April 12, 2004

Margaret Atwood's highly acclaimed body of work including poetry, short fiction, novels, children's books, nonfiction, and radio and television scripts, takes on the themes of the human condition, feminist concerns, the dark side of human behavior, and political power.

Her more than 25 books have received critical recognition and best-seller status. Ann Marie Lipinski, writing in the Chicago Tribune described Atwood as "one of the leading literary luminaries, a national heroine of the arts, the rara avis of Canadian letters." With the publication of The Edible Woman in 1970, her reputation as a novelist—the genre for which she is best known—was launched.

Among the many honors Atwood has received are the Canadian Governor General's Award for her poetry collection Circle Game (1996) and the novel The Handmaid's Tale, The Canadian Authors' Association Novel of the Year for The Robber Bride, the Canadian Booksellers Association Author of the Year Award in 1989 and France's de Chevalier dans l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres in 1994.

Atwood was awarded the 2001 Booker Prize for her novel The Blind Assassin. One of the most famous literary awards in the world, the Booker Prize honors the best novel of the year. The Blind Assassin, Atwood's tenth novel, also was Time magazine's Book of the Year.

Her 11th novel is a work of science fiction, Oryx and Crake. In a world of bioengineering, cloning and tissue regeneration, she strikes an unambiguous warning note. Atwood depicts a near-future world that turns from the merely horrible to the horrific, from a fool's paradise to a bio-wasteland. Readers may find their view of the world forever changed after reading it.

"Oryx and Crake is Atwood at her best—dark, dry, scabrously witty, yet moving and studded with flashes of pure poetry. Her gloriously inventive brave new world is all the more chilling because of the mirror it holds up to our own. Citizens, be warned," says Lisa Appignanesi for her review in The Independent.

Atwood was born in 1939 in Ottawa and grew up in northern Ontario, Quebec, and Toronto. She received her undergraduate degree from Victoria College at the University of Toronto and her master's degree from Radcliffe College.

Atwood will be interviewed by science correspondent and award-winning journalist Ira Flatow, host of "Talk of the Nation: Science Friday" on NPR. Flatow's show is a lively, informative discussion on science, technology, health, space and the environment. Flatow is a member of the National Association of Science Writers whose honors include the AAAS Journalism Award, Elizabeth Wood Writing Award, and Carl Sagan Award.

Monday, April 12, 2004

1 p.m.

Margaret Atwood will appear on State of Affairs to talk with host Julie Kredens from 1-2 p.m. on Monday, April 12. Listeners can call to talk with her at 814-TALK (8255) or toll-free 1-877-814-TALK.

Evening's Activities at The Kentucky Center

5 Riverfront Plaza, Downtown Louisville

5 p.m. Borders' book sale with wine and cheese reception provided by Brown Forman, Lobby

6 p.m. Interview with Margaret Atwood by NPR‘s Ira Flatow, Bomhard Theatre.

Live taping with WFPL 89.3 and KET, The Kentucky Network

Master of Ceremonies is Forum Editor/Book Editor Keith Runyon of The Courier-Journal

A $16 ticket includes the above three events. A limited number of discounted tickets at $5 each are available for U of L students, faculty and staff at the KCA box office—U of L photo ID is required.

8:15 p.m. Dinner with the author, hosted by the University of Louisville President James Ramsey, in the Mary Anderson Room.

A $100 package ticket includes the above events plus dinner with Margaret Atwood. (Proceeds go to the nonprofit Kentucky Author Forum; $35 is tax-deductible.)

Tickets are available at The Kentucky Center, 502-584-7777 (1-800-775-7777).

A taped version of the event will be made available at The Louisville Free Public Library, St. Matthews/Eline Branch, 3940 Grandview Ave., at 11 a.m., Friday, April 16. There is no fee involved, but those interested must sign up in advance due to limited seating. Call the library directly at 574-1771 for further information.

WFPL 89.3 FM and Kentucky Educational Television (KET) will record the event for future broadcast, which will be distributed nationally to PBS affiliates nationwide, under the title: "A Conversation with Margaret Atwood."

NOTE TO TV: Access to a live feed to the event is available through KET. If interested, please contact Duncan Hart at 859-258-7296.

The University of Louisville Kentucky Author Forum series is produced by Mary Moss Greenebaum and sponsored by the University of Louisville in partnership with The Humana Foundation and Brown-Forman, in cooperation with Borders Books & Music; Bittners of Louisville; WFPL, Louisville's NPR Station for News; The Courier-Journal; KET, the Kentucky Network; and The Kentucky Center.

624 West Main, Second Floor
Louisville, Kentucky 40202
Phone 502.589.2884
Fax 502.589.4334
email KYFORUM@aol.com