Hickory – The Lenoir-Rhyne University Visiting Writers Series returns for its 32nd season and will host a variety of authors, poets, editors and more in both a virtual and in-person format for the academic year.

The series, established in 1988, features readings and presentations by authors who have distinguished themselves in literature and often meet with students to discuss the stories behind their works. The mission of the series remains the promotion of literary experiences with contemporary writers meant to engage and educate young people at LR. All events, which take place on the LR campus in Hickory unless otherwise noted, are free, and the public is welcome to attend.

*Pre-registration is required for any virtual presentations.

Emily Nemens
Thursday, Feb. 25, 2021, 7 p.m.
P.E. Monroe Auditorium

Author explores more than baseball in her novel “The Cactus League”

Known as a writer, illustrator and editor, Emily Nemens debuted her novel, “The Cactus League.” in February 2020. Humming with the energy of a ballpark before the first pitch, the storyline of her book unravels the star outfielder and other tightly connected people in the game. Narrated by a wise sportscaster, the story is interspersed with tales of multiple characters all striving to be seen and leaving the reader with a sense of hope and redemption.

In 2018, Nemens became the seventh editor of The Paris Review, the nation’s preeminent literary quarterly. Since her arrival, the magazine has seen record-high circulation, published two anthologies, produced a second season of its acclaimed podcast and won the 2020 National Magazine Award for Fiction. Previously, she co-edited The Southern Review, a storied literary quarterly published at Louisiana State University.

Nemens has spoken about editing at major literary conferences and in creative writing programs around the United States, and she has been featured in The New York Times, Vogue Italia and Vanity Fair. As an illustrator, she’s published her work in The New Yorker, and her short stories have appeared in Esquire, The Iowa Review and elsewhere.

About the Visitor Writers Series
LR’s VWS is supported by the United Arts Council of Catawba County through the North Carolina Arts Council, with funding from the State of North Carolina and the National Endowment for the Arts.

Sponsors of the 2020-2021 VWS include: Cafe Rule, Crowne Plaza Hickory, Footcandle Film Society of Catawba County, Hickory Public Library and National Endowment for the Arts.

For more information, visit lr.edu/VWS or call the LR Box Office Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., at 828.328.7206.

Established in fall 1998, the Lenoir-Rhyne University Visiting Writers Series invites authors to tell the stories behind their own works in a relaxed environment before an audience filled with campus and community members. The Writers Series’ mission is to build a community of readers, because it believes a community that reads is a more creative, open, and tolerant community. The VWS believes the beauty and power of words help people make sense of the world. Children’s writers, mystery writers, essayists, poets, and novelists all participate in this celebration of the written and spoken word.

About Lenoir-Rhyne University:
Founded in 1891, Lenoir-Rhyne University is a co-educational, private liberal arts institution with more than 50 undergraduate degree programs and over 30 graduate degree programs. LR enrolls more than 2,750 undergraduate and graduate students and has had 11 consecutive years of enrollment growth. LR’s main campus is in Hickory, North Carolina, where both undergraduate and graduate degrees are offered. The University also offers graduate degree programs on its campuses in Asheville, North Carolina, and Columbia, South Carolina. The Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary is also in Columbia. LR is affiliated with the North Carolina Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and welcomes students from all religious backgrounds. The website is www.lr.edu.
Emily Nemens