University of St. Thomas-Houston Rounds Out
Creative Writing Program with Powerhouse
Summer Literary Series
Renowned Catholic Literary Writers Gather For June 16-28 Inaugural Event
The University of St. Thomas Houston (UST) prepares to become a Who’s Who of Catholic literary giants with its upcoming Summer Literary Series taking place on campus at the Jones Hall Auditorium June 16-28. A newly inaugurated UST tradition, the event attracts distinguished Catholic authors and scholars across a spectrum of literary disciplines to share the joy and beauty of the written word. A highlight for this year’s event will include a special livestream event on June 21 featuring Catholic author Robert Royal and renowned American poet Dana Gioia.
The Summer Literary Series complements UST’s Summer Writers Institute and Summer Graduate Residency, two ongoing features of its acclaimed Master of Fine Arts program in Creative Writing. James Matthew Wilson, esteemed author, poet, and essayist in his own right, is the founding director of the Creative Writing program and chair of the department of English Literature.
“We intend for the Summer Literary Series to be the University of Saint Thomas’s gift to the people of Houston, of the country, and around the world, as we feature great artists and scholars who are building a culture of hope and beauty even now. We live in tumultuous times, but also times of tremendous energy and inventiveness, both in our culture as a whole and in the Catholic Church in particular, ” notes Wilson. “The great philosopher Jacques Maritain once wrote that ‘to civilize is to spiritualize.’ We hope to be a source and servant of such a spirit. We want everyone who is looking to nourish the intellectual and artistic side of their lives to find a welcome home at the University of Saint Thomas.”
The theme of the June 21 livestream conversation between Dana Gioia and Robert Royal is “The Future of Catholic Letters” and will discuss both the historical achievements of American Catholics in twentieth-century intellectual and literary life as well as the prospects for what has been hailed as a twenty-first century Catholic literary renaissance. That renaissance was inspired, in part, by the publication of Gioia’s essay, “The Catholic Writer Today” and Royal’s landmark book, “A Deeper Vision: The Catholic Intellectual Tradition in the Twentieth Century.”
All sessions are free and open to the public weekday evenings only from 7:15pm-8:45pm CT and will feature readings, performances, and reflections on enduring classics. In addition to readings by great contemporary writers, the series will include lectures on Catholic Letters “East and Far East,” including lectures on the poetry of St. John Paul II and Nobel Laureate Czeslaw Milosz, and a lecture on the great Japanese Catholic novelists Shusako Endo (author of “Silence,” which was made into Martin Scorcese’s major motion picture) and Ayako Sono. Featured presenters for the nine-day event include Joshua Hren, Micheal O’Siadhail, Catherine Savage Brosman, and Natalie Morrill, with keynote lectures from Kevin Doak, Cynthia Haven, and Robert Royal. Daniel Cardinal DiNardo, Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston, will offer Mass at UST’s Chapel of St. Basil on June 20 at 10:00am CT to kick off the Summer Residency Program in poetry and fiction.
A popular figure on campus among the students, UST President Dr. Richard Ludwick will also be in attendance for several sessions to welcome visitors. “The Summer Literary Series is an opportunity to showcase UST as a hub for some of the country’s most illustrious Catholic creative writers and thinkers, and it offers a one-of-a-kind experience for our students. We are particularly excited about this year’s livestream, which provides a window for the entire world into our special program here in Houston.”
For more information on the series and to view the June 21 livestream event, visit www.stthom.edu/SLS.
To request an interview with James Matthew Wilson or Dr. Richard Ludwick, contact Carrie Kline. For a complete press kit, visit here.
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About the University of St. Thomas
The University of St. Thomas is a comprehensive Catholic university, grounded in the liberal arts. Committed to the unity of all knowledge, UST offers programs in the traditional liberal arts, professional, and skilled-based disciplines. Graduates of the University of St. Thomas think critically, communicate effectively, succeed professionally, and lead ethically.
