Croatian-American Writer to read at Hamilton College

Josip Novakovich, a Croatian-American writer of fiction and essays on the Balkan War, will read from his work on Wednesday, Feb. 23, at 8 p.m. in the Fillius Events Barn at Hamilton College. The reading is free and open to the public, and will be followed by a book signing and reception. It is sponsored by Hamilton's English department and the Arthur Levitt Public Affairs Center.

Novakovich was born in Croatia and now teaches at the University of Cincinnati. He has been awarded a prestigious Guggenheim Fellowship for the year 2000, and one of his stories appeared in Prize Stories 1998: The O. Henry Awards. Recently honored with the 1999 American Book Award, a Whiting Writers' Award and the Friends of American Writers Award, he was also a finalist for the PEN/Hemingway Award for First Fiction, the Midland Prize for Literature, and the Paterson Prize for Literature for 1998 and 1999. His books include Yolk, Apricots from Chernobyl, and Fiction Writer's Workshop. His book of short stories, Salvation and Other Disasters, was selected as a "Notable Book for 1998" by the New York Times Book Review.

Novakovich is called "one of the best short-story writers of the decade" by Kirkus Reviews, and The New York Times Book Review wrote, "In today's era of pop nonfiction, it's a pleasure to encounter Josip Novakovich's new collection of short stories."