William Hoffman has been hailed by Sewannee Review as "one of our best living writers." He is the author of twelve novels and a half-dozen short story collections, and has received this country's most prestigious short fiction prizes: an O. Henry and Best American Short Story Award. His most recent novels are the critically acclaimed Blood and Guile (2000) and Tidewater Blood (1998), winner of The Hammett Prize. Gail Cooke notes of the former, "If only a first rate mystery, Blood and Guile would rest on its merits. However, the generously talented Mr. Hoffman laces his tale with memorable scenes of Tidewater communities, landscapes of nature's abundant growth, and beautifully poetic descriptions of incredible wild creatures. Reading William Hoffman is such a rich and rewarding experience that writers in his genre pale beside him. He delivers a banquet, others a box lunch." People Magazine writes, "Hoffman will make your blood race." And the Cleveland Plain Dealer declares, "William Hoffman has written that rarest of books, a beautifully written literary novel that is also a superb mystery complete with vivid characters and a crafty ending."

William Hoffman has been a reporter, as well as a professor and writer-in-residence at Hampden-Sydney College. At present, he lives on a farm in Charlotte Courthouse, Virginia, population 566, where there is "not a single traffic light or elevator in the county."

Handouts are available for Hoffman's short stories, as are chapters from his novels. Please contact Jim Bowers (985-5264) if you are interested in reading a bit of his work, or wish to share such materials with your classes. In addition, Pearsall Library has a number of his novels and short story collections available.