Pellissippi State hosts readings, book signings, teach-in

March 21, 2007

Pellissippi State hosts readings, book signings, teach-in

Pellissippi State Technical Community College is hosting a series of public readings and book signings throughout the day on April 12 in the Goins Building Auditorium on the Pellissippi Campus on Hardin Valley Road. On April 11, the college also is sponsoring an Authors’ Teach-In for high school students participating in dual enrollment courses.

The free readings are open to the public. The readings and teach-in are sponsored by the college’s English Department and the Pellissippi State Foundation.

“This event is an effort to acquaint students and the community at large with the fine tradition of writing in our region,” said Lois Reynolds, head of the English Department.

The April 12 readings begin at 10 a.m. with Niles Reddick, dean of Humanities and Social Sciences at Motlow State Community College. Reddick’s latest published work is “Road Kill Art and Other Oddities,” a collection of 21 short stories.

At 11 a.m., Connie Jordan Green, author of the novels “The War at Home” and “Emmy,” presents. Green, who also creates poetry and short stories, writes a weekly newspaper column in The Loudon County News-Herald.

The noon presenter is poet Marilyn Kallet, author of “How to Get Heat Without Fire” and “Circe, After Hours.” Kallet, a professor of English at the University of Tennessee, has worked extensively with the Knoxville Writers Guild and the Tennessee Writers Alliance.

The husband-and-wife team of George and Connie Brosi presents at 1 p.m. The couple runs a retail book business specializing in material from and about Appalachia. George Brosi is the editor of Appalachian Heritage: A Literary Quarterly of the Appalachian South, a leading literary magazine of Southern Appalachia since 1973.

At 2 p.m., Sam Yette, writer-in-residence at Knoxville College, presents. He is the author of “The Choice.”

Kip Stratton gives the final presentation at 3 p.m. Stratton is a book author and journalist whose work has appeared in such magazines as GQ and Sports Illustrated. His latest book is “Chasing the Rodeo: On Wild Rides and Big Dreams, Broken Hearts and Broken Bones, and One Man’s Search for the West.”

“The South has the distinction of nurturing many exceptional writers in a number of genres,” said Edward Francisco, writer-in-residence at Pellissippi State and the principal organizer of the event. “We want to give those writers the exposure they deserve and give potential readers an opportunity to gain additional appreciation for our area’s literary sons and daughters.”

Students in dual enrollment English courses at Austin-East, Bearden, Carter, Farragut, Halls, Knoxville Catholic and West high schools are participating. Students enrolled in a Union County High School English course have also been invited.

The Dual Enrollment program provides qualified high school seniors the opportunity to enroll in the college’s freshman composition courses and at the same time complete the high school English requirement.

Each school group will meet with one of the participating authors in a morning workshop.

For more information on this event, please contact Edward Francisco at (865) 694-6744 or the Pellissippi State English Department at (865) 694-6708 or (865) 694-6693.

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Contact Information:
Julia Wood
Marketing and Communications Director
Pellissippi State Technical Community College
10915 Hardin Valley Road
Knoxville, TN 37933-0990
Phone: (865) 694-6405
Fax: (865) 539-7088
E-mail: jwood@pstcc.edu