Trisha Maxey

Photographer

The W’s very own creative writing professor, Michael Smith, held a book signing on Feb. 8 at The Bookend on campus.

The signing featured Smith’s second work, “Desperation Road,” which was released on Feb. 7. “Desperation Road” features a woman and her child walking along an interstate and the desperation they encounter. Smith uses his work to inspire other young writers both in and out of the classroom.

“Just sit down and write. You don’t need to wait until you have some huge idea. This novel came from a very simple image that I had in my head. You don’t need to know the whole story before you sit down and write,” Smith said.

Maridith Geuder, executive director of University Relations at The W, is a long-time fan and friend of Smith’s. Geuder is excited about what having a novelist at The W means for the university.

“We have a community of writers here, and we are getting recognition for that through works like Dr. Smith’s and others in the program,” Geuder said.

The W introduced a Masters of Fine Arts degree in Creative Writing in August 2015. Signed copies of “Desperation Road” are available at The Bookend. The book is available anywhere books are sold.