Author Asali Solomon will bring her words to life in an upcoming reading at the UO.

Solomon will read from her 2015 novel, “Disgruntled,” which is a coming-of-age novel set in West Philadelphia in the 1980s and tells the story of Kenya Curtis learning how to navigate childhood and adolescence as the child of black nationalist parents. The reading takes place Thursday, May 19, at 4 p.m. in Room 301, Chapman Hall,

The novel received rave reviews. Solomon was featured in an episode of National Public Radio’s “Fresh Air” program, which called her novel “rich with perceptions about race and class.”

Mai-Lin Cheng, an assistant professor of literature in the Robert D. Clark Honors College, brought Solomon to campus. She said she wants students and faculty to learn about and read exciting new work by writers of color.

“Solomon has one of the truly unique voices in American fiction today, and she’s not easy to pigeonhole,” Cheng said. “She’s achingly funny on the one hand and just aching on the other. This is a chance to hear and meet a virtuoso writer who is changing American letters.”

Along with Solomon reading an excerpt from her novel, she will also host a question-and-answer session and book signing afterwards. Copies of “Disgruntled” will be available for purchase at the event.