Cranor, currently writer-in-residence at Arkansas Tech University, is a best-selling and Edgar Award-winning author of novels “Ozark Dogs” and “Don’t Know Tough,” and a columnist for the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette and CrimeReads. Cranor is also set to release his next novel, “Mississippi Blue 42,” later this year.

“Coming to speak at Ouachita always feels like coming home,” said Cranor. “Much love to the Bugtruck for extending the invitation,” he added, referencing the department’s nickname often used by those who teach and study there.

“We are thrilled to welcome Eli back to campus,” said Jennifer Pittman, chair of the Department of Language & Literature, assistant professor of English and director of the Speer Writing Center. “Many of our students are invested in learning how to live as writers, and Eli will address their questions as someone who has learned from this very department how to live a life of meaningful work.”

Dr. Johnny Wink, Betty Burton Peck Professor of English, Language & Literature, knew Cranor as a student and has continued to follow his work. “I’m currently reading Eli’s ‘Broiler’ for the first time in book form,” said Wink. “I read it in manuscript some moons ago, before the professional proofreaders got ahold of it. I’m reveling in it, and I’m glad he’s coming to us in April.”

The reading will also include a time for those in attendance to ask Cranor questions about his books and life as a writer.

Sarah Smith, assistant professor of English, noted how Cranor is “sharing stories rooted in his home state of Arkansas – and in the process, connecting with readers across the world.”

“In so many vital ways, Eli is living out Ouachita’s mission ­­– and we are tremendously proud of him,” said Smith.

Ouachita’s Department of Language & Literature celebrates the power of words by regularly hosting professional writers who engage and inspire the campus and the wider community. Offering degrees in English, editing, education, writing and Spanish, the department is dedicated to nurturing students’ creative and critical thinking skills. In keeping with the university’s Christ-centered liberal arts mission, our faculty equip graduates for a range of vocations through which they engage meaningfully with the world.

For more information about the Department of Language & Literature, contact Jennifer Pittman at pittmanj@obu.edu or (870) 245-5553.