UCA hosts author John Brandon as artist-in-residence

John Brandon

John Brandon

The University of Central Arkansas will host author John Brandon as artist-in-residence from Wednesday, March 1, to Thursday, March 2.

Brandon’s first novel, “Arkansas” was published in 2008 and made into the 2020 film by the same name. Brandon will hold a film screening of “Arkansas” on Wednesday, March 1, at 6 p.m., in Stanely Russ Hall, room 103. 

The screening will be followed by a question and answer session. This event is free and open to the public.

“Arkansas” is a 2020 film directed by Clark Duke starring Vince Vaughn, Liam Hemsworth, Vivica A. Fox, John Malkovich, Michael Kenneth Williams and more. The film is based on Brandon’s first novel of the same title. The novel, published in 2008, fits into the “southern noir” and “rural noir” subgenres of modern American letters and combines readability and mystery while defamiliarizing the reader. 

Additionally, Brandon will host a public reading on Thursday, March 2, at 4:30 p.m., in the fireplace room of McCastlain Hall. A question and answer session and book signing will follow. This event is also free and open to the public. 

Brandon will also hold a presentation titled “From Page to Screen: Adventures in Adapting Books to Film” on Thursday, March 2, from 1:40-2:30 p.m., on the steps of the Windgate Center for Fine and Performing Arts. 

“Ivory Shores” is Brandon’s latest novel. It is a work of historical fiction and an adaptation of Mark Twain’s “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.” Brandon has also authored “Citrus County,” “A Million Heavens” and “Further Joy” in recent years.