2008 Woodie Awards
Award-winning author visiting campus
Russell comes Nov. 2 as part of the endowed reading program
Julie Wootton, News Editor
Issue date: 10/24/06
Last Updated: 12/26/07
Dr. Mary Doria Russell, award-winning author of "The Sparrow" and "A Thread of Grace," will be giving a lecture on Nov. 2 and a reading on Nov. 3, both at 7:30 p.m. in the Robinson Teaching Theatre in Weyerhaeuser Hall as a part of the English Department endowed reading program.
The goal of the endowed reading program is to bring one nationally recognized author each year to campus to talk with students.
"The department generally tries to invite authors who are interested in faith issues and Russell certainly is," said Doug Sugano, professor of English. "She has a Ph.D. in anthropology, so she fills the reader in with as much background data as possible before starting the plot of the story."
Russell said in an e-mail interview that having a background in anthropology was helpful in writing her novels.
"It was useful in 'The Sparrow' when I was creating a plausible alien ecology and culture," Russell said. "Anthropology in general teaches you not to assume you understand something just because you've seen the surface of it."
Sugano first thought about inviting Russell to speak when he received an e-mail six or seven years ago from an alumnus who heard Russell do a reading in Chicago.
"Russell's new book 'A Thread of Grace' came out last year so we decided to invite her to come to Whitworth as a part of the endowed reading program," Sugano said.
All five sections of Reading Literature are reading "A Thread of Grace" this semester in preparation for Russell's visit.
"'A Thread of Grace' is a historical novel that expresses all of our questions and stereotypes about World War II, the Holocaust and the treatment of Jews," Sugano said. "The novel also exposes an unusual but real story about Italians protecting thousands of Jews, even while their own country was being occupied."
Russell's books are known for having a strong religious and ethical base.
"The characters [in 'A Thread of Grace'] have all been raised with religious principles, which they have abandoned or lived by variously," Russell said. "The war forces them into decisions far too quickly for them to reflect on faith. They have to react ethically on the fly."
"The Sparrow" and "Children of God" deal with scientific issues as well as anthropology.
"In her books, it is more about what we can learn from other cultures, civilizations and planets rather than preaching to them," Sugano said.
Russell said that she was under pressure to write "A Thread of Grace" quickly. Due to the amount of research necessary to write the novel, it took seven years.
"It was a monstrous research effort, and while I was writing, three close family members were dying and my own health went to hell for a while," Russell said. "An appalling time, but at least nobody was hunting me down to murder me and everyone I love. Writing about the Holocaust puts one's own tiny concerns in perspective."
The goal of the endowed reading program is to bring one nationally recognized author each year to campus to talk with students.
"The department generally tries to invite authors who are interested in faith issues and Russell certainly is," said Doug Sugano, professor of English. "She has a Ph.D. in anthropology, so she fills the reader in with as much background data as possible before starting the plot of the story."
Russell said in an e-mail interview that having a background in anthropology was helpful in writing her novels.
"It was useful in 'The Sparrow' when I was creating a plausible alien ecology and culture," Russell said. "Anthropology in general teaches you not to assume you understand something just because you've seen the surface of it."
Sugano first thought about inviting Russell to speak when he received an e-mail six or seven years ago from an alumnus who heard Russell do a reading in Chicago.
"Russell's new book 'A Thread of Grace' came out last year so we decided to invite her to come to Whitworth as a part of the endowed reading program," Sugano said.
All five sections of Reading Literature are reading "A Thread of Grace" this semester in preparation for Russell's visit.
"'A Thread of Grace' is a historical novel that expresses all of our questions and stereotypes about World War II, the Holocaust and the treatment of Jews," Sugano said. "The novel also exposes an unusual but real story about Italians protecting thousands of Jews, even while their own country was being occupied."
Russell's books are known for having a strong religious and ethical base.
"The characters [in 'A Thread of Grace'] have all been raised with religious principles, which they have abandoned or lived by variously," Russell said. "The war forces them into decisions far too quickly for them to reflect on faith. They have to react ethically on the fly."
"The Sparrow" and "Children of God" deal with scientific issues as well as anthropology.
"In her books, it is more about what we can learn from other cultures, civilizations and planets rather than preaching to them," Sugano said.
Russell said that she was under pressure to write "A Thread of Grace" quickly. Due to the amount of research necessary to write the novel, it took seven years.
"It was a monstrous research effort, and while I was writing, three close family members were dying and my own health went to hell for a while," Russell said. "An appalling time, but at least nobody was hunting me down to murder me and everyone I love. Writing about the Holocaust puts one's own tiny concerns in perspective."
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