by Bonnie Butcher
Last week, art supporters from the University of West Georgia community gathered for a literature reading by Maggie Mitchell, author of recently published novel Pretty Is. It was an evening of insight and discussion over Maggie’s writing and recent global success with the novel.
Maggie is an assistant professor in English at UWG, as well as an accomplished author. Maggie has written many short stories, published scholarly articles, and presented at numerous conferences. Pretty Is is Maggie’s first endeavor at writing a novel, and it has only further exemplified her talent and special ability in the world of writing.
Pretty Is is a story of two young girls who are abducted by a charming stranger. The novel explores their journey, and how many years removed from the incident, history can still have an influence over their lives. Maggie has been interested in the topic of abduction for many years, and she saw this as an opportune time to form her thoughts into a remarkable story.
Intellectual friends of the UWG community gathered to listen to Maggie read several moving parts of her novel. Following the reading there was an open discussion of Maggie’s artistic voyage through writing Pretty Is as well as her accomplishments surrounding the novel. Finishing the evening, Maggie signed copies of the book for all that joined.
Pretty Is has faced huge attention and success since hitting stores. Many countries including the U.K., Germany, and France have picked up the novel. While discussing a sequel to the novel, Maggie says she is open to the idea.
Art Talks hosts an event each semester, varying in artists and mediums. If you are interested in being involved in an Art Talk, contact Dr. Chad Davidson, director of the School of the Arts, at davidson@westga.edu.
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