Reinhardt University’s Etowah Valley MFA in Creative Writing, in partnership with the Milton Literary Festival, will host a fall reading Nov. 11 at 1 p.m. in the Bannister Glasshouse, Hasty Student Center, and will feature acclaimed authors Cassandra King and Ellen Malphrus.
The event is free and open to the public.
King is the widow of the late Pat Conroy, known for his great American literature including “The Prince of Tides” and “The Great Santini,” both of which were made into Oscar-nominated motion pictures. Malphrus is a longtime friend of Conroy.
“Both women are extending his legacy of great Southern writing in their own works,” said Donna Coffey Little, program director. “Since our MFA program focuses on story and place in the New South, Cassandra and Ellen are the perfect writers for us to host. Their stories are set in the Carolinas and Georgia and focus on female characters trying to find their place in the modern South.”
King’s book, “Moonrise,” is about a new wife who arrives at Moonrise, an old Victorian house in an eerily beautiful setting, hoping to be embraced by her new husband and family, only to find herself reviled in the shadows of her husband’s first wife who died under mysterious circumstances. Her arrival unexpectedly sets forces in motion, ultimately leading to the uncovering of long-hidden desires and the tragic consequences of betrayal.
Malphrus’ book, “Untying the Moon,” is about Bailey Martin, a child of the South Carolina low country, who is caught between being a free-spirited adventurer to having the appetite for dangerous attractions. “Untying the Moon” is a vibrant tale of self-discovery, approaching the realms of myth and lore as readers ride shotgun with Bailey in Blue Ruby, her ’67 Skylark convertible from Manhattan down the Eastern seaboard, from coastal Carolina to the Alaskan wilderness and back again, all in search of the embrace of love and, finally, of home.
The authors will also join the Milton Literary Festival Nov. 12. Malphrus will host a workshop in literary fiction writing, from 10:45 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., in Room 104 of the Crabapple Government Center, 12624 Broadwell Road. For more information on the Milton Literary Festival, visit www.miltonliteraryfestival.com.
For more information about the Etowah Valley MFA in Creative Writing at Reinhardt University, visit www.reinhardt.edu/mfa-cw. For more information about the authors, visit www.cassandrakingconroy.com and www.ellenmalphrus.com.
