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On the Radar: Eckerd College Writers’ Conference — Writers in Paradise

By Franki Weddington on Mon, Jan 18, 2010 at 1:00 am

his novels have been adapted for film by superstars Clint Eastwood (Mystic River); Ben Affleck (Gone Baby Gone); and, most recently, Martin Scorsese, who brings Shutter Island to the big screen, starring his muse, Leo DiCaprio, Mark Ruffalo and Ben Kingsley (so you know it’s a serious film). Sheri Reynolds, 8 p.m. Thurs., Jan. 21; Michael Koryta, 8 p.m. Fri., Jan. 22; Dennis Lehane, 8 p.m. Sat., Jan. 23, Eckerd College Miller Auditorium, 4200 54th Avenue S., St. Petersburg, visit writersinparadise.eckerd.edu for full schedule of authors.

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Welcome to On the Radar, where we preview up-and-coming arts events to mark your calendar for. There are more writers than you can shake a manuscript at participating in this week’s Eckerd College Writers’ Conference: Writers in Paradise.

Among the authors I’ll be vying to meet: Sheri Reynolds, who has received the ultimate in literary approval — her novel The Rapture of Canaan was an Oprah's Book Club selection; and Michael Koryta, whose background in journalism makes me feel like I made a pretty good career move – his five subsequent novels have been translated into 20 different languages, including the L.A. Times Book Award-winner Envy the Night.

The highlight of the myriad panel discussions, roundtables and readings is a session with Dennis Lehane, who has achieved the holy grail of author-dom not once, but three times: