CONWAY, Ark.—The Hendrix-Murphy Foundation welcomes author Lauren Groff as part of the Distinguished Visitor Series on Tuesday, February 17. The public event begins at 7:30 p.m. in Staples Auditorium where she will read and discuss her award-winning novels and short stories. A book signing and reception will follow the reading in Trieschmann Gallery located in the Trieschmann Fine Arts Building. This event is free and open to the public. No tickets or reservations are required.
“Lauren Groff’s fictional range is unmatched,” said Dr. Tyrone Jaeger, Hendrix-Murphy Foundation interim director and professor of English-creative writing. “Her inventive approaches to her novels and short stories thrill while never feeling gimmicky. Her willingness to explore both human history and the complexity of life and contemporary moments helps set her apart as a truly accomplished fiction writer. Groff is a maximalist obsessed with the microcosms of how humans function, and she does this work by examining the human condition in so many different time periods. Groff is a student of human history and literary history.”
Groff is a three-time National Book Award finalist and New York Times best-selling author of five novels: “The Monsters of Templeton,” was a finalist for the Orange Prize for New Writers; “Arcadia,” was a finalist for the L.A. Times Book Prize; “Fates and Furies,” was a finalist for the National Book Award, National Book Critics Circle Prize, and Kirkus Prize, a New York Times Notable book of 2015, and former President Barack Obama’s favorite book of the year; “Matrix,” winner of the Joyce Carol Oates Prize, National Book Award finalist, was named a Best Book of the Year by The New York Times, The Washington Post, TIME, and NPR, and one Obama’s favorite books of 2021; and “The Vaster Wilds,” named a Best Book of the Year by NPR, TIME, Esquire, Vogue, L.A. Times, Slate, Harper's Bazaar, and one of Obama’s favorite books of 2023.
She also penned the celebrated short story collections “Delicate Edible Birds,” chosen for The Best American Short Stories 2010 anthology; and “Florida,” a finalist for the National Book Award, winner of the Story Prize, and one of NPR’s best books of the year. Her short stories have won Pushcart and O. Henry awards and have appeared in the New Yorker, the Atlantic, Tin House, and Ploughshares, as well as five editions of the Best American Short Stories anthology and 100 Years of the Best American Short Stories. In 2017, she was named one of Granta’s Best of Young American Novelists.
Her upcoming book “Brawler” releases on February 24 and was named one of People Magazine’s most anticipated books of 2026.
Groff was named one of Time Magazine’s 100 Most Influential People in 2024.
She previously held fellowships from the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Studies, the American Academy in Berlin, and the Guggenheim Foundation. Groff was given the Howard D. Vursell Memorial Award by the American Academy of Arts and Letters.
Her work regularly appears in The New Yorker and The Atlantic and has been translated into 36 languages.
Born and raised in Cooperstown, New York—home of the National Baseball Hall of Fame—Groff graduated from Amhurst College in 2001 and from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a Master of Fine Arts in 2006.
She lives in Gainesville, Florida, where she and her husband own and operate independent bookstore The Lynx.
“Groff, like the title of her latest collection, is a brawler, a fighter,” said Jaeger. “Her bookstore, The Lynx, and accompanying nonprofit, The Lynx Watch, are a testament to Groff’s willingness to fight for intellectual freedom and against book banning. Her visit to Arkansas is timely.”
About the Hendrix-Murphy Foundation
The Hendrix-Murphy Foundation Programs in Literature and Language were founded in 1978 by a gift from Charles H. Murphy, Jr., former CEO of Murphy Oil Corporation, in memory of his mother Bertie Wilson Murphy. Their mission is to enhance and enrich the study of literature and language at Hendrix College. For more information, visit hendrixmurphy.org.
About Hendrix College
Founded in 1876, Hendrix College is featured in Colleges That Change Lives: 45 Schools That Will Change the Way You Think About Colleges and celebrated among the country’s leading liberal arts colleges for academic quality, engaged learning opportunities and career preparation, vibrant campus life, and value. The Hendrix College Warriors compete in 21 NCAA Division III sports. Hendrix has been affiliated with the United Methodist Church since 1884. Learn more at hendrix.edu.
“… Through engagement that links the classroom with the world, and a commitment to diversity, inclusion, justice, and sustainable living, the Hendrix community inspires students to lead lives of accomplishment, integrity, service, and joy.” –Hendrix College Statement of Purpose