Literary Festival opens on campus Sept. 29
A collection of top authors, poets and performance artists will present “Sounds That Mean,” the 26th annual ODU Literary Festival, Sept. 29 to Oct. 3.

Author and social observer Sarah Vowell, known for her monologues and commentaries on the National Public Radio program “This American Life,” is the festival headliner. Her presentation, in conjunction with the President’s Lecture Series, “A Partly Cloudy Patriot: An Evening with Sarah Vowell,” will be at 8 p.m. Oct. 2 in the North Cafeteria of Webb Center.

Streaming audio of Vowell’s work can be heard at www.hearingvoices.com/sv.

Paul Miller, a.k.a. “D.J. Spooky that Subliminal Kid,” a New York conceptual artist, writer and musician, will perform at noon Oct. 1 in the South Cafeteria of Webb Center and at 8 p.m. at the University Gallery, 350 W. 21st St., Norfolk.

Also on Oct. 1, two ODU faculty from the English department, Michael Pearson and Philip Raisor, will discuss their new books. Raisor will read from his remembrance of his high school and college basketball years, “Outside Shooter: A Memoir,” and Pearson from his new novel, “Shohola Falls,” at 2 p.m. in Chandler Recital Hall of the Diehn Fine and Performing Arts Center.

“This year’s event pushes and expands the boundaries of the word ‘literary,’ including world-renowned performance artists and sound artists with poets, writers of erotica and fiction, and memoirists,” said Brian Silberman, assistant professor of English and festival director.

Other lectures, readings and performances include:

• Sept. 29 – Poet Jim Simmerman, 4:30 p.m., Mills Godwin Jr. Life Sciences Building auditorium; acclaimed actor, writer and solo performer Danny Hoch, 8 p.m., Chandler Recital Hall, followed by a reception at 9:30 p.m. in the Diehn Center lobby.
• Sept. 30 – Writer and ODU alumna Farideh Goldin, 10 a.m., Chandler Recital Hall (sponsored by women's studies); writer Rhoda Stamell, 2 p.m., Hampton/Newport News Room, Webb Center; novelist Jamie Callan, 8 p.m., Chandler Recital Hall.
• Oct. 2 – Novelist and ODU alumna Rick Skwiot, 10 a.m., Chandler Recital Hall; poet Mary Ruefle, 2 p.m., University Theatre.
• Oct. 3 – Poet Marilyn Chin, 11 a.m., Chandler Recital Hall; poet Peter Meinke, Darden Endowed Chair of Creative Writing, 3 p.m., Chandler Recital Hall; performance artist Elliott Earls, 8 p.m., University Gallery.

The Literary Festival is sponsored in part by the Virginia Commission for the Arts and the city of Norfolk Arts Commission. More information is available on the Web at http://courses.lib.odu.edu/litfest or by calling 683-3991.