Often referred to as "courageous"' and "eclectic," Mary Akers, author and poet, will present a writing workshop and a meet-the-author reading at Pfeiffer University on Thursday and Friday, Nov. 5-6. Both events are free and open to the public.

The writing workshop will begin at 11 a.m. on Nov. 5, and a meet-the-author reading will be held at 10 a.m. on Nov. 6. Both events will be held in the Community Room of the Stokes Student Center on the Misenheimer campus. For details, contact Sylvia Hoffmire, director of the cultural program at Pfeiffer, at (704) 463-3359 or This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it .   

Described as "courageous," Akers' is known to take a unique approach to a vast range of topics in her work in which she "lifts the veil" covering the souls of her female characters. The fictional accounts address drug addiction, cancer, death, motherhood, loveless marriages and unfaithful husbands. Her personal essays on parenting and the writing life are forthcoming in several anthologies.

Akers frequently writes fiction that focuses on the intersections between art and science, including such topics as diverse and timely as the environmental movement and the struggle for human and animal rights. Her fiction, non-fiction and poetry have appeared in a number of international journals including "Bellevue Literary Review," "The Fiddlehead," and "Brevity."

Akers co-founded the Institute for Tropical Marine Ecology, a marine field station and research center located in Roseau, Dominica, and has pursued a number of vocational interests, including that of bookbinder in Colonial Williamsburg, a potter on Historic Jamestown Island, an art teacher in Hawaii, a fabric seller, and a cook in a nursing home.

Although raised in Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia, Akers currently lives in western New York. She earned a Master of Fine Arts degree from Queens University of Charlotte.

Established in 1885, Pfeiffer University is a comprehensive United Methodist-related university, with multiple campuses, including Misenheimer, Charlotte and the Triangle, committed to educational excellence, service and scholarship. Visit Pfeiffer online at www.pfeiffer.edu.

Media contact: Natasha A. Suber, (704) 463-3040 or This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it