Thursday, January 26 2012, 4:16pm 302 Caldwell Acclaimed novelist Thomas King will read from his work on Thursday, January 26. About Thomas King Thomas King is a noted Native American novelist and broadcaster who most often writes about Canada's First Nations and is an outspoken advocate for First Nations causes. He is of Cherokee, Greek, and German descent. Born in Sacramento, California, he worked in Australia as a photojournalist before moving to Canada in 1980. He earned a Ph.D. in English and American studies at the University of Utah. He has taught Native Studies at the University of California, the University of Lethbridge, and at the University of Minnesota, where he was also Chair of American Indian Studies. King is currently a professor of creative writing at the University of Guelph, west of Toronto. King published his first novel in 1989, Medicine River. Other works include One Good Story, That one, a collection of short stories, Green Grass, Running Water and Truth in Bright Water. He has also written Dreadful Water Shows Up and The Red Power Murders, mystery novels written under the name Harley GoodWeather. His non-fiction work includes Godzilla vs. the Postcolonial, which questions the efficacy of filtering indigenous experience of continuing colonialism through the lens of postcolonial theory, and The Truth About Stories, an essay collection adapted from the Massey series of lectures. He also has edited a number of anthologies on Native writers. Kings A Short History of Indians in Canada won the 2006 McNally Robinson Aboriginal Book of the Year award. He was twice nominated for a Governor-Generals award, including for the childrens book, "A Coyote Columbus Story. King is the creator of The Dead Dog Cafe Comedy Hour, a radio program that ran for 3 years on the Canadian Broadcast Network.