Novelist, essayist, and short story writer Allen Wier  defined
for   the Connor Society
what his lecture, "Beautiful Untrue Things,"  will be about.    He
stated in an e-mail, "I'll be
talking, anecdotally, about my life as a writer and about writing as
an act of faith--the ways
in which writing, like faith, goes beyond intellect.   I will talk
about the differences between
the 'facts' and the 'truth,'  about how our culture encourages
certain literary fashions, about how
fictional characters merge with our  lives, and about how we may turn
to literature in the search
for a vision of our  true selves. . . .   I  look forward  to
questions and answers afterwards."

      The lecture will be at 7 pm  on Monday, September 27th,  in the
Roland Hayes Concert Hall of UTC's Fine Arts Center.   Refreshments
will follow the lecture.      The event is free and open to the
public.

       Allen will also do a reading of his most recent work at 3 pm in
the Flag Room of UTC's Guerry
Center.     This event also on Monday  is free and open to the public.

        At 5:30 pm  on Monday Allen will be at a reception in the
Faculty Club celebrating George Connor's life and honoring Allen
Wier.     Those who would like to attend the reception are asked to
contribute $25  each
to the Connor Society to help fund future programs.    Wine and  hors
d'oevres  wil l be served.      The program features  one of  The
Chattanooga Times  most beloved humorists, Bill Casteel.   Checks
should be made out to the Connor Society and mailed to The Connor
Society, 732 Cherry Street, Chattanooga, TN 37402.

                        Craig Barrow

                        Connor Professor of American Literature