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| Jennifer Egan speaks at Trinity University. (Photo by Chloe Sonnier) |
The Ruth Taylor Recital Hall was packed with students, faculty and members of the San Antonio community yesterday for a lecture by Pulitzer Prize-winning author Jennifer Egan.
Egan focused her lecture on the years of research behind Manhattan Beach, her latest novel that came out in 2017. Her research involved digging up photography from New York during World War II and reading love letters from the 1940s.
"I like to start each story with a time and place," Egan said in her lecture. "The characters usually come afterwards."
She read the opening chapter from the book to illustrate how she had put her research to use, and later answered a variety of questions from the audience.
The event was a part of the Stieren Arts Enrichment Series, which hosts a variety of arts events made possible by an endowment gift from Jane and Arthur Stieren.
Andrew Porter, a professor in the department of English, was one of several faculty members who helped bring Egan to Trinity. As a specialist in creative writing and fiction writing, Porter was inspired to bring Egan due to her famous repertoire.
“She’s one of my writing heros, one of my favorite writers. We wanted to bring her for a long time. I knew she had a novel coming out this past fall, and often times it’s easier to get writers of her stature for a reading like this if they’re out promoting the book,” Porter said.
Porter was glad to see the recital hall filled with audience. “I knew that there were just a lot of students on campus who were fans, so I’m thrilled that they got a chance to see her talk and to meet her,” he said.
Egan is known for her unique writing style. In her book that won the Pulitzer Prize in 2011, A Visit from the Goon Squad, Egan wrote each chapter from the perspective of a different character than the previous. In fact, four of the chapters of the book were previously written short fiction essays that could stand alone.
“I first started reading Egan in high school and she really quickly became one of my favorite authors. I didn’t know what to expect or what she would talk about. I was really excited that she focused so much on her new book,” said Grace Frye, a senior communication major at Trinity. "I was amazed with how long she had been working on this idea and doing this kind of research.”
A long-time Egan fan, Frye enjoyed the talk very much. “How often do you get to see your favorite author read their writing? Never. It just made me want to go and read all of her books again,” she said.
The event was a part of the Stieren Arts Enrichment Series, which hosts a variety of arts events made possible by an endowment gift from Jane and Arthur Stieren.
Andrew Porter, a professor in the department of English, was one of several faculty members who helped bring Egan to Trinity. As a specialist in creative writing and fiction writing, Porter was inspired to bring Egan due to her famous repertoire.
“She’s one of my writing heros, one of my favorite writers. We wanted to bring her for a long time. I knew she had a novel coming out this past fall, and often times it’s easier to get writers of her stature for a reading like this if they’re out promoting the book,” Porter said.
Porter was glad to see the recital hall filled with audience. “I knew that there were just a lot of students on campus who were fans, so I’m thrilled that they got a chance to see her talk and to meet her,” he said.
Egan is known for her unique writing style. In her book that won the Pulitzer Prize in 2011, A Visit from the Goon Squad, Egan wrote each chapter from the perspective of a different character than the previous. In fact, four of the chapters of the book were previously written short fiction essays that could stand alone.
“I first started reading Egan in high school and she really quickly became one of my favorite authors. I didn’t know what to expect or what she would talk about. I was really excited that she focused so much on her new book,” said Grace Frye, a senior communication major at Trinity. "I was amazed with how long she had been working on this idea and doing this kind of research.”
A long-time Egan fan, Frye enjoyed the talk very much. “How often do you get to see your favorite author read their writing? Never. It just made me want to go and read all of her books again,” she said.
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