Wallace State Community College to welcome “Big Fish: A Novel of Mythic Proportions” author Daniel Wallace to campus on March 12
Daniel Wallace will visit campus on Thursday, March 12, at 1 p.m.
HANCEVILLE, ALA. – Wallace State Community College is proud to welcome author Daniel Wallace to campus on Thursday, March 12, at 1 p.m. at the Burrow Center Recital Hall.
Wallace, the author of Wallace State’s Common Read book, “Big Fish: A Novel of Mythical Proportions,” and the 2019 Harper Lee Award recipient, is a nationally-recognized Alabama writer. His visit to campus is sponsored by the Common Read Committee and will serve as a kick off to Wallace State’s Theatre Department presenting “Big Fish: The Musical,” beginning the same night.
Wallace, a Birmingham native and the director of the Creative Writing Program at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, will take questions from the audience at the conclusion of his presentation and conduct a book signing at approximately 2:15 p.m.
“The Common Read Committee is excited to welcome Daniel Wallace to our campus. We will have books for sell at the event. The event is open to the public, and we invite everyone to join us on March 12,” said Dr. Aletta Williamson, Wallace State’s Common Read Committee chair.
Wallace, the author of six novels and two children’s books, will sign also books at an invitation-only event at 5:30 p.m., hosted by the Wallace State Future Foundation. He’ll speak to creative writing students at Wallace State on Friday, March 13.
The fictional town of Ashland (Ashton in the musical) where Wallace’s books “Big Fish” and “Watermelon King” are set was inspired by Wallace’s childhood trips to Cullman to visit his grandparents who once owned the All Steak, according to multiple interviews with the author.
Wallace State’s Common Read Committee selects a book each academic year to be read campus-wide and its purpose is to provide a common academic experience for all students and to strengthen the academic atmosphere of the whole institution by focusing on a literary initiative each year. The program’s main goal is to have fun and enjoy a great book, but it also encourages reading among students, creates a sense of community on campus, promotes discussion, provides a shared intellectual experience and encourages cross-disciplinary dialogues.
Previous Common Read selections at Wallace State include: “What Should I Do With My Life?: The True Story of People Who Answered the Ultimate Question,” “Cycle of Hope: A Journey from Paralysis to Possibility,” “The Art of Racing in the Rain,” “Breaking Night: A Memoir of Forgiveness, Survival, and My Journey from Homeless to Harvard,” “The Fault in Our Stars,” “Zeitoun,” and “Tuesdays with Morrie.”
As with Wallace’s visit, the college has been fortunate to welcome many of the Common Read authors to campus.
Performances of “Big Fish: The Musical” at Wallace State are scheduled for 7 p.m. on March 12-14 and 2 p.m. on Sunday, March 15.
“This is special for our students. We’ve never had anything like this happen before. Everything coordinated perfectly and Mr. Wallace has been very generous with his time. We’re grateful for that and excited to meet him,” said Lauren Salerno, Wallace State’s Theatre Director. “Mr. Wallace has always expressed in seeing a ‘Big Fish’ musical in Alabama and we had to embrace the opportunity.”
For more information about the March 12 visit, contact Williamson at 256.352.8389 or at aletta.williamson@wallacestate.edu or Jenifer Hays at 256.352.7847 or at Jenifer.hays@wallacestate.edu
Learn more about Wallace State at www.wallacestate.edu
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