Poet and Critic Christopher Merrill to Lead Literary Discussion at Holy Cross

WORCESTER, Mass. – Christopher Merrill, a poet, critic and former William Jenks Chair in Contemporary American Letters at Holy Cross, will lead a discussion on Thursday, Nov. 9, at 8 p.m. in the Browsing Room of the Dinand Library. Merrill will be available for book signing at the event, which is free and open to the public.

Also participating in the discussion will be Marian St. Onge, the director of international programs at Boston College, and Eric Gordy, professor of sociology at Clark University. The discussion will center around Merrill’s most recent book, "Only the Nails Remain: Scenes from the Balkan Wars," the first non-native literary work on the Balkan conflict. The book chronicles Merrill’s 10 wartime journeys to the Balkans, through a combination of biography, war reportage and reflection.

Merrill's books include three collections of poetry, "Workbook," "Fevers & Tides" and "Watch Fire."  His nonfiction works include "The Grass of Another Country: A Journey Through the World of Soccer" and "The Old Bridge: The Third Balkan War and the Age of the Refugee."

Merrill's visit is sponsored by the English department, the peace and conflict studies program, the dean of the College and the Center for Religion, Ethics and Culture.