By S.D. Blackmore
For the Salisbury Post
North Carolina author Dr. Anthony Abbott spoke to students and faculty at Catawba College on Tuesday, Oct. 7.
Abbott’s new novel, “The Three Great Secret Things,” sequel to “Leaving Maggie Hope,” was the central point of the evening. However, he also spoke in detail about both the creation and teaching processes.
Abbott , a faculty member at Duke University, is hardly a stranger to Catawba College. This coming spring, he will teach a semester-long fiction workshop here.
During his reading, he revealed that the experience would be a new one for him. Though he has taught fiction and poetry together, he’s never taught a class purely on fiction.
Still, he’s looking forward to the challenge. “I believe teaching is a form of learning,” he said. “As soon as you stop learning, you die. And as we get older, staying alive becomes more important.”
Abbott opened and closed the evening with poetry, but spent most of the time reading from his two novels. It would be clear to anyone that he is by nature a teacher, as he frequently paused to explain his process behind the writing of the novels, as well as to quote other teachers and colleagues.
The audience was receptive, and clearly moved by Abbott’s readings.
Afterward, teachers and students stood in line to buy his books and have a brief word with the author. Many students declared they would be taking Abbott’s workshop in the spring, while a few lamented that their schedules were too full to add another class.
Abbott’s “The Three Great Secret Things” is available for purchase from The Literary Bookpost in downtown Salisbury.