Author, MSUM Alumnus & English Professor Lin Enger to Read Here Feb. 19
The High Divide published last September
Minnesota State University Moorhead English Professor and novelist Lin Enger will read from his work at 4:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 19 in the university’s Livingston Library Porch. The free reading is part of the Tom McGrath Visiting Writers Series.
The High Divide was published by Algonquin in September 2014. It follows the Pope family of Minnesota on their journey toward finding their father, Ulysses Pope, after he leaves to supposedly find work in St. Paul.
A starred review in Publishers Weekly, July 21, 2014 reads: “A masterfully told Western reinvention of Homer’s Odyssey… Set against a backdrop of beauty and danger, this is the moving story of a man coming to terms with his past. In its narrative simplicity and emotional directness, it is reminiscent of John Ford’s classic The Searchers.”
Enger has taught in the MSUM English Department since 1993. He has a Bachelor’s degree from MSUM and a Master of Fine Arts from the Iowa Writers’ Workshop. His first novel, Undiscovered Country, came out in 2008. His short stories have appeared in Glimmer Train, Ascent, Great River Review, American Fiction, and other journals. During the 1990s, he and his brother, novelist Leif Enger, collaborated as L. L. Enger on a series of mystery novels for Pocket Books.
Enger’s awards include a James Michener Fellowship, a Minnesota State Arts Board Fellowship, a Jerome travel grant, and a Lake Region Arts Fellowship.
Enger appeared on C-SPAN earlier this year in a panel discussion on creating books. The video can be viewed here.
The High Divide is available for purchase at Zandbroz Variety, IndieBound, Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Powells.
About the McGrath Visiting Writers Series
Named in honor of the late Thomas McGrath, an internationally recognized and award-winning author who taught at Moorhead State University from 1969-1983, the Tom McGrath Visiting Writers Series brings to campus some of the finest contemporary writers to read and share their work with students, faculty, and the community. The series has featured more than 150 featured writers and sponsored or supported more than 50 other writers and events since its inaugural season.
Some of the many distinguished visiting writers have included U.S. Poet Laureate Billy Collins, Pulitzer Prize winners Carol Shields and Ted Kooser, National Book Award Winners Robert Bly and William Stafford, and National Book Critics Circle Award winners Louise Erdrich and B.H. Fairchild.