On Thursday evening, April 20, at 7 pm, author Jennifer Haigh presents a reading and lecture in Falvey’s Speakers’ Corner at 7 pm. A native of western Pennsylvania, Haigh holds a bachelor’s degree from Dickinson College and a MFA from the University of Iowa Writers’ Workshop. She has written novels, short stories and articles which have been published in Good Housekeeping, Alaska Quarterly Review, Idaho Review and other periodicals. She is the author of five novels:  Mrs. Kimble (2003), Baker Towers (2005), The Condition (2008), Faith (2011) and most recently, Light and Heat (2016) as well as News from Heaven (2013), a collection of short stories. Haigh has received a Fulbright Fellowship, a James A. Michener Fellowship, a Hemingway Foundation/PEN Award for Mrs. Kimble, and the PEN/L.L. Winship Award for Baker Towers.

Light and Heat, Haigh’s topic for this evening, examines a community divided by the controversy over fracking.

This Literary Festival event is co-sponsored by Falvey Memorial Library, the Department of English, Gender and Women’s Studies, African Studies, Irish Studies, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Honors College and The Writing Center. It is free and open to the public.

Dig Deeper:

News from Heaven (2013) A collection of short stories by Haigh

Jennifer Haigh website

Michaud, Jon. “Heat & Light is the best fracking novel ever.” The Washington Post, May 2015.

Dig Deeper- Fracking:

Bamberger, Michelle, and Robert Oswald. The Real Cost of Fracking:  How America’s Shale Gas Boom Is Threatening Our Families, Pets, and Food. (2014) A book on the fracking controversy.

Gold, Russell. Boom:  How Fracking Ignited the American Energy Revolution and Changed the World. (2015) Book on the history of fracking.

Gasland:  Can You Light Your Water on Fire? DVD on fracking.

Jerolmack, Colin, and Nina Berman. “Fracking Communities.” (2016) A photo-essay on a Pennsylvania fracking community from Public Culture.

McDermott-Levy, Ruth, and Nina Katkins. “Fracking, the Environment, and Health:  New energy practices may threaten public health.” Ruth McDermott-Levy, PhD, is an assistant professor in the Villanova College of Nursing.

McDermott-Levy, Ruth, and Victoria Garcia. “Health Concerns of Northeastern Pennsylvania Residents Living in an Unconventional Oil and Gas Development County.” Public Health Nursing. Dr. McDermott-Levy is an assistant professor in the Villanova College of Nursing. Victoria Garcia, ’09 CLAS, received her BSN from the College of Nursing.

 Alfred Fry, Science and Engineering librarian, prepared this “Dig Deeper-Fracking” bibliography. His office is room 224; telephone 610-519-4283.

 We are committed to accuracy and make appropriate corrections. We apologize for any errors and always welcome input about news coverage that warrants correction. Messages can be e-mailed to alice.bampton@villanova.edu or call (610)519-6997.