LEXINGTON, Va., Feb. 25, 2022—On March 1, cadets across post will have an opportunity to visit with award-winning, New York Times bestselling writer S.A. Cosby, from Southeastern Virginia. The visit was arranged by LTC Mary Stewart Atwell, an associate professor in the department of English, Rhetoric, and Humanistic Studies. Atwell, who teaches courses in creative writing (fiction) and British literature, invites all cadets, faculty, and staff to attend a reading and Q&A with Cosby. The event takes place at 8 p.m., Tuesday, March 1, in Marshall Hall’s Gillis Theater. Atwell notes, “This is an amazing chance for cadets to spend time with a successful, award-winning author and learn about his process.”

On March 2, Cosby will visit cadets in Atwell’s course, ERH 223W, Genre Studies—Fiction, and have lunch with cadets. Any cadets interested in coming to the lunch should email LTC Atwell at atwellms@vmi.edu. Atwell points out that “Cosby’s path to published author has been unusual in some ways, and I hope it reminds our cadets that great art can come from anywhere.” VMI English majors have as one of their top learning outcomes the capacity to analyze and produce creative works that express the richness of the human experience. Atwell sees Cosby’s work as relevant to all cadets, though, because of its Virginia setting, universal themes, and dynamic characters.

The event is sponsored by the Academic Speakers Fund; the Department of English, Rhetoric, and Humanistic Studies; Sigma Tau Delta, the English Honors society; and the Promaji Club.

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