By Suzy Alstrin
A book written by Reinhardt faculty and students gained international attention this week. English professor Bill Walsh, Lauren Dose (RU-2023 & 2025), and Olivia Ruzicka (RU-2024) delivered the opening lecture highlighting their book Flannery O’Connor: Andalusia and the Key to Understanding Her Fiction (Fall 2025, McFarland & Co) at a conference at Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń, Poland.
The event on March 25th celebrated author Flannery O’Connor’s 100th birthday, her life, and her career. O’Connor, an American author from Georgia, became one of the South’s most influential writers through her novels, short stories, and essays. After about eight months of preparation, Walsh, Dose, and Ruzicka described their research and discussed the impetus of six of her short stories before scholars from around the world, both in-person and through a live stream. Their book provides a deep exploration of O’Connor’s fiction, revealing the inspiration she drew from the land and people of her home and farm, Andalusia.
“This represents exactly what RU is all about—To have researched and written a book, and then to be able to present our findings on a world stage, this is the Reinhardt experience,” stated Walsh. “This is a wonderful opportunity to showcase Reinhardt University, both with what we are doing with undergraduates, as well as the MFA program.” Unexpectedly, Walsh also experienced a surprise – his high school English teacher watched the livestream at four o’clock in the morning her time.
