The West Michigan Women's Studies Council is sponsoring Atwood's visit. The event will begin at 7 p.m. and include a book signing and reception. Doors will open at 6:30 pm. The event is free and open to the public.
Atwood, a native of Canada who resides in Toronto, is best known for her internationally acclaimed novels, including the Booker-prize winning "The Blind Assassin," "Alias Grace," "The Robber Bride" and "The Handmaid's Tale." Her latest novel, "Oryx and Crake," portrays a future overrun by the products of science and technology gone awry.
The West Michigan Women's Studies Council is comprised of representatives from Aquinas, Calvin, Hope and Grand Rapids Community colleges, Grand Valley State and Davenport universities. The council formed in 2001 to bring awareness to gender issues and to collaborate with other groups to enhance the lives of women. Its lecture series is underwritten by the Nokomis Foundation.
Helen Sterk, a professor of communication arts and sciences at Calvin College, is the council president. She said Atwood continues a strong tradition of lecturers, which included Molly Ivins, Margaret Cho and Lani Guinier.
"Her novels are now part of the Western literary canon, and yet they remain very much rooted in ordinary life in the late 20th and 21st centuries," Sterk said. "We are thrilled to have an author of her stature speak in Grand Rapids."
Atwood has written more than 30 works, including novels, collections of short stories, poetry, literary criticism and children's books. She is also the recipient of numerous honors, including the Sunday Times Award for Literary Excellence in the U.K., the National Arts Club Medal of Honor for Literature in the U.S., and Le Chevalier dans l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres in France.
The Women and Gender Studies Program is sponsoring a bus trip to Atwood's presentation. The bus will leave Kirkhof Center at 5:45 p.m. and return around 9:30 p.m. RSVPs must be made by calling the WGS office at x18025 or the Women's Center at x12748.
