On Feb. 20, distinguished fiction writer Richard Bausch visited Eastern Connecticut State University as part of the English Department’s ‘Visiting Writers’ series. During his visit Bausch read one of his pieces titled “The Fate of Others,” which is set to be published in an upcoming collection of his works. After his reading, Bausch opened up the floor to questions about his writing and other aspects of his work.

Introducing Bausch, Eastern English student Joyce Figueroa ‘22 spoke to Bausch’s strengths as a writer. “Richard Bausch has a way of capturing his reader’s attention, guiding them through subjects that are often dark, funny and heartbreaking,” she said. “His endings are often surprising, yet leave the reader believing it was inevitable.” Initially introduced to Bausch‘s works in her Writing Fiction course, Figueroa labeled Bausch a “master storyteller.”

After his reading, Bausch answered questions from students and gave advice to fiction writers and other writers in attendance. “Every writer is obsessive,” he said, adding that the story he read at the event was rewritten 14 times.

Bausch is a novelist and short story writer who is currently a professor in the writing program at Chapman University in Orange, CA. He is the author of 12 novels and eight collections of stories, including the novel “The Last Good Time,” which was made into a feature-length film. Among the many awards Bausch has received include the Award of the American Academy of Arts and Letters, The 2004 PEN/Malamud Award for Excellence in the Short Story, The Dayton Literary Peace Prize for the novel “PEACE,” the 2013 John William Corrington Award for Literary Excellence and the prestigious 2013 REA Award for his “influence on the Short Story as a form.”