Fairfield University presents author Sue Monk Kidd for lecture | Press Releases

Sue Monk Kidd, the best-selling author of "The Secret Life of Bees,"will discuss her new book, "The Mermaid Chair," at Fairfield University's John A. Barone Campus Center Oak Room on Monday, April 24, at 7 p.m. Her lecture, which is presented by University College at Fairfield University in collaboration with Pequot Library, will be followed by a book signing.

"The Mermaid Chair" is a beautiful, erotic and haunting story centered around Jessie Sullivan, a wife, mother, and artist. When Jessie's mother Nelle, a devout Catholic, commits an unthinkable act of violence, Jessie returns to the tiny South Carolina island where her mother lives. There she finds solace in the familiarity of the place and reconnects with her mother's closest friends, a circle of women she's known since childhood, and deepens her own ties with them.

Near Nelle's home is a Benedictine abbey, a place that has always been special to Jessie. Inside the abbey is a beautiful and mysterious chair with ornately carved mermaids that is dedicated to Saint Senara, who, legend claims, was a mermaid before her conversion.

"The Mermaid Chair" is a vividly and magnificently imagined story about the passions of the spirit and the ecstasies of the body; one that illuminates a woman's self-awakening with the clarity and command that only a writer of Kidd's ability could conjure."The Mermaid Chair,"about to be released in paperback, is thewinner of the 2005 Quill Award for General Fiction.

Sue Monk Kidd has also written the acclaimed memoirs "When the Heart Waits" and "Dance of the Dissident Daughter." Kidd, who lives near Charleston, S.C., is the recipient of numerous awards, including the Poets & Writers Exchange Program in Fiction. Her blockbuster book,"The Secret Life of Bees," has soldmore than 4.5 million copies, spent more than two years on the New York Times bestseller list and been published in more than 23 languages. It was awarded the 2004 Book Sense Paperback book of the Year, nominated for the Orange Prize in England and chosen as Good Morning America's "Read This!" Book Club pick.

The cost to attend the lecture and book signing is $8 for the general public, free to Fairfield University students, faculty and staff. Please phone (203) 254-4307 to reserve a seat.

University College at Fairfield University is the gateway for individuals seeking undergraduate and graduate degrees as well as professional certificate programs, study abroad and personal enrichment opportunities. With an emphasis on quality,convenience and flexibility, University College offers a wide variety of evening, day, online and weekend programs taught by a distinguished faculty. University College offers an enriching personal and powerful educational experience that is backed by the resources and reputation of a great Jesuit university. For program information e-mail gradadmis@mail.fairfield.edu or visit www.fairfield.edu or call 203-254-4184.