Innovative author to speak as part of the Contemporary Writers Series

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GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN (August 21, 2008) — The 2008-2009 Aquinas College Contemporary Writers Series kicks off with prolific writer Steve Almond on Thursday, September 18 at 7:30 p.m. The reading is in the Wege Student Center Ballroom and is free and open to the public.

Almond is the author of the short story collections The Evil B.B. Chow and Other Stories and My Life in Heavy Metal and the nonfiction book Candyfreak: A Journey through the Chocolate Underbelly of America. Julianna Baggott and Almond coauthored the novel Which Brings Me to You. (Not that You Asked) Exploits and Obsessions, published in 2007 is Almond’s latest book. Following is what a few critics have said about (Not That You Asked):

"An absurdly funny collection" — The Boston Globe

"Mr. Almond ricochets between humiliations, both real and invented, with stubborn charisma. Taunting, revealing irreverent and earnest." — The New York Times

He was a contributing author to Alarm Clock Theatre Company’s Elliott Norton Award winning play PS Page Me Later based on selections from Found Magazine. Almond is the winner of the Pushcart Award for fiction, the Alex Award and other literary awards.

Almond began his career as newspaper reporter in El Paso, Texas and also worked as a reporter for the Miami New Times. He served as an adjunct professor in creative writing at Boston College.

The Aquinas College Contemporary Writers Series was founded by a grant from Tony Foster, M.D. ’73 and Linda Nemec Foster ’72. The series kicked off in 1997 by bringing well-known authors to Aquinas College for public readings and workshops with students.

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