Notables on Campus: Spring 2014

Meredith College has welcomed three best-selling authors to campus during the 2013-14 academic year. The College community learned about the writing careers of Pat Conroy, Sue Monk Kidd, and Nancy Peacock who shared their latest works.

Pat Conroy
Best-selling author Pat Conroy read from his latest work at Meredith College on December 12, 2013. The sold-out event was sponsored by Friends of the Carlyle Campbell Library and Quail Ridge & Books and Music. Well known for The Prince of Tides and South of Broad, Conroy returned to Raleigh with a memoir, The Death of Santini: The Story of a Father and His Son. Conroy told stories from his family life, including some of their reactions to his books. He also shared humorous anecdotes from his experiences at readings across the country.

Sue Monk Kidd
Sue Monk Kidd, author of the best-seller The Secret Life of Bees, presented her newest novel, The Invention of Wings, at Meredith on January 14, 2014. Inspired by the abolitionist Grimke sisters of 1830s Charleston, this is a novel of hope, daring, and the quest for freedom. The novel has earned rave reviews, and has been selected for Oprah’s Book Club 2.0. This event was co-sponsored by Meredith’s Friends of the Carlyle Campbell Library and Quail Ridge Books & Music.

Nancy Peacock
North Carolina author Nancy Peacock read from her work during a November 12, 2013, visit sponsored by Meredith’s Department of English. Peacock is the author of A Broom of One’s Own: Words on Writing, Housecleaning, and Life. Part writing guide and part memoir, A Broom of One’s Own is a collection of personal essays recounting Peacock’s transformation from maid to writer and teacher. Her novels include Life Without Water, chosen as a New York Times Editor’s Choice Book, Home Across the Road, and most recently, The Life and Times of Persimmon Wilson. Peacock answered student questions about her work and the writing process.

This article originally appeared in the Spring 2014 issue of Meredith Magazine.