Nino Ricci

(Left to right) Mr. Ricci, Dr. Cicerone, John Newhall and Neil Le Blanc

Reception Held for Nino Ricci

Posted on September 23, 2009 - Permalink
Audiences: Alumni Current Students Faculty and Staff HomePage Research Trustees

Internationally acclaimed novelist Nino Ricci was officially welcomed to the college Tuesday afternoon at a reception held in the Heritage Room. Mr. Ricci is Bridgewater State College's first Killam Professor for Canadian Studies, and is spending the semester teaching an undergraduate fiction workshop.

Mr. Ricci is of Italian descent and lives in Canada. He is the author of five novels, the most well known being The Lives of Saints, his first.

The well-attended ceremony, sponsored by the Canadian Studies Program, included faculty members from several disciplines, administrators and students.

"Having Nino here is a real treat for our students and faculty," said Provost Howard London, who went on to describe the author's novels as "remarkable."

Also in attendance were several Canadian officials, including Neil Le Blanc, Canadian consul general to New England, and France Dionne, Quebec delegue to New England. Each was introduced by Dr. Anthony Cicerone, economics professor and director of Canadian Studies at BSC, who hosted the event. He and others took a moment to address the importance of Canadian-American study initiatives, such as BSC's. Also on hand was John Newhall, executor of the Constance Killam Trust and the Elizabeth Killam Rodgers Trust, which are the principal benefactors of the endowed chair. He shared with attendees the history of the Killam family and how it came to found an endowed chair at BSC.

In his remarks, Mr. Ricci also spoke about the importance of Canadian-U.S. relations.

"Places like Bridgewater are exactly where these types of programs should happen," he said.

As for his first month on campus: "I value this experience; it's put me in touch with real people who truly represent America."

Plans are in the works for a reading on campus by Mr. Ricci, whose latest book, The Origin of Species, will be released in the U.S. this spring. (Story and photos by John Winters, Office of Institutional Communications)