As some of you may know, I’m currently the president of the board of the Flannery O’Connor Childhood Home.
We’ve brought in some great speakers over the last few years: Brad Gooch launched his widely acclaimed Flannery: A Life of Flannery O’Connor here in Savannah; Michael Cunningham, who won the Pulitzer Prize for The Hours, gave our first Ashley and Terry Ursrey Memorial Lecture; and the second Ursrey Memorial Lecture was presented by Allan Gurganus, the charismatic author of Oldest Living Confederate Widow Tells All, The Practical Heart, and White People.
In October 2010, the Flannery O’Connor Childhood Home hosted the ceremony at which author Pat Conroy announced the finalists for the National Book Award. One of those finalists was Jaimy Gordon, a relatively obscure author, for her novel Lord of Misrule. Gordon was announced as the winner of the NBA for fiction at the National Book Foundation’s annual gala in November in New York City.
Jaimy Gordon
Now Jaimy Gordon herself will come to Savannah for the 3rd Ursrey Memorial Lecture. The talk/lecture/reading, which will be immediately followed by a reception and book-signing, is scheduled for Thursday, February 24th at 7 p.m. at Trinity United Methodist Church on Telfair Square. Thanks SO much to Rev. Enoch Hendry and the folks at Trinity for being willing to host important cultural events like this.
Gordon’s novel Lord of Misrule is extraordinary and I’m planning to post a review of it before the event. But for now, just enjoy this review by novelist Jane Smiley, which appeared in The Washington Post just days before the NBA announcement.