Bethlehem, Pa., October 29, 2014—The Moravian College English Department will hold a "Celebration for Community Writers" featuring four authors with strong Moravian College ties: Shane Burcaw' 14, Larry Neff, Peter Richmond, and Mark Will-Weber.

Professor Joyce Hinnefeld will moderate panel discussion that will be followed by a book signing with the authors on Monday, November 3, at 7 p.m. in the UBC room of the Haupert Union Building (the HUB). The event is open to the public and admission is free of charge.

“It was just striking to me that these four writers, all of whom have had connections to the College community at various times, have new books coming out this fall,” Hinnefeld said. “It’s incredibly interesting and unprecedented.”

Author, entrepreneur, award-winning blogger, and inspirational speaker, Shane Burcaw brings a spirited, humorous approach to everything he does. Born with a progressive neuromuscular disease, Burcaw has been battling a weakening body since birth. Early on he discovered that approaching his problems with a sense of humor made them much easier to deal with and overcome. Today, he shares that message through his nonprofit organization, Laughing At My Nightmare, Inc., and through his recently published book, Laughing at My Nightmare.

Larry Neff, author of Rigger, was a long-time bus driver for Moravian College, and excerpts from his memoir appeared in the last two issues of The Manuscript, the student-edited literary magazine. Neff was born and raised in Bethlehem, Pa, and worked at Bethlehem Steel from 1972 until the plant closed in 1999.

Peter Richmond, author of Always A Catch, attended Yale University, where he achieved a B.A. in philosophy. He dropped out of auto-mechanic school and took on a life of writing. Somewhere along the line he was awarded a Nieman Fellowship in Journalism at Harvard, where he studied playwriting and humility. A New York Times' bestselling author of seven books, he is a candidate for a Master of Arts in Teaching degree at Moravian College, where he also currently serves as an adjunct professor and advisor to The Comenian.

Mark Will-Weber, author of Mint Juleps with Teddy Roosevelt, was the former cross-country coach at Moravian College for many years, and also an English adjunct faculty member. A former senior editor/writer at Runner’s World Magazine and the author of The Quotable Runner (Breakaway Books, Hallcottsville, NY) Mark Will-Weber recently delved into history with his latest book Mint Juleps with Teddy Roosevelt: The Complete History of Presidential Drinking(Regnery, Washington, D.C.). Will-Weber lives in Bethlehem, PA with his wife Sally and his West Highland terrier Andy.

“I’ve had many writers on campus, and writers from various backgrounds, but I don’t think I’ve hosted a multiple writer event like this. It’s a little uncharted,” she said. “I guess the event kind of grew out of the Writers Conference, and my realization of just how many writers there are in the Lehigh Valley.

“I find myself in the position where I want to help promote these wonderful authors and be a cheerleader for them. I think they are lovely people, talented people, and they have good stories to tell,” she said.

Moravian College encourages persons with disabilities to participate in its programs and activities. If you anticipate needing any type of accommodation or have any questions about the physical access provided, please contact Joyce Hinnefeld at hinnefeld@moravian.edu or 610-861-1392 prior to the event.

Moravian College is a private coeducational liberal arts college, offering undergraduate and graduate degrees, located in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. Tracing its founding to 1742, Moravian is recognized as America's sixth-oldest college and the first to educate women. The College emphasizes the deliberate integration of a broad-based liberal arts curriculum with hands-on learning experiences to prepare its 1,600 students, not just for jobs, but for successful careers. Moravian College excels at transforming good students into highly competent graduates who are ready to enter the workplace with confidence or shine in graduate school. Visit the Web site at www.moravian.edu.