Common Read author to speak on Altoona campus Oct. 10

ALTOONA, Pa. — LaTanya McQueen, author of Penn State Altoona's 2019-20 Common Read selection "And It Begins Like This," will speak on campus at 7 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 10, in the Pond View Lounge of the Slep Student Center. McQueen will present "Getting to the Root: The Role of Personal Discovery in Creative Nonfiction."

McQueen received her master of fine arts degree from Emerson College, her doctorate from the University of Missouri, and was the 2017-18 Robert P. Dana Emerging Writer Fellow at Cornell College. Currently, she is a visiting assistant professor of English and creative writing and African American studies at Coe College.

While at the University of Missouri, she wrote two dissertations: "When The Evening Comes," a novel, and "And It Begins Like This," that was listed by Electric Literature as one of the 46 books by women of color to read in 2018.

"And It Begins Like This" is a collection of essays that weaves together historical and genealogical research, folklore, Biblical passages, literary theory and criticism, and personal memory to examine the legacy of slavery and its relationship to Black female identity in contemporary America.

For more information and upcoming events, visit the Common Read website.