Author Mike Branch to visit Radford, give book reading

Award-winning author Mike Branch will visit Radford for a spirited and comedic reading of his new book “How to Cuss in Western (and Other Missives from the High Desert).”

The Department of English is hosting the event at 7 p.m. on Sept. 17 at Sharkey’s Upstairs as a toast to creative writing.

“How to Cuss in Western (and Other Missives from the High Desert)” is a collection of short stories, or “rants” as Branch calls them, that cover a selection of adventures to remote places.

Branch is a founding member and former president of the Association for the Study of Literature and the Environment. He is a professor of literature and the environment at the University of Nevada Reno.

Branch’s creative nonfiction has received Honorable Mention for the Pushcart Prize and been recognized three times as Notable Essays in The Best American Essays, The Best Creative Nonfiction, The Best American Science and Nature Writing, and The Best American Non-required Reading, a humor anthology.

“Everyone will laugh,” said English Professor Rick Van Noy. “Students and community members interested in creative writing, environmental issues and American literature will enjoy this captivating reading.”

Johnny Cake the Lunch Truck will perform prior to Branch’s reading.

For more information about the event, contact Van Noy at rvannoy@radford.edu.