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Pleasure: A Craft Lecture

Rumaan Alam, Zell Visiting Writers Series
Friday, February 24, 2023
10:00-11:00 AM
#3222 Angell Hall Map
Login here (no pre-registration needed): https://tinyurl.com/ZellWriters

Zell Visiting Writers Series craft lectures are free and open to the public, and will be offered both virtually (via Zoom) and in person (in the Robert Hayden Conference Room-- Angell Hall #3222). Seats are offered on a first come, first served basis; please arrive early to secure a spot. Please contact [email protected] with any questions or accommodation needs.


In this craft lecture, Rumaan Alam will explore the topic of pleasure. Essentially, that’s the readers’ ultimate goal and should be part of the writer’s too—a favorite hobbyhorse of his. The lecture will emphasize the idea of prioritizing pleasure, both the reader’s and your own, as you work, and how pleasure should be a part of the larger calculus around everything a writer is doing.

Rumaan Alam is an author whose writing explores the beauty and horror of daily existence, as well as complex ideas about fate and privilege.

After his parents moved from Bangladesh in the ‘70s, Rumaan grew up in the suburbs of Washington D.C. He was an obsessive reader and knew he wanted to be a writer by the time he was 10 years old. After studying English and graduating from Oberlin College, he has written three novels: Rich and Pretty, That Kind of Mother, and his latest, the instant New York Times bestseller Leave the World Behind. A finalist for the 2020 National Book Award, Leave the World Behind is also being adapted for film with Julia Roberts and Denzel Washington in lead roles.

Rumaan’s other writing has appeared in The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, New York Magazine, Buzzfeed, and The New Republic, where he is a contributing editor. He also co-hosts two podcasts for Slate.

Rumaan lives in New York with his husband and two children.


For any questions about the event or to share accommodation needs, please email [email protected] we are eager to help ensure that this event is inclusive to you. The building, event space, and restrooms are wheelchair accessible. A lactation room (Angell Hall #5209), reflection room (Haven Hall #1506), and gender-inclusive restroom (Angell Hall 5th floor) are available on site. ASL interpreters and CART services at in-person events are available upon request; please email [email protected] at least two weeks prior to the event, whenever possible, to allow time to arrange services.

U-M employees with a U-M parking permit may use the Church Street Parking Structure (525 Church St., Ann Arbor) or the Thompson Parking Structure (500 Thompson St., Ann Arbor). There is limited metered street parking on State Street and South University Avenue. The Forest Avenue Public Parking Structure (650 South Forest Ave., Ann Arbor) is five blocks away, and the parking rate is $1.20 per hour. All of these options include parking spots for individuals with disabilities.
Building: Angell Hall
Event Type: Lecture / Discussion
Tags: Literature
Source: Happening @ Michigan from Zell Visiting Writers Series, Residential College, Comparative Literature, English Language & Literature - MFA Program in Creative Writing, University of Michigan Museum of Art (UMMA), Center for South Asian Studies, University of Michigan Helen Zell Writers' Program, Department of English Language and Literature, LSA Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion