Kyoki Mori, who was born in Kobe, Japan, understands the subtle differences between the cultures of her homeland and the United States and brings that perspective to her works of fiction and poetry. Denison's Beck Lecture Series will feature Mori on its next program at 8 p.m. on Thursday (Oct. 4) in Slayter Hall's Faculty Lounge.

Author of six books, Mori has written three novels (Shizuko's Daughter; One Bird; andStone Field, True Arrow), a memoir (The Dream of Water), a volume of poetry (Fallout), andPolite Lies, a creative non-fiction work on being a woman caught between cultures. "I think that the best thing about being a writer is that we get to make up things and tell the truth at the same time," she says.

Currently the Briggs-Copeland Lecturer in Creative Writing at Harvard University, Mori deals with issues of family, death and gender roles and explores the differences and similarities in the obstacles that women face in their respective cultures.

Mori earned a bachelor's degree at Rockford College (Ill.) and her master's and doctoral degrees at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.

Polite Lieswon a Book of Distinction award from the Wisconsin Library Association;Shizuko's DaughterandOne Birdwere each named Best Novel of the Year by the Wisconsin Council of Writers and her title poem, "Fallout," was The Missouri Review's editor's choice.

About Denison:

Denison University, founded in 1831, is an independent, residential liberal arts institution located in Granville, Ohio. A highly selective college enrolling 2,100 full-time undergraduate students from all 50 states and dozens of foreign countries, Denison is a place where innovative faculty and motivated students collaborate in rigorous scholarship, civic engagement and the cultivation of independent thinking.

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