In an era saturated with serials, sequels, and character-driven franchises, Elizabeth Strout elevates convention to the elusive status of art. Her novels don’t follow one another in a predetermined sequence; they express different perspectives on a single world. Her latest, Oh William!, is narrated by Lucy Barton, the protagonist of My Name Is Lucy Barton (2016) and a character in Anything Is Possible (2017). In her review of Oh William! for the New York Times, novelist Jennifer Egan described the appeal of Strout’s expanding novelistic universe as “a prickle of cosmic convergence.” Pico Iyer will be on hand to engage Strout in what promises to be an engaging evening of conversation. For tickets and information, visit artsandlectures.ucsb.edu.
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