Poets, fiction writers share their craft through Axton series

A Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist and a recent Kentucky poet laureate join other writers sharing their work publicly and teaching master classes at UofL this fall through the Axton Reading Series.

The English department’s creative writing program brings in distinguished writers through the Anne and William Axton Reading Series of free literary events. The readings and master classes are open to the public. Here’s the fall schedule, with events on Belknap Campus unless otherwise noted:

Sept. 17-18 – Charles McLeod, author of the novel “American Weather” and short-story collections “National Treasures” and “Settlers of Unassigned Lands,” will read from his work at 7:30 p.m. Sept. 17 in Bingham Poetry Room, Ekstrom Library, and lead a free master class at 10 a.m. Sept. 18 in Room 300, Bingham Humanities Building.

Oct. 8 – Frank X Walker, 2013-14 Kentucky poet laureate, Affrilachian Poets co-founder and University of Kentucky professor, will read from his works at 7:30 p.m. in Bingham Poetry Room, Ekstrom Library, in an event rescheduled because of snow earlier this year.  His six poetry collections include “Turn Me Loose: The Unghosting of Medgar Evers,” winner of the 2014 NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Poetry, and “Buffalo Dance: The Journey of York.”

Oct. 29-30 – Dan Rosenberg, author of poetry collections “cadabra” and “The Crushing Organ,” teaches literature and creative writing at Wells College and co-edits the journal Transom. He will read at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 29 in Bingham Poetry Room, Ekstrom Library, and lead a two-hour master class at 10 a.m. Oct. 30 in Room 300, Bingham Humanities Building.

Nov. 14 – Adam Johnson, a Stanford University English professor, is author of the novels “Parasites Like Us” and 2013 Pulitzer winner “The Orphan Master’s Son” and the short-story collections “Fortune Smiles,” “Emporium” and “Interesting Facts.” The Axton series will sponsor his free, public keynote reading at 5 p.m. Nov. 14 for the Louisville Literary Arts’ Writer’s Block Festival off-campus at the Tim Faulkner Gallery, 1512 Portland Ave.

For more information, contact Kiki Petrosino at 502-852-6817 or cmpetr04@louisville.edu.