Knox County Public Library is pleased to present Finding Flannery, a month long exploration of the life and work of Flannery O’Connor. The series is facilitated by Professor Edward Francisco and features film screenings and weekly discussions of O’Connor’s work.

Schedule

All events will be held in Lawson McGhee Library's meeting room.

Screening of Flannery O’Connor: Uncommon Grace

Sunday, January 8, 2:00

The screening will be followed by a discussion with the filmmakers, Bridget Kurt and Michael Jordan.

Uncommon Stories: Flannery O’Connor’s Short Fiction

Weekly discussions of Flannery O’Connor’s stories led by O’Connor scholar and Pellissippi State Writer-in-Residence, Edward Francisco.

Tuesdays at 6:30 pm

January 10: “Good Country People”

“Good Country People” January 17: “A Displaced Person”​

“A Displaced Person”​ January 24: “A Good Man is Hard to Find”

“A Good Man is Hard to Find” January 31: Conclusion

Screening of Wise Blood

Sunday, January 22, 2:00

Director John Huston’s controversial interpretation of O’Connor’s controversial novel.

About Flannery O'Connor

Despite her premature death at age 39, Flannery O’Connor left behind one of the most haunting and strikingly original bodies of work in 20th century literature. With the rural South as her backdrop, she brought to life a string of eccentric characters torn between their worldy ambitions and the need for a more enduring truth. While critics called her stories “brutal” and “grotesque,” O’Connor said, “All my stories are about the action of grace on a character who is not very willing to support it."

About Edward Francisco

Edward Francisco is a poet, novelist, essayist, playwright, and scholar. He is the author of two novels, Till Shadows Flee and The Dealmaker. His poetry and fiction have appeared in more than seventy magazines and journals and a half dozen anthologies. He is Professor of English and Writer-in-Residence at Pellissippi State College in Knoxville, Tennessee. Professor Francisco is also a member of the Oxford Roundtable at the University of Oxford, England.