UA’s Bankhead Visiting Writers Series Kicks Off with Readings by John Keeble and Hank Lazer

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – John Keeble, prose writer and holder of the Coal Royalty Chair in Creative Writing in The University of Alabama’s College of Arts and Sciences for the fall 2002 semester, and Dr. Hank Lazer, poet, English professor and assistant vice president for UA’s undergraduate programs in the Office for Academic Affairs, will kick off the 2002-03 Bankhead Visiting Writers Series.

The two will read selections on Thursday, Aug. 29, at 7:30 p.m. in 205 Smith Hall. The event is free and open to the public.

Keeble is the author of the investigative book on the Exxon Valdex oil spill, “Out of the Channel.” He also has written four novels, including “Crab Canyon,” “Yellowfish,” “Mine” (with Ransom Jeffrey) and “Broken Ground.” He has been nominated for a Pulitzer Prize for the piece “Black Spring in Valdez,” written for the Village Voice, and an Emmy for his documentary film “To Write and Keep Kind,” about the life of Raymond Carver.

Keeble is the recipient of a Guggenheim Fellowship and is professor emeritus of creative writing at Eastern Washington University. He will teach creative writing classes on the UA campus during the fall semester.

Lazer has published poetry in many of America’s leading literary magazines and journals of experimental writing. He is the author of “Doublespace: Poems 1971-1989,” poems written in several deliberately conflicting styles, which enact essential conflicts within current American literary culture.

He also has published “INTER(IR)RUPTIONS,” a series of 10 collage-poems, and a fine press limited edition of “Negation,” a series of 10 poems. His most recent book, “Days,” was published in 2001.

The Bankhead Visiting Writers Series is made possible by an endowment from the Bankhead Foundation, The University of Alabama’s Program in Creative Writing, the Department of English and the College of Arts and Sciences.

For more information, please contact UA’s creative writing program at 205/348-0766 or visit www.bama.ua.edu/~writing.