2008 Woodie Awards
The Distinguised Visiting Writers Series: Paul Shepard
Charles Wood
Issue date: 1/24/06 Section: Arts & Entertainment
The Distinguished Visiting Writers Series, presented by the MFA writing program, invites notable writers from across the country to give readings throughout the semester, typically on a Thursday at 8p.m. in the Faculty Center. Many of these writers, like this week's guest Paul Shepherd who read from his new book More Like Not Running Away, are alumni of our MFA writing program.
Most of these events follow a particular pattern; this week's reading was no different. Like many of the readings, the majority of the audience was made up of professors and graduate students from the MFA program, a few undergraduate students taking a creative writing course in either fiction or poetry, and the occasional student doing a paper on the event in order to get extra credit for some literature class.
The event officially starts with an introduction, typically from either Professor Terry Kennedy or Professor Michael Parker; Parker gave the introduction for this week. Parker started off citing Shepherd's credits, which included attending UNC-Chapel Hill, University of Virginia, UNCG, and receiving a Ph.D from Florida State. Parker then told an anecdote about a writing class he had with Shepherd where Shepherd would chain smoke Marlboro Reds (this is back in the day when one could actually smoke in class) and then go back to Parker's place and talk about another student in their class who was the son of some famous anchorman.
Parker also quoted a review by Bob Shacochis which described the experience of reading More Like Not Running Away as "walking down a path in the company of a wild animal I had somehow been lulled into thinking was harmless and tame, with no premonition that it would soon enough consume me. Shepherd is a master craftsman, and the subtlety of his art, the unassuming elegance of its architecture, rendered me spellbound and finally grateful. I don't think I shall ever forget this fine book, its honest, guileless voice leading me along into the fire."
Most of these events follow a particular pattern; this week's reading was no different. Like many of the readings, the majority of the audience was made up of professors and graduate students from the MFA program, a few undergraduate students taking a creative writing course in either fiction or poetry, and the occasional student doing a paper on the event in order to get extra credit for some literature class.
The event officially starts with an introduction, typically from either Professor Terry Kennedy or Professor Michael Parker; Parker gave the introduction for this week. Parker started off citing Shepherd's credits, which included attending UNC-Chapel Hill, University of Virginia, UNCG, and receiving a Ph.D from Florida State. Parker then told an anecdote about a writing class he had with Shepherd where Shepherd would chain smoke Marlboro Reds (this is back in the day when one could actually smoke in class) and then go back to Parker's place and talk about another student in their class who was the son of some famous anchorman.
Parker also quoted a review by Bob Shacochis which described the experience of reading More Like Not Running Away as "walking down a path in the company of a wild animal I had somehow been lulled into thinking was harmless and tame, with no premonition that it would soon enough consume me. Shepherd is a master craftsman, and the subtlety of his art, the unassuming elegance of its architecture, rendered me spellbound and finally grateful. I don't think I shall ever forget this fine book, its honest, guileless voice leading me along into the fire."
