The CAALS Bauder Lecture with Percival Everett

Join us for an unforgettable evening with Percival Everett, our distinguished guest for the Bauder Lecture—the cornerstone event of the Contemporary American Authors Lecture Series (CAALS), now in its 36th year. This celebrated series brings a notable African American writer to the Marygrove campus for an inspiring lecture or reading, and this year’s guest is one of the most compelling voices in contemporary literature.

The winner of over a dozen major awards, Everett is the author of 24 novels, including Erasure, the book that inspired the Academy Award-winning film American Fiction. His latest novel, James, a New York Times best-seller, reimagines The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn through the runaway enslaved character, Jim. The Chicago Tribune hails Everett as “our current Great American Novelist,” calling James “a masterpiece that will help redefine one of the classics of American literature while also being a major achievement of its own.”

Everett’s brilliance spans novels, short fiction, and poetry. His acclaimed works include Dr. No, winner of the 2023 PEN/Jean Stein Book Award; The Trees, a finalist for the Booker Prize; and Telephone, a Pulitzer Prize finalist. Critics have compared his satirical genius to that of Richard Wright and Ralph Ellison, making this an extraordinary opportunity to hear from a literary icon.

Don’t miss this rare chance to experience an evening of insight, storytelling, and conversation with one of the most influential writers of our time.

This event is made possible by major sponsors, including the Lillian and Don Bauder Endowment, the Kresge Foundation, the Mary Helen Washington Endowment, PBS Books, the National Endowment for Arts, and the Michigan Arts and Culture Council.

Let's explore the text. In this packet, there are three 90-minute lessons that can be broken up into shorter mini-lessons (or expanded into a more intensive unit with supplemental materials). The general cadence of each lesson is as follows: writing warm-up (bell ringer), historical context/background information, small group activity (w/ mentor text), whole class discussion, and closing reflection (exit ticket). Each lesson is accompanied by a full slide deck that can guide teachers through the lesson with minimal prep or be adapted to pair with the existing curriculum.

James is on the shortlist for The Booker Prize 2024; the awardee will be announced on Tuesday, November 12, 2024.

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