The Anne & William Axton Reading Series

The Anne and William Axton Reading Series was established in 1999 through the generosity of the late William Axton, former University of Louisville English professor, and his wife, the late Anne Axton. The Series brings highly distinguished writers from across the country to the University of Louisville for two-day visits to read from their work, and to share their knowledge and expertise with the University and Louisville community. On Belknap Campus, writers give a public reading and Q&A on the first day, and on the following morning they conduct a master class where select student work is critiqued. Both events are free, and the public is encouraged to attend.

Previous seasons have included Terrance Hayes, Junot Diaz, Brian Teare, Robert Pinsky, Charles Wright, Nathaniel Mackey, Susan Minot, Mary Karr, Stephen Dobyns, Lynnell Edwards, Colson Whitehead, Robin Lippincott, Robert Hass, Silas House, Beverly Lowry, George Saunders, and Louise Glück.

Spring Axton Series

Hannah Tinti’s short story collection, Animal Crackers, has sold in sixteen countries and was a runner-up for the PEN/Hemingway award. Her best-selling novel, The Good Thief, is a New York Times Notable Book of the Year, recipient of the American Library Association’s Alex Award , winner of the John Sargent Sr. First Novel Prize, and winner of the Quality Paperback Book Club’s New Voices Award. Hannah is also co-founder and editor-in-chief of One Story magazine, and received the 2009 PEN/Nora Magid award for excellence in editing. She teaches creative writing at Columbia University’s MFA program and at the Museum of Natural History in New York City. Recently, she joined the Public Radio program, Selected Shorts, as their Literary Commentator.

 Reading: Thurs., 2/7, 7:30pm, Bingham Poetry Room

Master Class: Friday, 2/8, 10am-noon, MUS LIB 260A

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Claire Vaye Watkins was born in Bishop, California in 1984. She has received fellowships from the Writers’ Conferences at Sewanee and Bread Loaf and her stories and essays have appeared in Granta, One Story, The Paris Review, Ploughshares, Glimmer Train, Best of the West 2011, Best of the Southwest 2013, and elsewhere. Watkins is an assistant professor at Bucknell University and the co-director, with Derek Palacio, of the Mojave School, a non-profit creative writing workshop for teenagers in rural Nevada. Her collection of short stories, Battleborn, was released by Riverhead Books in August, 2012.

Reading: Thurs., 3/28, 7:30pm, Bingham Poetry Room

Master Class: Friday, 3/29, 10am-noon, Humanities 300

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Lynnell Major Edwards is the author of three collections of poetry, most recently Covet (October, 2011), and also The Farmer’s Daughter (2003) and The Highwayman’s Wife (2007), all from Red Hen Press.  Her short fiction and book reviews have appeared most recently in Connecticut Review, American Book Review, Pleiades, New Madrid, and others. She lives in Louisville, Kentucky where she is on the Board of Directors for Louisville Literary Arts, a non-profit literary arts organization that sponsors the monthly InKY reading series and The Writer’s Block Festival. She is also Associate Professor of English at Spalding University.  She also teaches creative writing at the Carnegie Center for Literacy and is available for readings and workshops in a variety of settings.  View a trailer for Covet here: http://vimeo.com/28443172

Reading: Thurs., 4/11, 7:30pm, Bingham Poetry Room

Master Class: Friday, 4/12, 10am-noon, Humanities 300

Locations and dates subject to change. Please call the English Department at U of L to verify. (502) 852-6801