Pitt Theater Arts Professor Will Read from Fallen—Her New Suspense Novel Set in Pittsburgh

PITTSBURGH—Kathleen George, author and professor in the University of Pittsburgh Department of Theatre Arts, will read excerpts from and sign copies of her new mystery and suspense novel, Fallen (Bantam Dell Publishing, 2004), at

7 p.m. July 15 at Barnes and Noble Booksellers at The Waterfront Town Center in Homestead. The event is free and open to the public.

George weaves themes of grief, deception, and obsession in Fallen—the story of a doctor's widow and the investigation of her husband's shocking murder, set in the hills and neighborhoods of Pittsburgh. "I love putting Pittsburgh in a book," said George. "It's a fascinating city with so many places to love—the shops in Squirrel Hill, the enormous parks, the Cathedral of Learning, the rivers."

George's theater and fiction backgrounds complement one another to provide what readers seek in crime fiction—fascinating psychological portraits and situations that are compelling for their possibilities in real life. Creating the inner life of her characters comes naturally to her, as she draws on her expertise and experience to make her writing dramatic.

George's debut novel Taken (Delacorte, 2001; Dell, 2003) was praised by The Washington Post as "a thinking person's thriller, written with skill, self-confidence, and sensitivity—a fine piece of work." She is also the author of the forthcoming Winter's Tales: Reflections on the Novelistic Stage (to be published by University of Delaware Press in 2005), a scholarly study of the correspondences between fiction and drama; Rhythm in Drama (University of Pittsburgh Press, 1980); and Playwriting: The First Workshop (Butterworth, 1994). Her short fiction has appeared in national journals and magazines, and she has directed for the Pitt Repertory Theatre and the Three Rivers Shakespeare Festival.

A native of Johnstown, Pa., George has both a Bachelor of Arts and Master of Fine Arts degree in creative writing from Pitt, and a Ph.D. in theater, also from Pitt. For more information on the book signing and reading, call 412-462-5743 or

412-624-3606.

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