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Penn speaks Thursday in ‘Visiting Writers Series’ |
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Tuesday, 19 September 2006 |
by ALLISON CASEY
Lifestyles Reporter
Students who choose to attend Thursday’s Hughlene Bostian Frank Visiting Writers Series will not be “killing time.”
Native American essayist and award-winning author of “Killing Time with Strangers,” W.S. Penn, visits Appalachian State University as part of the series.
“I’m really looking forward to coming to Appalachian and seeing all [it has] to offer,” Penn said.
Penn, who is the winner of the Before Columbus Foundation’s American
Book Award, will speak Thursday at 7:30 p.m. in the Table Rock Room of
Plemmons Student Union.
He will also deliver a craft talk called, “Who Needs Talent When We’ve
Got Hard Work?” in Table Rock from 12:30 p.m.-1:45 p.m. on Thursday.
“I like to think of my talks as journeys,” Penn said. “I hope people can sit down and come along with it.”
Although his exact readings are unplanned as of yet, Penn said he plans
to read from several of his works including his novel, “Killing Time
with Strangers.”
“It’s the one that people have probably been most exposed to,” he said. “It’s also funny, and people react well.”
During his craft talk, Penn plans to discuss the hard work that goes into both the reading and writing process.
One of the interesting things that Penn does as a writer is to sit down
each day and have a block of uninterrupted time for writing, assistant
professor of English Tammy J. Wahpeconiah said.
As a mixed-blood Nez Perce, Penn writes primarily about Native Americans.
“We had Simon Ortiz last year,” Wahpeconiah said. “I’m happy to have Native American writers.”
Penn, who directs the creative writing program at Michigan State
University, said he enjoys meeting students but does not tailor his
presentations based on the audience.
“With students I often get very sophisticated questions,” he said.
“He’s really good with students,” Wahpeconiah said.
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