Born and raised in Chicago, Larry Heineman was inducted into the Army in 1966, served as a combat infantryman In Vietnam, and returned home "radicalized." Paco's Story, a novel about the homecoming of a Vietnam veteran, won the 1987 National Book Award, while Close Quarters has been called "the best book of anyone who fought there." In Cooler By the Lake, Heinemann takes a humorous look at working-class life on Chicago's north side. He is presently writing a book about travel by rail in Vietnam.

Cosponsored by: Office of the Chancellor, Office of the Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs, Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research and the Graduate College, Office of the Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs, The Council of Deans, The Center for Advanced Study, George A. Miller Endowment, George A. Miller Committee, Peggy Harris Memorial Fund, Department of English, Department of Political Science, Unit One