Nonfiction writer Kerri Arsenault will read from her work in a remote live reading at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 18, as the fourth reader of the season in the popular Visiting Writers Series presented by the University of Maine at Farmington. The reading will be followed by a remote question and answer discussion with the author.

Arsenault’s debut book “Mill Town” is part narrative nonfiction, part memoir, and part historical documentation that takes on the histories and repercussions of the paper mill industry in Mexico, Maine. It has been noted as a Lit Hub favorite book of 2020, Chicago Tribune “Top 10 books of 2020” and is a New York Times Editor’s Choice, among others.

Arsenault holds a B.A. from Beloit College and an M.F.A. from the New School. She has served as a mentor for the PEN America’s Prison and Justice Writing Program.

The Visiting Writer Series is sponsored by the UMF Bachelor of Fine Arts in Creative Writing Program. As the only Bachelor of Fine Arts in Creative Writing program in the state of Maine and one of only three in all of New England, the UMF program invites students to work with faculty, who are practicing writers, in workshop-style classes to discover and develop their writing strengths in the genres of poetry, fiction, and non-fiction. Small classes, an emphasis on individual conferencing, and the development of a writing portfolio allow students to see themselves as artists and refine their writing under the guidance of accomplished and published faculty mentors.

Individuals interested in participating may attend by invitation only. To request an invitation to the virtual presentation, please contact Amy Neswald at [email protected].