Novelist/screenwriter John Irving, one of the most popular and respected writers in the world, will speak on Sunday, March 20, at 3 p.m. at Fairfield University. "An Afternoon with John Irving" is part of Open VISIONS Forum, a program of University College at Fairfield University and is being presented as a joint community effort in alliance with the Pequot Library in Southport.

Known for his ability to create memorable characters and complex yet accessible plots, Irving is the author of several American classics, including the international best-seller "The World According to Garp," "A Prayer for Owen Meaney," "The Hotel New Hampshire," and "A Widow for One Year." His adaptation of his novel "The Cider House Rules" won him the 1999 Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay.

While the New York Times Book Review has called him "an absolutely and even joyfully talented storyteller," he has been compared to some of the greatest writers in history, including Balzac and Dickens.

"He has a very original and creative disregard for the conventional rules of narrative," said Michael White, Ph.D., who teaches Irving in his American Studies course at Fairfield University. "He tells stories the way he thinks they're best told."

Irving began his lifelong interest in the written word as a child. Diagnosed with dyslexia, he learned to carefully read and repeat every word to keep up in school. While it started out as a practical necessity, his scrutiny of language developed into a powerful literary tool.

Irving received his bachelor's degree from the University of New Hampshire and went on to study with another American master, Kurt Vonnegut, at the University of Iowa, where he received his MFA. Within two years, he saw the publication of his first book, 1969's "Setting Free the Bears."

He followed the first novel with five more in the next 16 years, including "Garp," which was published to wide acclaim in 1985. The novel won the National Book Award in 1980 and introduced a wider audience of readers to his inventive and expansive style.

The Academy Award-nominated film version of the book, starring Robin Williams, John Lithgow and Glenn Close, built on his reputation as a master storyteller.

"I hold a novel accountable for a good story, ... one that's a little too complicated and circumlocutious to be easily encapsulated in a newspaper or television story," Irving has said of his work.

Since "Garp," all of Irving's books have been international bestsellers. They've been translated into 30 languages and have sold tens of millions of copies. Irving is also the recipient of the O. Henry Award and awards from the Rockefeller Foundation, the National Endowment for the Arts and the Guggenheim Foundation. In 2001, he was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Letters.

In addition to writing, Irving has another passion - wrestling. He was a competitive wrestler for 20 years and coached teams, mostly at private schools, until he was 47. His second career didn't go unnoticed: In 1992, he was inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in Stillwater, Okla.

In 1996, Irving released a collection of short stories and essays, "Trying to Save Piggy Sneed," following that with 1999's "My Movie Business," a memoir about his 14-year crusade to see "Cider House Rules" adapted as a film.

Irving is currently at work on his much-anticipated eleventh novel, which has been in-progress since 1998. He is also working with "Cider House Rules" producer Richard Gladstein on an adaptation of his most recent novel, "The Fourth Hand." A screen version of his 1994 novel "A Son of the Circus" is also planned.

Tickets are $25, $22.50 for senior citizens. For tickets, call the Quick Center box office at (203) 254-4010 or toll free at 1-877-ARTS-396. For more information, visit www.quickcenter.com.

Posted On: 02-20-2005 10:02 AM

Volume: 37 Number: 167