Tavi Stallings ’27, staff writer
LVC’s “Writing: A Life” series will welcome Joseph Earl Thomas as this fall’s second guest author.
Thomas’s first book, “Sink: A Memoir,” was published in February of 2023. “Sink: A Memoir” discusses his early life along with topics such as poverty, drug abuse and other adversities, while including details of his relationship with popular culture.
“It’s a really interesting textual memoir, and the mode of telling is fascinating because it’s that third person. And there are occasionally small intervals where the author, as an adult, looks back and comments,” Dr. Holly Wendt, associate professor of English and director of creative writing, said.
Thomas has a variety of works, including non-fiction pieces, poetry and short stories that have been featured in various magazines, such as Apiary Magazine. He is also working on a new novel, “God Bless You, Otis Spunkmeyer,” which is projected to be released in the summer of 2024.
Thomas has obtained an MFA in prose from The University of Notre Dame and is currently a doctoral candidate in English at the University of Pennsylvania. He also serves as an associate faculty member at The Brooklyn Institute for Social Research and the director of programs at Blue Stoop, a literary hub for writers from Philadelphia.
Thomas will host a reading on campus on Oct. 17 at 7 p.m. in the Bishop Library Atrium. His reading can also be attended via Zoom (registration details will be provided through email). Attendees will have an opportunity to hear an excerpt from Thomas’ writing and ask the author questions.