Kentucky author Wes Blake to visit 麻豆直播 for Reading Series
By Baden Grubbs | Oct 16, 2026
MURRAY, Ky. 鈥� Wes Blake, author of the award-winning Southern Gothic novella Pineville Trace, will visit 麻豆直播 for a reading of his work on Monday, Oct. 26 at 7:30 p.m. in Faculty Hall room 208.
The Murray State Reading Series is sponsored by the Department of English and Philosophy. All events are free and open to the public.
Blake has been a finalist of the Next Generation Indie Book Award for First Novel, Eric Hoffer Book Award for Fiction Category, Feathered Quill Book Award for Debut Author and National Indie Excellence Award for Book Cover Design. He is also the recipient of the Etchings Press Novella Prize, along with being the Editor鈥檚 Pick for Publisher鈥檚 Weekly BookLife.
Pineville Trace follows Frank, a former preacher and escaped inmate from a Kentucky prison, as he travels through North America pursuing a cat named Buffalo. The novella handles themes of redemption, transformation and escape.
Blake is also the author of the forthcoming nonfiction essay collection Hazelgreen and Other Haunts, which functions as a narrative memoir detailing obscure locations throughout Kentucky, along with Blake鈥檚 personal anecdotes. The collection is set to be released in 2027 by West Virginia University Press.
When asked about the fiction that he admires, Blake said that many of his inspirations have likely come to influence his writing.
鈥淐hristopher Chambers flash collection Delta 88, Sandra Cisneros鈥� novella-in-flash The House on Mango Street, Flannery O鈥機onnor鈥檚 Wiseblood, Gurney Norman鈥檚 Kinfolks, Denis Johnson鈥檚 Train Dreams, Leonard Gardner鈥檚 Fat City, Leslie Marmon Silko鈥檚 Ceremony, William Kennedy鈥檚 Ironweed, Breece D鈥橨 Pancake鈥檚 stories, Richard Brautigan鈥檚 short novels, Ron Rash鈥檚 Nothing Gold Can Stay, and James Salters鈥� novels have been influential on my work, and I admire them very much,鈥� Blake said. 鈥淚鈥檓 sure there are elements of my influences that have impacted my work, even if it鈥檚 just my own sensibility inspired by what (and how) their work achieves.鈥�
During the event, Blake will read excerpts from both Pineville Trace and Hazelgreen and Other Haunts. Copies of the novella will be sold and signed following the reading.
Blake will also visit Dr. Gwendolyn Paradice鈥檚 advanced creative nonfiction class and Dr. Trevor Martinson鈥檚 advanced fiction class during his time in Murray, to talk to students about his respective works and the writing life.
Reflecting on his time in western Kentucky, Blake said that he is excited to return: 鈥淲hen I was a kid I lived near Murray, in Morganfield, Kentucky, and am looking forward to being back in western Kentucky!鈥�
To find out more about this event or the Murray State Reading Series, contact Dr. Gwen Paradice, coordinator of the creative writing program, at gparadice@murraystate.edu or follow the program on Instagram and Facebook at @murraystatecreativewriting. Visit for more information about the Department of English and Philosophy. To learn more about Wes Blake and his work, visit .