Percival Everett draws full house for Visiting Writers Series at Lenoir-Rhyne

Award-winning author Percival Everett appeared as part of Lenoir-Rhyne University’s 37th Visiting Writers Series season on Jan. 21, drawing a near-capacity audience to P.E. Monroe Auditorium for an evening conversation that blended humor, literary insight and pointed cultural reflection.

Everett spoke candidly about his novel “James,” which earned the 2025 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction, noting that it has dominated much of his life for the past two years. With a dry, self-deprecating sense of humor, he joked that he was “fairly sick of this book,” before explaining that his motivation for writing has never been fame or recognition. Instead, he described himself as belonging to what he called the “mama bear school of thought” — once a book is finished, he releases it into the world and expects it to survive on its own.

Throughout the evening, Everett balanced humor with humility, reflecting on the uncertainty inherent in the writing process. “When I write a book, I think I know something,” he said. “When I get to the end, I realize I was wrong.”

While the conversation centered on literature, Everett also addressed broader social issues, particularly race and how history and culture shape perceptions. He discussed how portrayals of Black life have often been filtered through biased lenses, citing the transcription of formerly enslaved people’s voices during the Works Progress Administration era as one example. Everett observed that while recordings captured natural speech patterns, written transcripts often exaggerated dialect, raising questions about how much of the historical record has been shaped by prejudice or instruction rather than reality.

He also spoke about the diversity of experiences within the Black community, noting that factors such as geography, family and profession often define individuals more than race itself. One exception, he said, is the shared fear associated with police encounters — a point that resonated strongly with the audience and drew sustained applause when he referenced current events.

Everett illustrated these ideas by reading passages from “James,” as well as from his novel “Trees,” highlighting how language and storytelling can communicate both safety and threat.

After the program, visual art major Amaranth Edwards ’29 said she appreciated the broader scope of the discussion. “I didn’t realize after two years of talking about ‘James,’ he’s talking about more than just the book,” Edwards said. “I enjoyed hearing his thoughts about race and the modern world too.”

For others, the event offered insight into the creative process. “I want to be a writer,” said communications major Jasmine Walker ’29. “I like hearing about writers and getting to go behind the scenes of the book.”

Audience engagement extended beyond the university community. Members of A Novel Bunch, a Mooresville-based book club, traveled to Hickory for the event after selecting “James” as a group read — a decision influenced in part by Everett’s scheduled appearance at Lenoir-Rhyne. Julie Ackerman, a newer member of the club, recommended the novel after reading it herself. “She’s a brand new member, so we decided to keep her,” fellow member Laura Warren joked.

One member’s enthusiasm extended to her family as well. Laura Diamioli traveled from Denver, Colorado, to attend the event alongside her mother and the rest of the book club, calling the evening well worth the trip. “I don’t think I was aware of how much we knew about the real language of enslaved people and how much has been created [by media] to make other people happy,” she said.

The evening underscored the purpose of Lenoir-Rhyne’s Visiting Writers Series: creating spaces where stories spark curiosity, conversation and connection across campus and the wider community. The series will continue April 25 with The Little Read, “Our Solar System: A Stellar Neighborhood” by Stacy McAnulty.