Books & Coffee series features grammar, fiction and biography

January 21, 2005

Books & Coffee series features grammar, fiction and biography

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – The 2005 Books & Coffee series begins with a discussion about the international bestseller that celebrates the rules of punctuation and disparages the grammatically challenged.

On Feb. 3, Victor Raskin, professor of English and interim director of Interdisciplinary Programs in Liberal Arts, will discuss Lynne Truss' "Eats, Shoots & Leaves: The Zero Tolerance Approach to Punctuation."

Thomas P. Adler, professor of English and interim associate dean of the College of Liberal Arts, who is coordinating the series, said: "Originally a publishing sensation in England, Truss' quirky and humorous approach to grammar has been on American bestseller lists for nearly a year.

"This is a great book to start our 54th season of Books & Coffee. The series continues to be a much-loved institution that people look forward to each winter."

The Thursday afternoon programs will be in Stewart Center, Rooms 302 and 306. Coffee and tea are available beginning at 4 p.m., with the half-hour talks starting at 4:30 p.m. The programs are free and open to the public.

The other discussions include:

Feb. 10, Toby Parcel, dean of the College of Liberal Arts, reviews Anne Tyler's most recent novel "The Amateur Marriage." Tyler's novel, which was named a New York Times notable book in 2004, is about an American marriage from 1941-2001.

Feb. 17, Christian Knoeller, associate professor of English education, discusses William Souder's "Under a Wild Sky: John James Audubon and the Making of 'The Birds of America." This is one of three recent biographies about Audubon who refashioned himself from a frontier merchant into a naturalist and painter who is best known for his books about birds.

Feb. 24, Venetria Patton, associate professor of English and director of African-American studies, reviews Edward Jones' "The Known World." This title is the Books & Coffee annual tribute to Black History Month. Jones' novel, which was winner of last year's Pulitzer Prize for fiction, traces the imaginary history of a former slave who becomes the owner of a plantation and slaves of his own.

Writer: Amy Patterson-Neubert, (765) 494-923, apatterson@purdue.edu

Source: Thomas Adler, (765) 494-3666 or (765) 494-6478, tadler@purdue.edu

Purdue News Service: (765) 494-2096; purduenews@purdue.edu

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