Critically acclaimed American essayist to speak to students and public
Published on
(Grand Rapids, Mich.) 鈥� On October 30, the Aquinas College Contemporary Writers Series presents American lyric essayist John D鈥橝gata. In his work D鈥橝gata explores the origin
and evolution of the essay, discusses many of the most poignant and important essays
of modern years, and writes long form nonfiction essays with a unique viewpoint and
expertise.
WHAT: Aquinas College Contemporary Writers Series presents: John D鈥橝gata
WHEN: October 30, 7:30 p.m.
WHERE: Aquinas College, Wege Ballroom, 1607 Robinson Road S.E., Grand Rapids, MI,
49506
COST: Free and open to the public
D鈥橝gata has worked on a number of books, including Hall of Fame: Essays, a collection
of experimental nonfiction. After reading the book, fellow author David Foster Wallace
lauded D鈥橝gata as 鈥渙ne of the most significant U.S. writers to emerge in the past
few years.
D鈥橝gata鈥檚 later penned About a Mountain, a book-length lyric essay about the Yucca
Mountain nuclear waste repository. In a New York Time Book Review, Charles Bock this
work "unquestionably art, a breathtaking piece of writing."
His latest work, The Lifespan of a Fact, chronicles the real-life exchange between
D'Agata and fact checker, Jim Fingal, and details their heated seven-year battle over
an essay D'Agata wrote that was ultimately published in The Believer magazine and
then evolved into the basis for About a Mountain. In the book, D'Agata and Fingal
discuss the use of truth and the definition of nonfiction. Among it鈥檚 accolades, The
Lifespan of a Fact was named a top 10 Best Book of 2012 by Slate.com.
In addition to these works, D鈥橝gata has edited two essay anthologies: The Lost Origins
of the Essay and The Next American Essay. He has received fellowships from the Guggenheim
Foundation, National Endowment for the Arts, Howard Foundation, and Obermann Center
for Advanced Studies, and is currently working on a translation of a book by the ancient
Greek writer Plutarch, as well as a new collection of his own essays.
He teaches courses at the University of Iowa on the history of the essay, experiments
in essaying, and a variety of workshops.