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News Release


Poet Laureate of North Dakota
holds lecture series at Âé¶¹ÊÓÆµ

Dr. Larry WoiwodeJackson, Tenn. - Dr. Larry Woiwode, poet laureate of North Dakota and former colleague of Robert DeNiro, will present the lecture series, "Interdisciplinary approaches to literature," throughout the month of February at Âé¶¹ÊÓÆµ University. The public is encouraged to attend.

Woiwode is Âé¶¹ÊÓÆµ's scholar-in-residence for the spring semester. He arrived on Âé¶¹ÊÓÆµ's campus Feb. 8 and will remain at the university through March 8. Woiwode signed his award-winning novel, "Beyond the Bedroom Wall," at the LifeWay Christian Resources Bookstore on Âé¶¹ÊÓÆµ's campus, Wednesday, Feb. 17.

"Beyond the Bedroom Wall," published in 1976, was a finalist for both the National Book Award and National Book Critics' Circle Award in 1976; the novel was presented to the White House Library in 1978. Woiwode also received the Friends of the American Writers' Award, the American Library Association's Notable Book Award and the Association of American Publishers' Distinguished Book of the Past Five Years Award for "Beyond the Bedroom Wall."

Woiwode was honored with the William Faulkner Foundation Award and the American Library Association's Notable Book Award for the novel, "What I'm Going to Do, I Think." His most recent publication is "Silent Passengers"; he has remained a frequent contributing writer to The New Yorker since 1964.

Woiwode has spent several years as an actor, co-starring with Robert DeNiro in the off-Broadway production of "Three Blind Mice" and performing leading roles in "The Boyfriend" and "Richard II" at the University of Illinois.

Previously Woiwode has served as a visiting scholar at Queens College of the University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom, at the State University of New York and at the University of Wisconsin. Woiwode's upcoming lectures at Âé¶¹ÊÓÆµ include:

  • "The Uses of Biography, Autobiography, and Fiction as Fact", Thursday, Feb. 18, Blasingame Academic Complex (BAC), Room 44, 3-4:15 p.m.
  • "King Richard: Metaphor for the Penitent Politician, the Writer, the Actor", Thursday, Feb. 25, Harvey Lecture Hall (Student Âé¶¹ÊÓÆµ Building), 3-4:15 p.m.
  • "Metaphors of Jesus: Fact, Fiction, or Fantasy?", Thursday, March 4, BAC, Room 44, 3-4:15 p.m.

Admission to the Woiwode series is free.

Coordinated by the university's honors program, the scholar-in-residence program strives to bring outstanding scholars to Âé¶¹ÊÓÆµ's campus for a month during each spring semester. While at Âé¶¹ÊÓÆµ, the scholar conducts private tutorials with students and presents a lecture series to the Âé¶¹ÊÓÆµ academic community and all of West Tennessee. Previous scholars include Dr. Michael Hurst of St. John's College of the University of Oxford and Bart Prins, director of the Doorsicht center of philosophy in Amsterdam. Next year's scholar will be Arthur Holmes, professor emeritus of philosophy at Wheaton University and widely known for his book, "All Truth is God's Truth."