JASMINE SINGH, staff reporter

& SANTOS HERRERA, news editor

Jason Brown, a short fiction author and professor at the University of Oregon, read his collection of short stories on Tuesday for the spring edition of the Lion Rock Visiting Writers Series.

Brown is well known for his two short story collections, “Why the Devil Chose New England for His Work,” and “Driving the Heart.”

According to his biography, Brown’s work has been selected for the Best American Short Stories and has been featured in Harper’s, TriQuartly, The Atlantic, The Georgia Review, KGB Anthology and in Selected Shorts on National Public Radio.

Brown encourages young writers who are worrying about job stability in the writing world to follow their passion despite the outcome.

“Do what you are passionate about, take a risk,” Brown said. “Find a way to piece it together.”

For student writers who are trying to find their voice and style, Brown advises them to write different things and see what they like most or feel most comfortable with. Brown tells his students that art takes dedication.

“I tell my students that fiction is an art,” Brown said. “Art takes a lifetime of devotion.”

Megan Epperson, senior writing specialization major, attended Brown’s reading because she enjoys learning about other people’s writing and because it was required for her contemporary writer’s colloquium class.

She was excited to learn from a professional author.

Epperson said she read Jason Brown’s collection of short stories, “Why the Devil Chose New England for His Work,” in hopes to improve her writing skills. Epperson also wants to keep in touch with Brown through email in order to receive guidance to attend the University of Arizona, since Brown used to teach there.

Dean of the College of Arts and Humanities, Marji Morgan also attended the event. Morgan attends every event related to writing and books and also said that attending this event is not just important for her to see but also to learn from it.

According to Morgan, students attending the event have a good opportunity to make contact with people and learn something useful that might come in handy for their future.

Katharine Whitcomb, associate professor, is the coordinator for the English Department’s Writing Specialization. Whitcomb has been a professor for nine years and the Lion Rock Visiting Writers Series has been going on for eight years.

The purpose of the series, Whitcomb said, has been to bring writers together for the students. A large number of committee members organize the series and visiting writers, according to the budget they have to work with for that year.

Whitcomb nominated Brown as a visiting writer because he is a well-recognized short story writer and she enjoys his work.

“I like his imagination, development and mystery within his writing,” Whitcomb said.

Whitcomb and Brown attended Stanford University where Whitcomb studied poetry and Brown studied Fiction.