Author visit, film viewing to feature works of Minnesota author Will Weaver

The Friends of the Library group is hosting two events featuring the works of renowned Minnesota author, Will Weaver.

The first is a visit by Weaver on Thursday, October 21 at 7 p.m. at the meeting room of the Douglas County Library in Alexandria.

The second event is a showing of the movie Sweet Land (based on Weaver’s short story, A Gravestone Made of Wheat, shot on location in southern Minnesota) on Thursday, October 28 at 7 p.m.

Both events are free and open to the public.

Weaver is the author of many highly acclaimed, award-winning works of fiction for both adults and young adults. At the October 21 event, he will talk about his writing and introduce his latest book, The Last Hunter.

Just released this month, The Last Hunter is an examination of family, life on the land and those things we hold dear enough to want to carry along, one generation to another.

It is a 21st century collection of deeply personal tales – a truly American story.

A number of Weaver’s books will be available for purchase and signing at the event, which is supported in part by the Minnesota Book Awards through grants from the Institute of Museum and Library Services in conjunction with State Library Services, a division of the Minnesota Department of Education, and the Minnesota Library Foundation.

About the author

Fiction author Will Weaver was born in northern Minnesota. He obtained a bachelor of arts degree in English from the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis and went to California in 1972, where he eventually landed in the Stanford Writing Program.

He and his wife, Rosalie, returned to Minnesota in 1976. After farming for awhile, he taught writing and literature at Bemidji State University for 24 years.

He is now a full-time writer and spends time visiting schools and libraries to share what he’s learned about writing. He is also an avid outdoorsman who enjoys hunting, fishing, canoeing and hiking.

Weaver’s novels and short stories have earned the praises of reviewers for their unflinching realism.

Red Earth, White Earth, Weaver's debut novel, was published in 1986 and was produced as a CBS TV movie in 1989. A Gravestone Made of Wheat & Other Stories (1989) won many awards, including the Minnesota Book Award for Fiction. Several of the stories were performed on National Public Radio. The title story was produced as the independent feature film, Sweet Land, which won the independent film industry's Spirit Award for Best First Feature.

Weaver has also written several successful young adult novels. Each novel in his Billy Baggs series (Striking Out, Farm Team and Hard Ball) was honored as a Best Book for Young Adults by the American Library Association.

Full Service (2005) won starred reviews and was listed as an ALA Best Book for Young Adults, and Defect won the 2008 Minnesota Book Award. Saturday Night Dirt, Super Stock Rookie and Checkered Flag Cheater focus on stock car racing.

Tags: will weaver, entertainment, events, author, alexandria