Jay Lamar, 334/844-4946 (lamarja@auburn.edu)
AU ALUMS ATKINS, DORSEY RETURN TO AUBURN AS RENOWNED MYSTERY WRITERS
AUBURN - Acclaimed mystery writers Ace Atkins and Tim Dorsey are returning to their college roots and will be honored at noon Sept. 24 at Pebble Hill.
The nationally known writers were both prominent figures as students at Auburn University. Atkins was a defensive end on the undefeated 1993 Auburn Tigers football team and Dorsey was editor of The Auburn Plainsman in 1982, when the nation's leading college weekly won one of its 22 Pacemaker Awards.
The College of Liberal Arts, the Center for the Arts & Humanities and the Alabama Center for the Book will recognize the novelists with a notable achievement award. Joe Ansell, interim dean of the College of Liberal Arts, and Department of Journalism and Communication Chair Dale Harrison will present the award, which recognizes the careers and achievements of celebrated writers and artists. The ceremony kicks off a celebration featuring live blues music and barbecue.
Between them, Dorsey and Atkins have written almost a dozen mystery and thriller novels, and each novel has been met by critical attention and clamoring fans.
After graduating from Auburn, both Atkins and Dorsey went on to distinguished careers in journalism. At one time, they both worked for the Tampa Tribune. And for both, journalism led them to creative writing.
Dorsey's half dozen books include a cast of outlandish characters that lead the reader on a wild ride through a part of South Florida not usually seen by casual tourists. Atkins's four novels include the recently released "Dirty South." His serial hero is Nick Travers, a former New Orleans Saints football player and a scholar of blues history at Tulane University.
Both authors will be meeting with classes and talking about their work throughout the day.
Auburn University is a comprehensive research institution with more than 23,000 students and 6,500 faculty and staff. Ranked among the top 50 public universities nationally, Auburn is Alabama's largest educational institution, offering more than 230 undergraduate, graduate and doctoral degree programs.
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