Two women meet on an artificial beach. One was raised underwater. The other may be a robot.
In “Earth 7,” her latest novel, celebrated author Deb Olin Unferth explores some of today’s most pressing questions with humor, beauty and imagination. Will technology be our salvation of destruction? Is love possible amidst the apocalypse? Can humanity repair the damage it’s done?
At 6 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 24, Unferth will read from her work and take part in a moderated discussion on writing and publishing. The event, sponsored by the Center for the Literary Arts in WashU Arts & Science, is the first in a two-part series titled “The Writer and Her Editor.”
Continuing that series, at 10 a.m. Friday, Sept. 25, will be a conversation between Ethan Nosowsky, editorial director for Graywolf Press, and Martin Riker, director of the publishing specialization in the English department in Arts & Sciences.
“Earth 7” is Unferth’s third book with Graywolf Press, following the novel “Barn 8” (2020) and the short story collection “Wait Till You See Me Dance” (2017).
Unferth’s other books include the graphic novel “I, Parrot” (2017), the memoir “Revolution” (2011), the novel “Vacation” (2008) and the story collection “Minor Robberies” (2007). “Revolution” was a finalist for a National Book Critics Circle Award. A film adaptation of “Barn 8” is currently in development. Unferth teaches at The University of Texas at Austin and directs Pen City Writers, a small creative writing program at a maximum-security prison in south Texas.
All events are free and open to the public and take place in Hurst Lounge, Duncker Hall. For more information, visit the Center for the Literary Arts website.
