Mining the Past, Uncertain of the Future
November 3, 2011 In much of his work—which spans two collections of poetry, essays, a play, collaborations with other artists and writers, and two memoirs—Nick Flynn has grappled with a tragic family history, and he bears his own deep scars, too: years of drug and alcohol use, a string of damaged relationships with women. But out of this well of grief, Flynn has pulled a well-received body of literature. His newest memoir, The Ticking is the Bomb, again mines this difficult past to critical acclaim. It is a survivor’s tale—the voice of a troubled mind still struggling to make sense of the wreckage, still doubtful of its own stability. Flynn will read from his work at Vanderbilt University in Nashville on November 10 at 7 p.m. in Furman Hall, Room 114. The event is free and open to the public.
