August 27, 2004 SELINSGROVE, (Pa.) – Gary Fincke, professor of English and creative writing and director of The Writers’ Institute at Susquehanna University, will be reading from his recently published book Amp’d: A Father’s Backstage Pass at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, September 9 in Isaacs Auditorium of Seibert Hall. The reading is free and open to the public. Copies of Amp’d will be available for purchase and signing. Tom Perrotta, author of the bestselling novels Election and Little Children, says, “Amp’d is a wild ride, a father's blow-by-blow account of his son's sudden rise from gritty local clubs to the shark-and-groupie-infested waters of national stardom. Studded with revealing anecdotes and inside knowledge of the music business, Gary Fincke's highly readable memoir is a unique contribution to the literature of rock and roll." The book follows Fincke’s son, Aaron, as he navigates the waters of the music world from winning MTV’s Ultimate Cover Band Competition with the band “Strangers With Candy” to being signed by Universal in the band “Lifer” and then signed a second time as part of “Breaking Benjamin” by Hollywood Records. Through his experiences attending 60 shows, hanging out backstage, following the bands on national tours, and conversing with other band members and fans, Fincke creates a literary narrative that gives an inside look at celebrity, success and family. Fincke has published 17 books of poetry and short fiction, including Writing Letters for the Blind, a collection of poems which won the 2003 Ohio State University Press/The Journal Book Award. His collection of stories, Sorry I Worried You, which won the 2003 Flannery O’Connor Award for Short Fiction, is scheduled for publication in October. Additional accolades bestowed on Fincke include the Bess Hokin Prize from Poetry Magazine, the Rose Lefcowitz Prize from Poet Lore, a PEN Syndicated Fiction Prize, as well as seven fellowships for creative writing from the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, including one this year for creative nonfiction. In addition, he recently won the George Garrett Fiction Prize for a new story called “The Blazer Sestina.” His poems, stories, and essays have appeared in such periodicals as Harper’s, Newsday, The Paris Review, The Kenyon Review, The Georgia Review, American Scholar, and Doubletake. Contact: Victoria Kidd 570-372-4119 #vk#0336#