National Day on Writing Events Kick Off FAU's Yearlong Literary Series

FAU will celebrate National Day on Writing on Monday, Oct. 20 at 6 p.m. with an event highlighting newly published authors in the Department of English. The event will take place in the General Classrooms South building, room 215, 777 Glades Road, Boca Raton campus. It is free and open to the public.

Andrew Furman will present his book "Bitten: My Unexpected Love Affair with Florida," in which he shares his appreciation of the natural beauty of South Florida. Furman's other books include the memoir, "My Los Angeles in Black and (Almost) White" and the novel "Alligators May Be Present." Kate Schmitt will talk about her lyric memoir "Singing Bones," which won the 2013 Zone 3 Press Creative Nonfiction Book Award, and Mark Scroggins will present from his books of poetry "Red Arcadia," "Torture Garden: Naked City Pastorelles" and "Anarchy."

FAU's yearlong literary series continues on Wednesday, Nov. 12 at 7 p.m. with "Writing and Publishing Your First Book." The event, which will take place in the Live Oak Pavilion of the Student Union, Boca Raton campus, will include a panel-style discussion of the pitfalls and pleasures of getting your first book published. Panelists include award-winning writers Jaswinder Bolina, David Poissant, and Julie Marie Wade.

Bolina is author of the books "Phantom Camera," winner of the 2012 Green Rose Prize in Poetry from New Issues Press, and "Carrier Wave," winner of the 2006 Colorado Prize for Poetry from the Center for Literary Publishing at Colorado State University. Poissant is the author of "The Heaven of Animals: Stories" and his work has appeared in The Atlantic, The Chicago Tribune, The New York Times, and many others. Wade is the author of two collections of lyric nonfiction, "Wishbone: A Memoir in Fractures" and "Small Fires;" two collections of poetry, "Without" and "Postage Due: Poems & Prose Poems;" the creative nonfiction book "Tremolo: An Essay;" and the newly released "When I Was Straight: Poems."

Other events in the literary series include:

• Tuesday, Jan. 27, 2015, at 7:30 p.m., author Roxane Gay will talk about her short stories
• Thursday , Feb. 12, 2015, at 7 p.m., Rebecca Solnit will present her books about environment, landscape, community, art and the power of stories
• Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2015, 7 p.m., Phil Klay, a Marine Corps veteran, will discuss his story "Redeployment" and other writings
• Thursday, March 26, 2015 at 4 p.m., Lucie Brock-Broido will discuss her most recent book "Stay, Illusion," which was a finalist for the 2013 National Book Award in poetry and the National Book Critics Circle Award    

All Literary Series events are free and open to the public and are presented by FAU's Department of English with support from Chris and Lori Fleuhr. For more information about the series or to receive a brochure with information about all the events, contact Mary Sheffield at 561-297-2974 or visit www.fau.edu/english.