Thomas Fox Averill, writer in residence at Washburn University in Topeka, Kansas, will visit the University of Arkansas and Fayetteville High School to lead writing workshops and share his recent novel A Carol Dickens Christmas on Wednesday and Thursday, Nov. 5-6. Averill’s last visit to Fayetteville featured his novel rode, a retelling of Arkansas native Jimmy Driftwood’s song “Tennessee Stud.” The public is invited to two events, a writing workshop from 5-6 p.m. on Nov. 5 in Peabody Hall 307 and a reading of Averill’s new book at Nightbird Books on Dickson Street at 7:30 p.m.

“Tom is a rare find as a human. Part teacher, part writer, part bagpipe player, part western novel, and part foodie. Equally genuine as driven and just plain old nice, he’s someone I’ve looked up to for over half of my adult life,” said Chris Goering, associate professor of English education and organizer of Averill’s visit. “I can’t wait for my Master of Arts in Teaching students and the Fayetteville High School students to work with him and see the magical touch he provides to his student writers.”

Averill’s collected numerous awards for his writing, including Spur Award Finalist for rode by the Western Writers of America and Outstanding Western Novel of 2011 by the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum. Notably, his "During the Twelfth Summer of Elmer D. Peterson" was named an O. Henry Award Story.

A Carol Dickens Christmas is Christmas with Carol Dickens’s life in major transition. Her son Finn, a talented trumpet player, is about to leave for college. Her ex-husband, a real-estate wheeler-dealer, wants to sell their properties in Kansas and move to Arizona. Her wheelchair-bound friend, Laurence, has fallen in love with her. To top it all off, Scraps, the family dog, is dying. As her world spins out of control, Carol seeks refuge in her research on the use of the semicolon — and in her ritual of cooking the perfect series of Victorian holiday meals inspired by A Christmas Carol.

Foreword Reviews offered the following: “Cheery yuletide traditions are hampered by modern-day distractions in A Carol Dickens Christmas by Thomas Fox Averill, a charming story that pieces together morsels drawn from Charles Dickens’s A Christmas Carol: Christmas songs, poems, recipes, and themes of family and change. ... A Carol Dickens Christmas captures the essence of Christmas, revealing that changes can sometimes bring blessings.”

Averill’s appearance is sponsored by the Brown Chair in English Literacy. He’ll work with Amy Matthews, Thomas Cochran, and Katie Stueart’s students at Fayetteville High School.