The Innovative Contemporary Fiction Reading Series Presents a Reading by Julia Elliott
Monday, November 3, 2014
Olin Humanities, Room 104
Julia Elliott, author of the fiction collection The Wilds (Tin House Books), reads from her work. Introduced by Bradford Morrow, the reading will be held in Olin 104, November 3, 2:30 p.m., and followed by a Q&A. Free and open to the public; no tickets or reservations required.At an obscure South Carolina nursing home, a lost world reemerges as a disabled elderly woman undergoes newfangled brain-restoration procedures and begins to explore her environment with the assistance of strap-on robot legs. At a deluxe medical spa on a nameless Caribbean island, a middle-aged woman hopes to revitalize her fading youth with grotesque rejuvenating therapies that combine cutting-edge medical technologies with holistic approaches and the pseudo-religious dogma of Zen-infused self-help. And in a rinky-dink mill town, an adolescent girl is unexpectedly inspired by the ravings and miraculous levitation of her fundamentalist friend’s weird grandmother. These are only a few of the scenarios readers encounter in Julia Elliott’s debut collection, The Wilds. In these genre-bending stories, teetering between the ridiculous and the sublime, Elliott’s language-driven fiction uses outlandish tropes to capture poignant moments in her humble characters’ lives. Without abandoning the tenets of classic storytelling, Elliott revels in lush lyricism, dark humor, and experimental play.
For more information, call 845-758-7054, or e-mail [email protected].
Location: Olin Humanities, Room 104