‘Ultraviolet’ author Suzanne Matson to stop by Spark Central on Friday

As part of its Visiting Writers Series, the Eastern Washington University MFA program will bring Suzanne Matson to Spark Central on Friday.

Her latest novel, “Ultraviolet,” which was released in September, centers on a woman named Kathryn, daughter of Elsie and mother of Samantha.

Over the course of the book, readers learn about the three generations of women, spanning 80 years and two continents, and the intricacies of marriage, motherhood, aging and the end of life.

“Readers will latch onto the unforgettable characters of this accomplished saga of the shifting personal and historical complications of American womanhood,” Publishers Weekly wrote in a starred review of the book.

Matson has released three other novels – “The Tree-Sitter,” “A Trick of Nature” and “The Hunger Moon” – as well as two collections of poetry, “Durable Goods” and “Sea Level.”

Matson is originally from Portland and received her BA in English from Portland State University. She went on to receive a master’s in creative writing and a PhD in English from the University of Washington.

Now living in Newton, Massachusetts, Matson teaches at Boston College.