Tom Wolfe, the author of 12 books including “The Bonfire of the Vanities” and “I Am Charlotte Simmons,” described his bleak but hopeful view of society when he spoke May 11 at Baltimore’s Lyric Opera House as part of the “Headlines and Biographies” lecture series. McDaniel College is one of the sponsors of the series.

Ending this year’s “Headlines and Biographies” Baltimore series, poet Maya Angelou will speak at 7:30 p.m. May 23 at the Lyric Opera House. For tickets, call 877-874-8124.

Wolfe cited examples such as Paris Hilton and Enron, as he explained how morals and religion are falling away. He urged new thinkers to step forward.

“Now, there is a very influential segment of the population which no longer believes in religion or God,” he says. “The time is right for a new explanation of life.”

Wolfe’s informal style of writing led him to be known in the 1960s as a leading figure in the literary experiments in nonfiction that became known as New Journalism. He wrote controversial social commentaries about the ’80s, the hippie era, racial tensions, the American art world, and most recently about sexual tensions in college life.

“For more than three decades, Tom Wolfe’s writing has been as illuminating as it has been entertaining, serving up insights into America and her many subcultures,” says President Joan Develin Coley.

Wolfe’s next book, expected out in February, will examine the lives of immigrants in America.

“To me, the great thrill of writing is discovery,” Wolfe says.