Lee to welcome award-winning author Cecil Murphey
Contributed Photo
Best-selling author of “90 Minutes in Heaven” Cecil Murphey will speak to Lee students in a presentation at 10a.m. on Friday, Nov. 4 in room 114 of the Communication Arts building.
Murphey has authored over 135 books and sold millions of copies around the world in over 40 different languages. His posture towards writing is shown in his mentorship of young writers, coupled with his passion about the importance of telling stories, according to a press release.
Murphey’s visit is being coordinated with Lee’s Community Relations Office. Bethany McCoy, assistant director of community relations, hopes that students will take advantage of this unique opportunity with Murphey. McCoy impressed the power of stories and she hopes this event can be an encouragement to the community.
“My hope is that students and community members alike will be inspired by Mr. Murphey’s story and will continue or begin to write their own stories to be shared with others,” McCoy said.
Murphey was invited to campus by Public Relations Professor Michael Smith, who has maintained a friendship with Murphey for many years. As a fellow author, Smith has bonded with Murphey over the years, which translates into his excitement for the upcoming event.
“Writers and avid readers in the Lee University community will get to peek into the way a writer works when they hear Cecil Murphey,” Smith said. “In addition, they will hear his heartbeat for sacred things and the high calling of telling narratives with power.”
Mirroring that same passion for writing, Smith believes that storytelling has a strong correlation to faith. He hopes that Murphey can help instruct students and community members on sharing their stories as an extension of their daily faith.
“As Madeleine L'Engle, author of ‘A Wrinkle in Time,’ once said, ‘Jesus was not a theologian. He was God who told stories,” Smith said.
Students are also welcome to attend Murphey’s presentation at the Cleveland Bradley County Public Library at 1:30p.m. on Friday, Nov. 4.
The event, titled “A Peek into a Writer’s Method: How I Decided to Write ‘90 Minutes in Heaven,’” will showcase Murphey’s experience in writing one of his most famous works that has sold more than seven million copies and is based on the Baptist minister Don Piper’s near-death experience in a traffic accident.
Since the event is free and open to the public, seating will be limited, so those wishing to attend should plan accordingly.
Murphey’s accolades include numerous honors such as the Extraordinary Service Award, Silver Angel Award, Retailers Choice Award, and Foreword Book of the Year Bronze Award. Murphey has also seen two of his best-selling books, “90 Minutes in Heaven” and “Gifted Hands," adapted into feature films.
Now 83, Murphey wrote his first story at age nine and currently writes for eight hours a day. He travels extensively to speak on a variety of topics and runs 30 to 35 miles a week, according to his website.
