Celebrated author Wayne Caldwell to give reading at Carson-Newman University, March 6, 2014

Wayne Caldwell

On Thursday, March 6, Carson-Newman University’s Appalachian Center will host award-winning author Wayne Caldwell. Open to the public, the 7:30 p.m. event will be held in Thomas Recital Hall.

A native of Asheville, N.C., Caldwell will read from his various works that include novels “Cataloochee” and “Requiem by Fire.” He is also the author of four short stories and poetry.

“Mr. Caldwell’s writing paints a powerful portrait of the people and communities of Appalachia, specifically the Cataloochee Valley of Western North Carolina,” explained Dr. Jennifer Hall, director of the University’s Appalachian Center. “His novels make us laugh and cry as we follow the joys and struggles of the communities of what is now North Carolina’s Great Smoky Mountains National Park,” she said. “I am sure the evening will make us proud of the Appalachian region we celebrate as well as even more convicted to preserve and promote its heritage and culture.”

Caldwell is the recipient of the 2013 James Still Award presented by the Fellowship of Southern Writers. His writing has been praised by such writers as Lee Smith and Fred Chappell and in such publications as O, The Oprah Magazine for its “lyricism, precision, a hint of the Gothic, and a sweet underlying humor.”

A book signing will follow the evening’s reading. Carson-Newman’s Thomas Recital Hall is located in the Tarr Music Center.