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CHESTER and MIDLOTHIAN, Va. – The written word holds the power to inspire, illicit emotion and convey ideas. Its many forms – from poetry, short stories and nonfiction to manuscripts, novels and blogs – prove its adaptability. All of this and more will be celebrated during John Tyler Community College’s 19th Annual Literary Festival from February 25 – March 5, 2014. The festival features special guest Roy Kesey, an award-winning author and translator whose latest book is the short story collection Any Deadly Thing. Kesey’s other books include Pacazo, All Over, Nothing in the World, and two historical guidebooks. His short stories, essays, translations and poems have appeared in more than a hundred magazines and anthologies, including Best American Short Stories and New Sudden Fiction. In addition to participating in a reading and book signing event that will be open to the community, Kesey will lead writing workshops designed specifically for John Tyler students. In addition to Kesey, Irish playwright John Joyce will join the College’s Literary Festival with a staged reading of his work Finnegan’s Awake. Joyce is the grandnephew of author James Joyce.
The Literary Festival features several events that are free and open to the public, including:
Roy Kesey Reception, Reading and Book Signing
Tuesday, February 25
7:00 – 8:30 p.m.
Midlothian Campus
Hamel Hall, room H109
Student and Faculty Readings
Thursday, February 27
11:00 a.m. – 12:15 p.m.
Chester Campus
Bird Hall, room B124
Theatre Presentation of Finnegan’s Awake
Thursday, February 27
A staged reading of an original work by John Joyce, a relative of James Joyce
7:00 p.m.
Midlothian Campus
Hamel Hall, room H109
Student and Faculty Readings
Tuesday, March 4
11:00 a.m. – 12:15 p.m.
Midlothian Campus
Hamel Hall, room H109
Student Speech Contest
Wednesday, March 5
1:00 – 3:00 p.m.
Chester Campus
Bird Hall, room B124
For more information about the John Tyler Literary Festival, contact Jeff Landon at jlandon@jtcc.edu or 804-594-1473.
John Tyler Community College is a two-year, public institution of higher education and is the fifth largest of the 23 community colleges in Virginia. With campuses in Chester and Midlothian and off-campus classrooms throughout the area, John Tyler offers quality and economical opportunities for students who want to earn a degree or certificate, transfer to a four-year college or university, train for the workforce, or switch careers. The College, which served more than 14,000 students during the 2012-13 academic year, offers 17 associate degrees, seven certificates, and 34 career studies certificates. The institution also serves 15,000 non-credit students and more than 1,200 companies and government agencies annually through the Community College Workforce Alliance. The College also is committed to sustainability. In July 2010, it received a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Silver Certification for Hamel Hall on its Midlothian Campus, becoming the first in the Virginia Community College System to receive such recognition. John Tyler Community College is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.