David McGlynn
Katherine McGlynn
A close-up of David McGlynn.
David McGlynn
David McGlynn teaches English at Lawrence University in Appleton, and his engaging second novel, Liberal Arts, happens to be set at a small liberal arts college in a small Wisconsin town. Coincidence? Probably not. The Madison-based author will celebrate the book’s release with a party and talk, and there will be plenty to discuss. Liberal Arts is both serious and satirical, as it spans four academic years — from “freshpeople” orientation to graduation — and features a series of bizarre, interconnected dramas. McGlynn excels at portraying communities; his first novel, last year’s Everything We Could Do, focuses on hope and heartbreak at a neonatal intensive care unit. This is a free event, but RSVPs are encouraged at lakecitybooks.com.
media release: Join us for the Book Release Party & Author Talk for David McGlynn's new novel: Liberal Arts.
About the Book: From the outside, Buchanan seems an idyllic world of higher learning. Yet behind its bucolic exterior, a series of interconnected dramas play out: a slew of first-year students mysteriously disappear within days of moving in; an injured hockey star discovers an unlikely fountain of youth; an alumna returns to campus after fifty years in the hope of reconnecting with a former love. Over a span of four years, from orientation to graduation, the characters in Liberal Arts are forced to weigh their ideals and aspirations against the harsh and often ridiculous realities of the world, and are left asking what, if anything, a liberal arts education has left to teach them.
