An Evening with Flannery O’Connor on her Hundredth Birthday

“[M]ost people, upon mention of O’Connor’s name, cannot suppress a grimace. It seems to me that such people either lack a sense of humor, or fail to recognize the various forms that humor can take, or are unable (in T.S. Eliot’s phrase) to ‘bear very much reality,’ or perhaps all three." - Chilton Williamson, Jr.

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Flannery O’Connor is one of us—an American Catholic—yet she speaks to us from another planet: grotesque, challenging, provocative. She reminds us of the magnitude of our redemption by reminding us of the sin and humanity from which we are redeemed; of the grandeur of redemption made possible by the darkness of sin. She makes us uncomfortable. As chronic life-hackers, we feel ourselves hacked; a great author to have on your shelf, but not on your nightstand.

Are we brave enough to meet her?

This spring marked the 100th anniversary of Flannery O’Connor’s birth. Join us for an evening devoted to her stories and prose. Heights faculty members Pat Miggins and Michael Ortiz will guide us through a shared reading and conversation. Fellow English Department faculty member, Joe Bissex, will moderate.

As always, doors and drinks at 7pm; our speakers take the stage at 7:30. Expect an evening of lively conversation centered on one of the most provocative and compelling authors in the American Catholic tradition.