Award Winning Writer to Speak at New England College's 65th Commencement

Michele D. Perkins, Ed.D., President of New England College, announces that award-winning writer Andre Dubus III will speak at the College’s 65th Commencement ceremony on Saturday, May 12. Mr. Dubus will receive the honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree. The ceremony will be held at 11:00 a.m. on the Simon Green.

Andre Dubus III began writing shortly after his graduation from college and is the author of five highly acclaimed books. The tradition of writing runs deeply throughout his extended family and his three novels, a collection of short fiction, and recent memoir have captured the attention of the international literary world. Dubus’ House of Sand and Fog, written in 2000, was published in twenty languages and the motion picture version nominated for an Academy Award. A New York Times #1 bestseller, the book was also a finalist for the National Book Award, the Los Angeles Times Book Prize, Booksense Book of the Year, and was selected for the Oprah Book Club. His most recent work, Townie, is an unforgettable memoir of Dubus’ life in the mill towns of northern Massachusetts and the clash of families and cultures of his youth. Townie was named a New York Times “Editors Choice” and is high on the list of the top 2011 non-fiction books including Publishers Weekly, The Library journal, Kirkus Reviews, and Esquire magazine. The recipient of a Guggenheim Fellowship, Dubus has also been awarded The National Magazine Award for Fiction, The Pushcart Prize, and was a finalist for the Rome Prize Fellowship from the Academy of Arts and Letters. Mr. Dubus teaches writing at the University of Massachusetts Lowell and has taught at Harvard University, Tufts University, and Emerson College. He received his bachelor’s degree in sociology from the University of Texas at Austin.

“Andre Dubus’ career as a writer has brought new insight into complex contemporary issues and a fresh perspective on the human condition,” states Dr. Michele Perkins, President of New England College. “We are pleased to welcome such a renowned author to speak to the 2012 graduates of New England College. Mr. Dubus’ recognition as one of this country’s leading writers and his life-long connections to New England will resonate with graduates and their families.”