Fredericksburg, Va. – Colin Rafferty, assistant professor of English, will serve as moderator for the University of Mary Washington’s Fredericksburg Forum on Thursday, March 17. The program, which features best-selling novelist Scott Turow, will be held at 8 p.m. in George Washington Hall, Dodd Auditorium. Tickets are still available.
Rafferty, who joined the UMW faculty in 2008, is a writer specializing in creative nonfiction. He teaches courses such as memoir writing, travel and nature writing and the lyric essay, in addition to general nonfiction writing courses.
His current writing interests include memory and monuments, the Berlin Wall, and the emergence of hip-hop in the suburbs. His recent essays have appeared in literary journals, including Bellingham Review, Fourth Genre and Cream City Review. His essay “When I Was Famous” received mention as a Notable American Essay in the most recent edition of Best American Essays.
A native of Kansas City, Rafferty received a Master of Fine Arts in creative writing from the University of Alabama, a Master of Arts in English from Iowa State University and a Bachelor of Arts in English from Kansas State University.
Scott Turow is author of eight best-selling novels. His latest work, “Innocent,” published in 2010, revisits the protagonist in his 1987 debut legal thriller, “Presumed Innocent,” which was adapted into a hit movie in 1990. His other novels include “Ordinary Heroes,” “The Burden of Proof,” “Pleading Guilty,” “The Laws of Our Fathers,” “Personal Injuries” and “Reversible Errors.” He also has written two nonfiction books, “One L,” about his experience as a law student, and “Ultimate Punishment,” a reflection on the death penalty.
Turow is a frequent contributor to publications such as The New York Times, Washington Post, Vanity Fair, The New Yorker, Playboy and The Atlantic. His books have won numerous literary awards, including the Heartland Prize for “Reversible Errors” and the Robert F. Kennedy Book Award for “Ultimate Punishment.” His books have been translated into more than 25 languages and have sold more than 25 million copies worldwide.
He continues to practice law in Chicago, concentrating on white collar criminal defense, and devotes a substantial part of his time to pro bono matters. In addition, Turow performs with the Rock Bottom Remainders, a musical group of best-selling authors who raise funds for various literacy charities.
Fredericksburg Forum is a community-sponsored program underwritten by season ticket sales that brings nationally known speakers to the Fredericksburg community and the university.
General admission tickets for the March program are $35, orchestra tickets are $40. For ticket information, contact the Office of University Events and Conferencing at (540) 654-1065.