New York Times Bestselling Author to Cap Off SUNY Canton Living Writers Series

CANTON, NY (04/21/2014)(readMedia)-- An American writer who has been hailed by Time magazine as one the most influential people in the world will visit SUNY Canton for the final installment of the College's spring Living Writers Series.

George Saunders, author of the New York Times bestselling book "Tenth of December," will speak at 6:30 p.m. May 1 in the Richard W. Miller Campus Center's Kingston Theater. The event is free and open to the public.

"George Saunders is a national treasure, one of our best living storytellers," said SUNY Canton Assistant Professor of English Phil K. LaMarche. "While his satire gnaws at our contemporary culture, the heart of his work always embraces the humanity of his characters, holding them close and dear."

A creative writing professor at Syracuse University, Saunders has earned fellowships from the Lannan Foundation, the American Academy of Arts and Letters and the Guggenheim Foundation. In 2006 he was awarded the Pen/Malamud Award for Excellence in the Short Story. His writing has been featured in The New Yorker and GQ, among others.

"Tenth of December" has earned praise from the New York Times, Washington Post, Time magazine and Harper's Magazine. The Chicago Tribune named Saunders "the best short story writer in America."

He has appeared on "The Charlie Rose Show," "Late Night with David Letterman" and "The Colbert Report."

Saunders is also the author of two screenplays and three other short story collections: "Pastoralia," "CivilWarLand in Bad Decline" and "In Persuasion Nation." His children's book, "The Very Persistent Gappers of Frip," was also a New York Times bestseller.

Now in its second year, the Living Writers Series was created by LaMarche to correspond with his Living Writers Course. Students enrolled in the class read the books by the authors scheduled to visit the College. Past guests have included New York Times bestselling author Mary Carr and sports columnist William Rhoden.

About SUNY Canton

SUNY Canton is Northern New York's premier College for career-driven bachelor's degrees, associate degrees and certificate programs. The College delivers quality hands-on programs in engineering technology, health, management, and public service to students in the North Country, New York State, and beyond. Faculty members are noted for their professional real-world experience in addition to their academic credentials. SUNY Canton OnLine offers hundreds of flexible and convenient courses as well as eight exclusively online bachelor's degrees. The College's 14 athletic teams compete in state-of-the-art facilities as provisional members of the NCAA Division III and the USCAA.

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