Bret Lott, the new editor of LSU’s literary journal, TheSouthern Review, introduced himself to the Baton Rouge communitySunday night as the first featured author in the 2004-2005″Readers & Writers” series.
The series, sponsored by the English department, will featureseven authors over five events, culminating in April 2005.
On Sunday, Lott read passages from his most recent book,”A Song I Knew By Heart,” and talked about his lifeexperiences that have led him to the University — includingan encounter with Oprah Winfrey that helped springboard hiscareer.
In 1999, Winfrey selected Lott’s 1991 novel,”Jewel,” for her book club, a novel which soonescalated to the New York Times bestseller list and was lateradapted into a movie starring actress Farrah Fawcett.
“It was fantastic,” Lott said. “The book wasliterally out of print when she selected it.”
Lott said the experience led to his rise in the literaryworld.
“Rejection is the cornerstone of your life if you are awriter,” he said. “[Getting selected] was a tremendousblessing. It was a signal from God.”
Now, he said, he is ready to take over the reigns of TheSouthern Review.
Lott said he could recall reading from The Southern Review as anundergraduate at California State University in Long Beach, Calif.He said he never dreamed he ever would become editor of such aprestigious publication.
“The future [of the publication] is assured,” Lottsaid. “I am not going to do anything to wreck it. [TheSouthern Review] has such historical benefits. I want students hereto read it.”
Lott comes to the University from the College of Charleston inSouth Carolina, where he spent the past 18 years and served as awriter-in-residence, professor of English and creative writing, andeditor of “Crazyhorse,” a literary journal.
The first publication of The Southern Review under Lott’sstewardship will come out in January 2005. He said he hopes toincrease student readership of the publication by offering studentsubscription rates and by featuring a new layout design.
Judy Kahn, coordinator of the “Readers &Writers” series, said the decision to have Lott read at thefirst event was not a difficult one to make.
“Bret Lott is not only a famous author, but he is the neweditor,” she said. “This is a way to introduce him tothe students and faculty of LSU.”
“A Song I Knew By Heart,” is a contemporaryretelling of the book of Ruth in the Bible. Like most of hisnovels, Lott said this publication is an emphasis on the importanceof family.
Following Lott, two poets, Ava Leavell Haymon and Laura Mullen,will read their works at the Oct. 24 “Readers &Writers” event. Then, at the Jan. 30 event, LSU politicalguru Wayne Parent will read his book about Louisiana’spolitical culture, “Inside the Carnival: Unmasking LouisianaPolitics.”
Two novelists, Olympia Vernon and Laurie Lynn Drummond, willread on Feb. 27 and short story writer John Murray will round outthe series on April 17.
“[Readers & Writers] is important to the campusbecause we are the only reading series here on campus,” Kahnsaid. “This is a chance for students to hear well renownedwriters read their own works.”