RICHARDSON, Texas (Jan. 14, 2004) — The University of Texas at Dallas (UTD) will host a lecture by novelist, short story writer and essayist Jim Sanderson at 8 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 2, in the Jonsson Performance Hall. The event, which is part of the Claire Rich Lecture Series, is free and open to the public.
Sanderson’s first novel, El Camino del Rio, earned him a multiple book contract from the University of New Mexico Press and his first Frank Waters Southwest Writing Award. El Camino del Rio and Sanderson’s second novel, Safe Delivery, are crime thrillers set in Texas and Mexico. In 2000, Safe Delivery was one of three books chosen as a finalist for the Violet Crown Award for fiction from the Austin Writers’ League.
Semi-Private Rooms , a collection of short stories, received the Kenneth Patchen Prize for fiction, which Sanderson calls “one of the best awards a writer can get in this state.” With this award, Sanderson joined the Texas Institute of Letters, whose membership includes Jim Lehrer, Molly Ivins, Larry McMultry, Horton Foote and Larry L. King.
Sanderson was born in San Antonio. He currently is professor of English at Lamar University in Beaumont.
The Claire Rich Lecture Series was established in honor of Claire Rich, a graduate teaching assistant at UTD, after her death in 1997. The series brings a renowned scholar in the humanities to UTD each year to present a lecture.
For information about the many musical, arts, theatre, dance and other performances and exhibitions held throughout the year at UTD, please call 972-UTD-ARTS (972-883-2787), e-mail utdarts@utdallas.edu, or visit the School of Arts and Humanities’ Web site at http://ah.utdallas.edu/. Persons with disabilities needing special accommodations may call 972-883-2982, Texas Relay Operator: 1-800-RELAYVV.
About UTD
The University of Texas at Dallas, located at the convergence of Richardson, Plano and Dallas in the heart of the complex of major multinational technology corporations known as the Telecom Corridor, enrolls more than 14,000 students. The school’s freshman class traditionally stands at the forefront of Texas state universities in terms of average SAT scores. The university offers a broad assortment of bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degree programs. For additional information about UTD, please visit the university’s web site at www.utdallas.edu.