In addition, Davies will give a talk on the craft of fiction at 8 p.m. March 4.

Both events will be in Hurst Lounge, Duncker Hall, Room 201. A book-signing and reception will follow each, and copies of Davies' works will be available for purchase.

Peter Ho Davies

Davies directs the master of fine arts program at University of Michigan. He is at Washington University for two weeks, serving as the Fannie Hurst Professor of Creative Literature.

Davies is the author of two story collections, The Ugliest House in the World (1997) and Equal Love (2000), the latter of which was named a New York Times Notable Book of the Year and was a finalist for the Los Angeles Times Book Prize. His short fiction has been widely anthologized and has also appeared in Harpers, The Atlantic Monthly and The Paris Review.

"The characters who populate the stories of Peter Ho Davies are typically people uneasy about being people, uneasy about the degree to which they fall short when measured against the expectations of other people," said Kellie Wells, assistant professor of English in Arts & Sciences.

"For the characters in both The Ugliest House in the World and Equal Love, there's often a sense of discomfort in the sometimes clumsy ways they interact with one another, in the halting ways they try to forge meaningful bonds."

The events, both free and open to the public, are sponsored by The Writing Program in Arts & Sciences and the Department of English.

For more information, call 935-7130.