W&L Hosts 18th Annual Tom Wolfe Weekend The weekend’s seminar will feature Amor Towles discussing his latest book, “The Lincoln Highway.”

By Emily Innes
April 18, 2023

Washington and Lee University will host its 18th annual Tom Wolfe Weekend on April 28-29. The weekend’s seminar will feature Amor Towles, author of “The Lincoln Highway.”

Towles will present the keynote address on April 28 at 4:15 p.m. in the University Chapel. The talk is free and open to the public and will be streamed online at livestream.com/wlu.

In his keynote remarks, Towles will discuss his most recent novel, “The Lincoln Highway,” which debuted at number one on the New York Times bestseller list. A multilayered tale of misadventure and self-discovery, the novel follows four youths as they travel together from Nebraska to New York City, each motivated by their own personal quest and all hoping to make a fresh start for themselves. The New York Times described the novel as “mischievous, wise and wildly entertaining,” and author Tana French praised it for its “intricate and moving exploration of journeys and the infinite unexpected turns they can take.”

Towles is also the author of the novels “A Gentleman in Moscow” and “Rules of Civility,” as well as several short stories that have appeared in The Paris Review, Granta and British Vogue.

Joining Towles in the weekend’s programming are Lena Hill, university provost and professor of English, and Howard Pickett, director of the Shepherd Program for the Interdisciplinary Study of Poverty and Human Capability and associate professor of ethics and poverty studies. Each will discuss “The Lincoln Highway” from a variety of perspectives, exploring the novel’s narrative structure and its portrayal of adolescent fellowship and the American Dream. Hill, Pickett and Towles will gather for a panel discussion about the book on Saturday afternoon, April 29. Registration is required for Saturday’s programming.

Learn more about the programming and view the schedule of events here.

The Tom Wolfe Weekend is sponsored by the W&L Class of 1951.