TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Acclaimed author Vinita Hampton Wright will give a reading from her most recent novel, “Dwelling Places,” on Thursday, April 12 at 7:30 p.m. in Morgan Auditorium on The University of Alabama campus.

“Dwelling Places” tells of an Iowa farm family nearly destroyed by depression and adultery, within the wider social and political context of the farm crisis. Given a starred review in Booklist and in Publisher’s Weekly, the book went on to be named by Publisher’s Weekly as the “best religious fiction” published in 2006.

In addition to her fiction writing, Wright writes about and conducts workshops on creativity and on the interplay of creativity with the spiritual life. She’s the author of “The Soul Tells a Story: Engaging Spirituality with Creativity in the Writing Life” and “Simple Acts of Moving Forward: A Little Book about Getting Unstuck.”

All UA students, faculty, staff and other members of the community are invited to attend.

New College, housed in the College of Arts and Sciences, is UA’s program of interdisciplinary and individualized study. Founded in 1971, it has provided thousands of students with the opportunity to shape flexible and personal educational experiences.

The College of Arts and Sciences is the University’s largest division and the largest liberal arts college in the state. Students from the College have won numerous national awards including Rhodes Scholarships, Goldwater Scholarships and memberships on the “USA Today” Academic All American Team.

The University of Alabama, a student-centered research university, is in the midst of a planned, steady enrollment growth with a goal of reaching 28,000 students by 2010. This growth, which is positively impacting the campus and the state’s economy, is in keeping with UA’s vision to be the university of choice for the best and brightest students. UA, the state’s flagship university, is an academic community united in its commitment to enhancing the quality of life for all Alabamians.