American Writer
Kenyon is Goodwillie's first stop on a national book tour. Following the reading, Goodwillie will autograph copies of his book, which will be offered for sale at the event and at the College Bookstore.
Goodwillie tried his hand at professional baseball after college. Concluding a swing and a miss at that career, he moved to New York City and explored other avenues, finally establishing himself as a writer. His celebrated memoir Seemed Like a Good Idea at the Time describes the twists and turns of his career path. American Subversive, his first novel, is published by Scribner.
An examination of domestic terrorism in a digital age, American Subversive takes its readers down a suspenseful path from the Smoky Mountains to Vermont to Manhattan. The story has been praised by novelist Danielle Trussoni as "a searing portrait of failed idealism and social unrest."
Goodwillie clarified an underlying theme of his novel: "We have been so conditioned to worship at the altar of un-tethered capitalism that a dangerous close-mindedness has come to define our politics. Violent extremism is no cure for what ails us, but neither is burying our heads in the sand."
His visit is sponsored by the Kenyon Review and the Office of Public Affairs.