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Poet-Turned-Novelist Tony Abbott Will Be Featured on UNC-TV |
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| Anthony S. “Tony” Abbott, emeritus Dana Professor of English and longtime renowned poet, will appear on UNC Public Television Sunday afternoon, October 19, to talk about his relatively new role as award-winning novelist.
D.G. Martin Jr. ’62, the host of UNC TV’s “North Carolina Bookwatch” program, will interview Abbott about his new book, Leaving Maggie Hope, in a show to be broadcast at 5 p.m. Leaving Maggie Hope won the 2003 Novello Literary Award, and won Abbott the title of “Best Novelist” from Charlotte’s weekly tabloid, Creative Loafing. The book was Abbott’s first attempt at writing a novel, though he had previously published three books of poetry. In addition to “Bookwatch,” Abbott is appearing this week as part of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Library’s 2003 Novello Festival of Reading, speaking on Wednesday evening, October 15, about writing fiction. He is also scheduled to speak on campus on Thursday, November 6. That presentation will begin at 7:30 p.m. in the Smith 900 Room of the Alvarez College Union. |
 Tony Abbott |
Leaving Maggie Hope explores the life of eleven-year old David Lear, who struggles to adjust to his boarding school’s surroundings while overcoming his family's tragic past. This coming-of-age odyssey follows David as he finds the strength to make his way in his often-lonely world, exploring the enforced independence of a gifted boy who learns how to forgive those who, despite their love, cannot help but fail us. “One of the central themes of the book is the need for stability, order and safety, and the ability to have a home where you know what’s going to happen next,” said Abbott. Novelist Lee Smith called Leaving Maggie Hope “the most moving coming-of-age story I have read in many years.” Novelist Sheri Reynolds ’89, once Abbott’s student, described his language in the book as “sensory and vivid and downright loamy.” And Patricia Cornwell ’79, also once an Abbott student, described the novel as “touching and riveting.” Just as David faces one challenge after another in Leaving Maggie Hope, Abbott admitted he faced his own difficulties in creating this debut novel. He actually began writing it more than twenty-five years ago! “Writing a novel is much, much harder for me than writing poetry, because poetry is what I do naturally,” he said. “If something happens I respond to it immediately by writing a poem, but writing a novel means having a whole body of interrelated material that you have to keep going over and over again to get it right.” Abbott is a native of San Francisco who received his undergraduate degree from Princeton University and his Ph.D. from Harvard. His teaching career at Davidson began in 1964 and concluded officially with his retirement in 2001. However, he continues to teach at the college almost every semester, and this semester hosts a class in “Introduction to Modern Drama.” His three books of poetry are The Girl in the Yellow Raincoat, A Small Thing Like a Breath, and The Search for Wonder in the Cradle of the World. For more information about “North Carolina Bookwatch,” visit www.unctv.org. Davidson is a highly selective independent liberal arts college for 1,600 students. Since its establishment in 1837, the college has graduated 23 Rhodes Scholars and is consistently ranked in the top ten liberal arts colleges in the country by U.S. News and World Report magazine. Davidson is engaged in “Let Learning Be Cherished,” a $250 million campaign in support of student financial assistance, academic resources, and community life. |
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