Kristina Gorcheva-Newberry, author of her debut novel, “The Orchard,” was invited to the college as a distinguished fictional writer.

To conclude this semester’s Distinguished Visiting Writers Series, the Department of Writing will welcome fiction writer Dana Spiotta.

The next writer in the Distinguished Visiting Writers Series, Kiese Laymon, is a new author that explores American racism and culture in his work.

The Distinguished Visiting Writer Workshop is a one-credit course at the college that allows students to attend readings by three distinguished authors: one poet, one nonfiction writer, which will be Kiese Laymon and one fiction writer, which will be Dana Spiotta. Students also get the opportunity to study under and conference individually with one writer in the area of their choosing. For example, students interested in poetry will submit poem samples and conference with Limón. Each author also teaches two 90-minute classes throughout the semester that all students attend regardless of their concentration. Limón is the author of four books of poetry, including “Bright Dead Things,” which was a finalist for the 2015 National Book Award in Poetry, a finalist for the 2015 National Book Critics Circle Award and one of the Top Ten Poetry Books of the Year, according to The New York Times. Her work explores issues of identity, relationships and language from both personal and worldly perspectives.

Guggenheim Fellow and renowned author Victor LaValle visited the college as part of its Distinguished Writer's Series.