UA WRITERS, TOST AND ALBERTSON, TO READ AT GIFFELS

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. - Poet Tony Tost and fiction writer Andy Albertson - both M.F.A. students in the University of Arkansas creative writing program - will present a reading from their works at 8 p.m. on Wednesday, March 12, in Giffels Auditorium.

Before joining the University's M.F.A. program in 1999, Andy Albertson worked as an assistant golf pro in rural Mississippi. Over the past four years, he has taught technical composition and creative writing and has studied fiction and art history. In 2002, he received the Claude Faulkner Award for his fiction. His story "Rebel Yell Hotline" has been nominated for inclusion in the "2004 Best New American Voices" anthology.

Poet Tony Tost has published works in numerous journals, including "Field," "Fence," "The Cortland Review," "Goodfoot," "Spinning Jenny," "Quarter After Eight" and "can we have our ball back?" He has received fellowships from the Lily Peter Foundation and the Vermont Studio Center. When not writing poetry, he plays guitar and sings in a band called Black Cassette. He also plays bass in the band Dora Maar. He roots for the Seattle Mariners and thinks you should too.

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Teri McGrath, publicity director of the Spring 2003 Reading Series, Department of English, (479)575-4301 or (479)283-1200, tmcgrat@uark.edu

Tony Tost, MFA student, creative writing program, (479)582-9367, atost@uark.edu