By Christine Cabrales

On March 25, the Yuma community was abuzz when, for the second year in a row, Arizona Western College hosted a Pulitzer Prize winning writer.

Robert Olen Butler, author of 16 novels and 6 collections of short stories, gave a talk about the craft of writing on campus and then later in the evening read from his work at the Historic Yuma Theater on Main Street.

During the afternoon reception on campus, Butler discussed his ideas and creative process from one of his books, From Where You Dream, which answered many questions for aspiring writers. Butler stressed the importance of drawing upon sensual memories when writing fiction.

"His advice to a young aspiring writer would be, first and foremost, to go out and experience the world," said Dr. Eric Lee, a new AWC English professor who was mentored by Butler at Florida State University.

Room 111, the arena-style classroom in the BA building, was standing room only as students and faculty listening attentively to the visiting luminary.

"I found it very interesting listening to my first Pulitzer Prize winning author," says AWC student Joseph Ruby. "Butler is wise beyond his years and this event was very educational for me. It's an experience I will not soon forget."

At the Historic Theater that evening, Butler read two of his short stories, "Mother in the Trenches" and "Jealous Husband Returns in the Form of a Parrot."

"He's a master storyteller," says Lee, adding that he and Butler chose these two stories because, "Trenches," a realistic story about WWI, would connect with the many veterans in the Yuma community, and "Jealous Husband," one of Butler's best-known works, is both humorous and surreal.

Butler won the 1993 Pulitzer Prize for his collection of short stories, A Good Scent from a Strange Mountain. This achievement is awarded annually in different fields in American journalism, literature and music. More recently, he was the recipient of the 2013 F. Scott Fitzgerald Award for Outstanding Achievement.

"We're on a roll," said English Professor Ric Jahna, coordinator of the AWC Writing School. "Our goal at AWC is to present the very best that contemporary culture has to offer."

Clearly, he's living up to his word.