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Christopher Maier, a Pennsylvania native, came to Champaign-Urbana five years ago to earn an MFA in creative writing—and he's still here. He's written and edited for magazines, newspapers, trade publications, university presses, literary journals, corporate clients, and family holiday newsletters. At the University of Illinois, he's taught creative writing and composition, and was a founder of the literary/arts magazine Ninth Letter. He appreciates corn fields, but also misses the mountains.
Champaign-Urbana knows a thing or two about healthy writing scenes. After all, the University of Illinois is home to one of the nation’s oldest and most prestigious creative writing programs as well as one of the nation’s leading journalism schools. A top-shelf literary magazine is housed here Ninth Letter and a recent National Book Award winner lives here (Richard Powers) and one of America’s most esteemed poets teaches here (Brigit Pegeen Kelly) and an authorial authority on U.S. media hosts a local radio show here every week (Bob McChesney) and — and the list could go on for pages.
But C-U isn’t the only writers’ haven in this neck of the woods. Tonight at 6:30 p.m. the Rantoul Public Library will host a local author panel discussion featuring nine area writers and a representative from Mahomet’s Mayhaven Press.
The authors participating in the session are Geil Butler, Bernidette Davis, Cheri Edwards, Elizabeth Hoyt, Rebecca Mabry, Alice McGinty, Mary Nourie (a.k.a. Mary Jessie Parker), Katy Podagrosi and Rochelle Weber.
Aside from geographic roots, these authors have little to tie them together. While McGinty writes for children about things like “hairy scary spiders,” Podagrosi (Rantoul’s former mayor) dishes up local history meant for adults. Davis offers marriage advice; Mabry explores Amish culture; Butler describes her post-World War II years in Japan. Edwards and Nourie write fiction for little kids, leaving Weber and Hoyt to spin tales for the big kids.
Tonight’s event is intended to offer insight into the sorts of processes and personalities that contribute to the publishing world. Seasoned authors and aspiring writers alike are invited to attend. The discussion is free and open to the public.
The authors and Mayhaven Press will be at the Rantoul Public Library from 6:30–8:30 p.m. tonight. The library is located at 106 W. Flessner Ave. in Rantoul, approximately 15 miles north of Champaign-Urbana.
