New York Times bestselling author Tayari Jones tackles the issue of wrongful incarceration in her latest book, “An American Marriage.” She will discuss her research for the book and her creative writing process during the 2019 TIAA Lecture, scheduled for 2 p.m., Wednesday, April 10, in the Cone University Center, McKnight Hall. (Note, this is a location change since the initial publication).
“An American Marriage” is the story of newlyweds Celestial and Roy, who are the embodiment of both the American Dream and the New South. They are a year into marriage when Roy is sent to prison for a crime he didn't commit. After he's exonerated, they must try to save a relationship that may have been damaged beyond repair.
While the TIAA Lecture is free and open to the campus community, RSVPs are requested. Registrants will be entered into a drawing for a signed copy of “An American Marriage.” The winner will be notified by email and must attend the lecture to receive the book.
A New York Times, Indie Bound, Wall Street Journal and USA Today bestseller, “An American Marriage” was named a 2018 Oprah Winfrey Book Club selection. Jones also wrote “Silver Sparrow,” “The Untelling” and “Leaving Atlanta.”
Last year Jones, an Atlanta native, joined Emory University as a member of its creative writing faculty. She was previously an associate professor in the MFA program at Rutgers University-Newark. During the 2017-18 academic year, Jones was a Shearing Fellow for Distinguished Writers at the Beverly Rogers, Carol C. Harter Black Mountain Institute at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. She earned degrees from Spelman College, the University of Iowa and Arizona State University.
The TIAA Lecture is an endowed event that features distinguished and notable speakers addressing a variety of topics. It is part of the UNC Charlotte Civic Series presented by Bank of America, which includes the annual Chancellor's Speaker Series and the Barnhardt Seminar on Ethics.