The University of Arkansas Fort Smith is hosting the first major symposium on the Works and Influence of Charles Portis, Nov. 2--4, in Fort Smith, Arkansas. In celebration of the May 2023 publication of the Library of America series "The Collected Works of Charles Portis," edited by Jay Jennings, this symposium explores the writing and cultural influence of Portis with presentations across many disciplines, special events, Q & A with Jay Jennings and Jonathan Portis, film showings, live podcast, and much more. Register now at our website. All are invited. Registration fees and event Schedule can be found at https://uafs.edu/charles-portis-symposium/index.php . For more information, contact portisportal@uafs.edu or call 479-788-7429.

Author, veteran, journalist, and bureau chief Charles Portis may be best known for his novel "True Grit," but this Arkansawyer's influence goes well beyond a single publication. Novels such as "Norwood," "The Dog of the South," "Masters of Atlantis," and "Gringos," as well as his contributions to The New Yorker, The Atlantic Monthly, and Oxford American are a testament to his literary legacy. Topics presented during this symposium will focus on criticism and literary interpretations of his novels, film adaptations of his work, approaches to historical fiction, frontier studies, and much more.

The symposium will feature author Jay Jennings and support from Jonathan Portis, the City of Fort Smith, local museums and organizations, the Fort Smith Historical Society, Arkansas Council of Teachers of English and Language Arts (ACTELA), the Arkansas Historical Association, and members of the True Grit Trail. It is hosted by the University of Arkansas - Fort Smith College of Arts and Sciences, the Department of English, Rhetoric and Writing, and Media Communications, and the Department of History, Social Sciences, and Philosophy.

Academics, scholars, and fans of Portis's work are encouraged to attend.
https://uafs.edu/charles-portis-symposium/index.php