Novelist, poets featured in writers’ series
Award-winning novelist Denise Chavez will appear in Wichita this fall during the 21st Kay Closson Women Writing Series, a series presented annually by WSU’s Center for Women’s Studies. Chavez will read from her work at 2 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 8.
This year’s series also will feature two poets with local connections. Lynne Burris Butler and Dorothy Walters will give readings at 2 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 19.
Both readings are free and open to the public and will be held in 107 Devlin Hall.
Chavez, a novelist, short story writer, playwright, actress and teacher, refers to herself as a "performance writer." Her work includes the novel "Face of An Angel," recipient of the 1995 American Book Award and the Premio Axtlan award for outstanding novel written by a Chicano/Chicana writer. The title story of her short story collection, "The Last of the Menu Girls," was published in The Norton Anthology of American Literature in 1989.
Chavez earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in theater and is author of 20 plays, including a one-woman show titled "Women in the State of Grace."
Butler was born in Hays, Kan., and earned a master of arts degree from WSU and a master of fine arts degree from University of Arkansas. She now teaches creative writing and women’s studies at the University of Northern Alabama.
She has published several poetry collections, including her latest book "Local Notes," "Sunday Afternoons with Tolstoy," "Dream Thief" and "Learning to Tango." Butler is also editor of Woodland Press, an international artisan press publishing memoir, poetry, fiction and scholarly books.
Walters is a former faculty member at WSU. She taught the first women’s studies course at WSU, along with Carol Konek and Annette TenElshof, in 1971 and served as chair and director of women’s studies from 1976 until her retirement in 1989.
Now living in San Francisco, Walters has spent several years exploring the nature of spirituality, both personally and through her writings. Her recently published collection of poems, "Marrow of Flame," has been described as an "accurate spiritual autobiography." Walters’ work has been included in journals and anthologies, such as "The Divine Feminine" by Andrew Harvey and Anne Baring.
The Kay Closson Women Writing Series is supported by INTRUST Bank, the Gordon Evans Charitable Trust, Watermark Books and Cafe, women writing series patrons and the WSU Women’s Studies Community Council.
