MacArthur Fellow, Mines Alumnus to Read from Latest Book

GOLDEN, Colo., Oct. 8, 2007 – George Saunders, a MacArthur Fellow and 1981 graduate of Colorado School of Mines, will read from and sign his latest book, The Braindead Megaphone, at 7 p.m. on Oct. 22 in the Green Center, Metals Hall, 924 16th St., Golden.

One of 25 MacArthur Fellows chosen by the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation in 2006, Saunders was awarded $500,000 in support over five years without stipulations allowing him to take his work in a new direction or focus more intently on current projects.

Saunders, also a Guggenheim Fellow, writes short story satire and humanizes the moral dilemmas faced by 21st century Americans. He is the author of In Persuasion Nation, The Brief and Frightening Reign of Phil, Pastoralia, CivilWarLand in Bad Decline and a children's book, The Very Persistent Gappers of Frip. He writes for the New Yorker, Harper's, and GQ, and is the recipient of multiple National Magazine Awards.

Saunders received a bachelor's degree in geophysical engineering from Mines and currently is a professor of creative writing at Syracuse University.

His latest work, The Braindead Megaphone, is his first collection of nonfiction essays.