Writer discusses his career and new essay collection on March 29

As part of the 2010 Writers at Work series, Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist John McPhee will discuss his new essay collection – “Silk Parachute” – at 6:30 p.m., Monday, March 29 at the Kansas City Public Library, 14 W. 10th St., Kansas City, Mo. A 6 p.m. reception will kick off the event, which is sponsored by the UMKC College of Arts and Sciences‘ Department of English, Chris Davis and the Kansas City Public Library.

A quintessential New Yorker writer, McPhee is considered to be one of narrative nonfiction’s pioneers. With his unique brand of literary journalism, McPhee has written about a diverse range of subjects – including the earth’s formation in “Annals of the Former World” and shad fish in “The Founding Fish.”

In “Silk Parachute,” McPhee combines the longer, meticulous reporting style that he is famous for with smaller, overtly personal vignettes.

McPhee began his writing career at Time magazine, which led to a long association with The New Yorker in 1965. He has received several literary honors and awards, such as an American Academy of Arts and Letters’ award and a Pulitzer Prize for General Non-Fiction. He is a renowned nonfiction writing instructor at Princeton University.

For more information about this event, contact the Kansas City Public Library at (816) 701-3400. For more information about UMKC’s MFA Program in Creative Writing, please visit www.umkc.edu/creativewriting.

The University of Missouri-Kansas City (UMKC), one of four University of Missouri campuses, is a public university serving more than 14,000 undergraduate, graduate and professional students. UMKC engages with the community and economy based on a four-part mission: life and health sciences; visual and performing arts; urban issues and education; and a vibrant learning and campus life experience.