A reading from a novel and a discussion of the role of social institutions in understanding American crime rates will be the focus of two University Forum lectures in March.

John Casey, an English professor at the University of Virginia, will read from his new novel, The Half Life of Happiness, at 7:30 p.m. March 17. The book is a detailed study of life, law, politics, and family disintegration, set in Charlottesville, Va., during the mid-1970s.

Casey, a winner of the National Book Award for his novel Spartina, is the son of a prominent lawyer and four-term congressman. He graduated from Harvard Law School before turning his energies toward writing fiction.

On March 19 at 8 p.m., Gary LaFree, a sociology professor at the University of New Mexico, will discuss "Crime and the Decline of Social Institutions in America."

His presentation will focus on how social institutions impact crime in this country, paying special attention to the criminal justice system, education, and welfare.

Both lectures will be held in the auditorium of the Marjorie Barrick Museum of Natural History. All University Forum lectures are free and open to the public.

The University Forum lecture series is sponsored by the College of Liberal Arts and is underwritten by the UNLV Foundation. Casey's reading is also being sponsored by the English department, and LaFree's lecture is being co-sponsored by the criminal justice department. For additional information on the series, call 895-3401.