Writer Walker to Give Reading on Campus Nov. 14

Frank X Walker, a noted Appalachian writer, will give a free public reading of his work at Radford University on Nov. 14, co-sponsored by the English Club, the Department of English and Student Support Services' TRIO program.

Walker's appearance on campus is made possible by the university's Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP) Scholar-Citizen Initiative.

"With great integrity, Frank X Walker embodies the idea of a Scholar-Citizen and provides a powerful model for others. Each of his books illustrates this. His poetry collections, 'Affrilachia' and 'Black Box,' demonstrate a responsibility to a place and a people and a driving curiosity to understand and enrich their lives," English instructor Jim Minick wrote about the event. "The very word 'Affrilachia' gives a new voice to an often overlooked segment of our Appalachian region. As he says in his artist statement: 'I have accepted the responsibility of challenging the notion of a homogeneous all-white literary landscape in this region.' "

Walker will give a free public reading at 7 p.m. in McGuffey Auditorium and will also meet with 140 high school students on campus as part of the Appalachian Arts and Studies in the Schools (AASIS) program.

Walker visited RU a decade ago, drawing a crowd of more than 300 to his reading. His newest release is "I Dedicate This Ride," the story of African-American jockey Isaac Burns Murphy, the son of a slave, who was the first person to win the Kentucky Derby three times.

To learn more about Walker's visit, e-mail Minick at jminick@radford.edu. More information on the AASIS program is available from Ruth Derrick, AASIS coordinator, at (540) 831-5366.

Additional co-sponsors of Walker's appearance on campus are the Appalachian Regional and Rural Studies Center, Appalachian Arts and Studies in the Schools (AASIS) program and Campus Programming Committee.