New York Times bestselling author Karen Russell will read from her novel The Antidote (Knopf, 2025) on Wednesday, Feb. 25, as part of the annual Jack D. Farris Visiting Writers Series at Rhodes College. Free and open to the public, the event begins at 5 p.m. in the McCallum Ballroom of the Bryan Campus Life Center and will be followed by a reception and book signing.
The Antidote is described as a gripping epic set during the Dust Bowl, focusing on five characters whose lives become intertwined after a storm devastates their small town in Nebraska. The novel has already gained significant recognition, having been named a finalist for the 2025 National Book Award for fiction. Furthermore, it was announced as a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award in January 2026 and has been featured in TIME magazine’s list of “The 100 Must-Read Books of 2025.”
Russell is also known for her New York Times bestsellers Vampires in the Lemon Grove, a collection of short stories, and novel Swamplandia!, which was a Pulitzer Prize finalist. She has received numerous accolades, including being named a MacArthur Fellow and Guggenheim Fellow. In 2023, she received the prestigious international Bottari Lattes Grinzane Prize, followed by the Mary McCarthy Award in 2024.
The Jack D. Farris Visiting Writers Series is named for novelist, poet, and playwright Jack D. Farris, who taught English at Rhodes from 1961 to 1984. Established in 2013 by a bequest from the late Kathleen McClain of the Rhodes College Class of 1974, the annual series brings to campus a renowned creative writer for lectures, workshops, and a public reading and reception.
This Rhodes event is free, but attendees must pre-register using this link: https://fs22.formsite.com/webmanagerrhodesedu/zlitdy8a54/index
Those with specific inquiries about the Rhodes event can contact Dr. Amy Benson of the Department of English at bensona@rhodes.edu.