Karen Thompson Walker at the Writer's Center

Karen Thompson Parker

An announcement / invitation from the Bethesda, Maryland Writer's Center:

Visiting novelist Karen Thompson Walker, who is the third recipient of The McLaughlin-Esstman Stearns First Novel Prize, will be reading 2:00 p.m., Sunday, November 16 at The Writer’s Center. The reading will be followed by a reception and book signing. 

Sun Freeman writes:

The quality of work we have seen in these annual competitions, funded very generously by Neal Gillen, has been very strong. Ms. Thompson continues the tradition, following in the footsteps of previous recipients Heidi Durrow and Ismet Prcic. It’s quite a coup to have her read at the Center. Her novel, The Age of Miracles, has been getting rave reviews. Nathan Englander calls it: “Pure magnificence. Deeply moving and beautifully executed.” New York Times book reviewer Michiko Kakutani describes it as: “A genuinely moving tale that mixes the real and surreal, the ordinary and the extraordinary with impressive fluency and flair.” The web page for her book has several other quotes from critics lavish in their praise: http://www.theageofmiraclesbook.com/praise-reviews/