Lee Martin’s new book deals with a dark secret.

Martin, an award-winning author and Eastern alumnus, will be reading excerpts from his new novel, “River of Heaven,” at 4 p.m. today at the Tarble Arts Center.

“River of Heaven,” focuses on an elderly gay man, Sammy, who befriends his neighbor Arthur after Arthur’s wife dies. The novel focuses on a childhood secret that Sammy doesn’t want to reveal.

Martin describes the novel as exploring the dark sides of a small mid-western town just as his previous book, “The Bright Forever” did.

“The Bright Forever” was a finalist for the 2006 Pulitzer Prize.

“Both books keep the plot clicking along at a rapid pace, the nature of truth is always shifting, and in the process the interior lives of characters, who are seemingly ordinary, come to the surface in surprising ways,” Martin said of the two novels.

Eastern English professor Richard Sylvia described the novels as a “riveting who done it.”

Martin has won multiple awards for his writings in addition to 2006 Alumni Distinguished Teaching Award at Ohio State University, where he is Director of Creative Writing.

Martin has authored six books as well as numerous short stories.

The event will include selected readings but Martin will also answer questions about his work and the writing and publishing process.

Dana Ringuette, chair of the English department, said students could benefit from attending the reading.

“They would hear a wonderful writer reading from his beautiful work,” said Ringuette.

Martin will be visiting as part of the Alan Neff Memorial Reading Series, which was created in honor of professor Alan Neff, who taught from 1967 to 1977.

Other authors who have visited Eastern as part of the series include Seamus Heaney, winner of the 1995 Nobel Prize in Literature, as well as Ted Koose and Charles Simic, who later became U.S. Laureates.

Joshua Van Dyke can be contacted at jmvandyke@eiu.edu.