Bestselling Author, Popular Mystery Novelist Headline Art & Soul

A New York Times bestselling author, a popular mystery novelist, a renowned poet and a progressive Baptist pastor will join scholars, musicians, writers and film-makers at Baylor University's Art & Soul festival, which will explore the topic of mystery and meaning. Now in its fourth year, the popular event will run March 20-22 at various campus venues.

Headlining the three-day event will be Kathleen Norris, who will speak at 8 p.m. Friday, March 21, at Jones Concert Hall in the McCrary Music Building and will teach a master class on non-fiction writing that morning. An award-winning poet and author of the New York Times bestsellers The Cloister Walk, Dakota, Amazing Grace and The Virgin of Bennington, Norris is one of America's foremost literary chroniclers of the spiritual life.
"Kathleen Norris is a bestselling writer who - like Anne Lamott - uses her own life experience to create inspiring art. She has a devoted audience and we expect a good crowd for her talk," said Dr. Greg Garrett, associate professor of English and director of Art & Soul.

Other major presenters at the festival include Ralph McInerney, noted philosopher and author of more than 50 books (including many in the Father Dowling mystery series) and a recipient of the lifetime achievement award from the Mystery Writers of America. A public interview of McInerney will take place at 10 a.m. Saturday, March 22, in Barfield Drawing Room.

Acclaimed poet Scott Cairns, professor of English at the University of Missouri, Columbia, has been called the "poet's poet." His collections include Recovered Body, Figures for the Ghost, The Translation of Babel, The Theology of Doubt and the new PhiloKalia: New & Selected Poems. Cairns will deliver a public lecture at 8 p.m. Saturday, March 22, in the Hankamer Treasure Room at Armstrong Browning Library. He also will take part in a poetry panel and a public interview with Garrett.

Chris Seay, who has appeared at every Art & Soul, is former pastor of University Baptist Church in Waco and currently serves as pastor of Ecclesia, a progressive Christian community in Houston. He is the author of The Gospel According to Tony Soprano and The Tao of Enron, and, with co-author Garrett, is working on a book about the movie "The Matrix." He will make a public presentation at 2 p.m. Saturday, March 22, in the Baines Room at the Bill Daniel Student Center.

The festival also will feature a scholarly symposium with sessions on mystery and meaning, contemporary poetry, American literature, British literature, the Oxford Christians and Harry Potter, to name a few. Additionally, numerous writing workshops, readings and special public presentations are scheduled.
For more information or for tickets to the Norris lecture call the Institute for Faith and Learning at (254) 710-4805.