Author Tim O’Brien to speak at annual UAFS event

Sunday, January 26, 2014

The University of Arkansas at Fort Smith opens its annual “Read This!” Tuesday with the formal announcement of this year’s choice, “The Things They Carried,” a collection of short stories by Vietnam War veteran Tim O’Brien.

The Pulitzer Prize-nominated book is a dramatic retelling of the author’s time in Vietnam and is considered by critics to be one of the most important novels regarding the war.

The 1990 book is also a favorite of Erik Carlson, assistant professor of English and chairman of the Read This! Advisory Board.

“It is an outstanding piece of literature,” he says. “It’s easy to understand and hard to comprehend, all at the same time. It has special interest for our diverse community, which is shaped by the experiences of veterans and of people displaced by the Vietnam War.

“We are trying to engage the community,” says Carlson. “It’s important for non-veteransto read as a way of thinking about how hard it is to have a clear conversation about war - either on the public or the private level.”FYI Read This!

‘The Things They Carried’ Book Launch

2:30 p.m. Tuesday, Room 122, Boreham Library Read Aloud at the Fireplace 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Feb. 27 Smith-Pendergraft Campus Center ‘Dear America: Letters Home From Vietnam’ 2 p.m. & 5 p.m. March 3 Reynold’s Room, Smith-Pendergraft Campus Center Main Event: ‘An Evening With Tim O’Brien’ 5:30 p.m. March 12, Stubblefield Center Free; tickets required

Information - Email erik.[email protected]

Northwest Profile, Pages 30 on 01/26/2014