[APPLAUSE]
Hi, everyone.
Thanks for coming out on a Thursday night.
It is my great pleasure to introduce to you the new season
of our distinguished visitors and creative writing series.
I do have to explain a little bit about what this series is
because although it is hosted here by the Poetry Center,
they host two of our readings every year.
It is a series that's curated by the creative writing
department over there on the other side of Speedway
in the English building.
So we have a little pot of money to bring
a couple of folks every year.
And one of those readings every year
is maybe our favorite reading of the year,
which is an alumni reading.
So we get to bring back some of our prestigious alums
like Josh and Thomas.
So we have one other reading next semester
that I'm very excited about, and I hope you'll all
mark your calendars for.
On February 12 next year, Fernando Flores
and Rodrigo Restrepo Montoya are both coming.
Fernando Flores is a fantastic novelist and short story
writer from the Rio Grande Valley,
so that'll be a great synchronicity
of one side of the border talking
to another side of the border.
And Rodrigo Restrepo Montoya is a local novelist
who I'm very excited to see read here.
So please come back and join us then.
And now, I'm the introducer of the introducer
who is Ander Monson.
I'll welcome you up.
[APPLAUSE]