Jamaica Kincaid to speak 'On Writing'

Jamaica Kincaid, a celebrated author who appeals to audiences across generations and ethnic boundaries, is among the artists, authors and musicians scheduled for the 2007 Fall Arts Celebration at Grand Valley State University.

The Distinguished Academic Lecture featuring Kincaid, "On Writing," is at 7 p.m., Tuesday, September 18, L.V. Eberhard Center, 2nd floor, Pew Grand Rapids Campus. Kincaid has been a visiting professor at Harvard University since 1992.

Born in Antigua, Kincaid's literary voice echoes her experiences as a strong-minded girl born into tropical poverty, her tempestuous relationship with her mother as she grew up under the colonial rule of England, and the journey to find her own way in the world. Kincaid left Antigua at 17 to work as an au pair for an upper-class New York City family. After brief studies, she began writing for The Village Voice and Ingenue magazine, became a New Yorker staff writer and a featured columnist for its "Talk of the Town" section.

The impact of economic globalization on a developing country was the focus of her award-winning book, A Small Place, which inspired the 2001 documentary, Life and Debt. Her books include At the Bottom of the River, Autobiography of My Mother, and Mr. Potter among others. She was elected into the American Academy of Arts and Letters in 2004.

Grand Valley students in Corinna McLeod's special topics English class will make vital connections between the author and her text. The course will offer a basic historical overview of Antigua, by Steeve Buckridge from Grand Valley's Department of History. It will also help students understand Kincaid's work in its context as Caribbean literature and her role as a significant transnational writer (Antiguan living in the U.S.). After two weeks of study, the students will hear the public lecture and a have a class visit from Kincaid to discuss her works.

"Past courses have demonstrated that students acquire a broader, deeper understanding and appreciation of literature if they can meet the authors and make a connection to their texts," said McLeod. "I'm hoping this exposure to an important literary figure will be one of the most significant experiences of their education."

Grand Valley's Fall Arts Celebration continues with "No Blind Date: A Two Person Exhibition," featuring Jo Hormuth and John Phillips, which opens with an October 4 reception and runs through November 2. The Van Cliburn Medalist Concert Series continues with Crystal Award winner Sa Chen, performing October 9. Poetry Night returns with Pulitzer Prize winner Gary Snyder and Stanley Plumly on October 19. The celebration concludes with the October 27 performance of Dance Stars Across America.

For Fall Arts Celebration event details visit www.gvsu.edu/fallarts or call (616) 331-2180.

For more information on Jamaica Kincaid's lecture, contact Corinna McLeod in the English Department at (616) 331-3405.