UNC Asheville’s fall 2001 Writers at Home reading series continues at 3 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 18, at Malaprop’s Bookstore/Cafe, 55 Haywood St., downtown Asheville with readings by local authors Alice Johnson and Rebecca Upham. Writers at Home is part of the Great Smokies Writing Program, a consortium of the Western North Carolina writers’ community and UNCA’s Creative Writing Program. The program is free and open to the public.

Johnson has been published in several small magazines and has a short story included in the 1995 book of the O. Henry Festival Stories. Most recently, she has a piece included in the National Public Radio anthology "I Thought My Father Was God and Other True Tales from NPR’s National Story Project." Johnson has taught at Guilford Community College, the Friends School and the Homeless Shelter Literacy Project. She is currently working on a novel set in 1950s New Orleans.

Upham completed the writing program at UNC Chapel Hill and received a master’s degree in creative writing from Hollins College. She has taught writing at UNCA and the Asheville School. Upham also teaches a Great Smokies Writing Program class for rising high school seniors. Although her focus is on short fiction, Upham enjoys writing poetry and has recently completed a screenplay.

For more information, call UNCA’s Literature and Language Department at 828/251-6411.

Media Contacts:

• Tommy Hays, Great Smokies Writing Program Director, 828/254-1389
• Jill Yarnall, UNCA Public Information Assistant, 828/251-6526