of Lenoir-Rhyne.” more bestsellers: Franklin and Winston (2003) and ANNA HARRISON ¶ In addition to founding and directing the VWS, Brandes American Gospel (2006). Meacham, executive editor RICH HAUNTON serves as the University’s Martin Luther Stevens professor of and executive vice president of Random House, is a WHITNEY HEavnER English. He’s a poet too, specializing in traditional verse with a contributing editor to Time magazine, former editor BARBARA HERMAN musicality and lyricism that hints at his background in studying of Newsweek, and has written for publications such SUSAN HESTERBERG Irish poetry. ¶ Brandes earned his master’s and his Ph.D. from as the New York Times and the KATHY IVEY Emory University in Atlanta before moving to Wake Forest Washington Post, among KIRSTIN JOHNSON University, where he taught for three years before making his others. Gordon Wood KENYON KELLY way to LR. ¶ Since Brandes’s arrival, Lenoir-Rhyne has spent says of Meacham’s JOHN KENNY the past twenty-five years hosting some of the nation’s best- Thomas Jefferson, SCOTT LAIL known authors — from John Updike and Frank McCourt to “Probably the best EILEEN & JOHN LEACH Alice Walker and Nobel Prize-winning poet Seamus Heaney. single-volume NANCY LISK Fortunately, thanks to a series of generous gifts, including a biography of Jefferson TanYA MELVILLE $1.7 million bequest, the VWS is fiscally sound and has a bright ever written.” STEVE NEUVILLE future ahead of it. ¶ Whether the author speaks to a packed NEAL ORGAIN house in the P. E. Monroe Auditorium, Belk Centrum, or a more TIM PEELER intimate audience in LR’s Carl A. Rudisill Library, the reception PHYLLIS PROCTOR given to the visiting writer is the same: faculty, students, and the ADRIAN RICE community turn out in enthusiastic force. ¶ “In Ireland we pride PATTY SCHENK ourselves on our hospitality and generosity to visitors. Well, AManda SPERRY both of these qualities were found in abundance on campus,” ALICE & BOB SPULLER said Irish poet Joan McBreen of her visit to LR during the 2010– ED TaSHIJIAN 2011 school year. ¶ “People asked genuine, caring questions, DEB WaKEFIELD seemed invested in reading and understanding and discussing PATTY WHEELER viewpoints . I loved it and would definitely recommend LR ANNE WILLIAMS to others. In fact, I have done that,” said Arab-American poet, BOB WILLIAMS novelist, and songwriter Naomi Shihab Nye of her visit to LR TaMMY WILSON during the 2005–2006 school year.