ECC Professors to Lead March Reading Series Event at Writers Center

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Elgin Community College English professors Jeff Weisman and Eckhard Gerdes, who write under the pen name Apollo Camembert, will discuss experimental fiction and share selections from their work during a Reading Series event on Wednesday, March 18.

The two ECC professors, who both recently published novels, will share excerpts from their work during a craft workshop at 2 pm in Building C, Room 120. The Reading Series event will follow at 6 pm in Building B, Room 181. Elgin Community College is located at 1700 Spartan Drive in Elgin, Illinois.

During the workshop and evening event, Gerdes will provide context for what experimental fiction is and how it functions as a literary form, said Joshua Thusat, director of the Writers Center and associate professor of English at ECC. Both authors will also discuss how writers challenge and reimagine traditional ideas, assumptions, and conventions within the elements of fiction.

“Eckhard and I have both devoted a huge part of our lives to writing experimental fiction, and being given an opportunity to share our work and insights on the craft of writing is a true joy for us,” Weisman said on why they chose to take part in this semester’s reading series.

Weisman will share examples of experimental fiction in his book “Lifers,” and Gerdes will also share excerpts from his book: “The Land of Lost Simulacra.” 

“Jeff is right that we have both been dedicated to furthering literature into new territory, and to be able to discuss how literature can open new possibilities for living is an interesting and important challenge,” Eckhard said. 

Weisman added: “Often, there's this notion that experimental fiction is somehow dry or difficult to read. However, this is not true. Work can be original and innovative and singular while still being imbued with humor and heart and sincerity. That's what I'm hoping people also take away.”

Spring Event Dates:

On Tuesday, April 7, the Writers Center will welcome writer and artist Mayda del Valle to host the center’s monthly Open Mic Coffee House. Del Valle will lead a workshop at 5 pm in Building B, Room 275. The Coffee House event will follow at 6 pm in Building B, Room 275 lobby, in front of the Poetry Wall. She began her two-year tenure as the Poet Laureate of the City of Chicago in January 2026.

The final Reading Series event of the spring semester will take place on Tuesday, April 14, featuring author Dennard Dayle. Dayle will present his book, “How to Dodge a Cannonball,” and lead a fiction writing workshop at 2 pm in Building B, Room 313. The evening reading will begin at 7 pm in Building B, Room 181.