By Hanna Lowery
College of Fine Arts and Communication Media Office
Kelly Link
photo credit: Sharona Jacobs Photography, LLC
Kelly Link, an author of “speculative” or “slipstream” fiction, will visit the University of Central Arkansas as Artist in Residence in conjunction with the 10th celebration of ArtsFest in Conway.
As part of her residency, Link will hold a public reading and book-signing event Tuesday, Sept. 27, at 7:30 p.m. in the UCA College of Business, room 107. On Wednesday, Sept. 28, she will hold a masterclass for creative writers at 10 a.m. in the College of Business, room 331. Both events are free and open to the public.
“She seamlessly mixes elements of realism, magic realism, horror, supernatural fiction, fantasy and science fiction into a unique blend that is distinctly Kelly Link,” said Dr. John Vanderslice, associate professor of creative writing and faculty sponsor for the residency. “She has also been one of the most important influences in moving magic-leaning fiction out of the genre basement and into wider acceptance.”
Link’s works include Get in Trouble, Stranger Things Happen, Magic for Beginners and Pretty Monsters. She was a finalist for the 2016 Pulitzer Prize in Fiction for Get in Trouble.
“Already we can feel the excitement around campus,” Vanderslice said.
The Artist in Residence program is funded by UCA’s arts fee and is administered by the College of Fine Arts and Communication. For more information about the program, call the Office of the Dean, College of Fine Arts and Communication, at (501) 450-3293 or e-mail jdmiller@uca.edu.
The UCA College of Fine Arts and Communication includes the Departments of Art, Music, and Film, Theatre and Creative Writing as well as the School of Communication. The college’s primary mission is the preparation of the next generation of artists, educators and communicators. For more information about CFAC, visit www.uca.edu/cfac or call (501) 450-3293.
