English Professor and Kentucky Poet Laureate Frank X Walker introduces us to the history and origins of Affrilachia while also fast-forwarding to it’s present-day development in Kentucky’s first Journal of Affrilachian Arts & Culture known as Pluck!. In this podcast, Walker discusses the importance of Affrilachia in further opening the doors of Appalachia’s cultural and racial diversity and how Pluck!…
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During the summer of 2013, a delegation of University of Kentucky faculty had the opportunity to travel and teach abroad in China. Organized by the Confucius Institute, the trip placed 29 faculty members at the bustling Shanghai University. There, each professor was placed with a host department within the university.
Among…
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English professor and current Kentucky Poet Laureate Frank X Walker appeared on Katerina Stoykova-Klemer's radio show called "Accents: a radio show for literature, art, and culture" on UK’s student-run radio station in August of 2013. The show aired on WRFL 88.1 FM. Together they delved into excerpts from his recent work, Turn Me Loose: The Unghosting of…
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The Department of English and the African American and Africana Studies Program are excited to welcome DaMaris Hill to their faculty!
Hill's focus at the University of Kentucky will be on creative writing. While she tends to specialize in fiction, Hill has a background that spans the writing spectrum from poetry to play writing. Hill looks forward to continuing her research work monitoring the politics of…
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During the summer of 2013, UK Junior Mary Kate Elliott joined seven other students from around the United States in a month-long Fulbright summer program in England called the Fulbright Nottingham-Trent University Summer Institute. Elliott is working on a double major in English and French, with a minor in Dance.…
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The University of Kentucky chapter of Sigma Tau Delta—an honor society for students majoring in English—has a lot on its plate. While not entirely new to campus, it has returned to UK with a renewed focus on cultivating fellowship between English majors while also expanding the reach of the department and its students into the Lexington community.
At its helm is English Professor Pearl James and student President…
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There is word on the page and then there is word given breath. This past April, students and faculty from the University of Kentucky brought words to life thanks to a 12-hour open air poetry reading. The event, organized by English professor and published author Julia Johnson, was held outside of the Student Center welcoming anyone and everyone to come read their favorite poems aloud. The reading itself was held in celebration of National Poetry Month and to raise awareness of UK’s…
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Since long before the most recent glitzy boom, vampires have been haunting our imaginations and our literature. In a new course being offered this fall, English 130: Literary Encounters - Vampires, the English department's Michael Carter will introduce students to the storied mythology of vampires whose written history dates back to over a century before Bram Stoker's iconic Dracula.
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For nearly two decades, the Jewish Studies program has drawn students and faculty from all over UK to teach and learn about Jewish culture, language, history, and beyond. In this podcast, I spoke with up-and-coming Jewish Studies Director, Jan Fernheimer, about what’s in store for Fall 2013, including a visiting scholar from Israel, a film series, and opportunities to connect with communities within and beyond the Commonwealth.
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Local book conservator and letterpress printer Alex Brooks graduated from the University of Kentucky in 2003 with a degree in English. He graduated from a Master’s program in Book Conservation in England at West Dean College in 2012. In this interview, Brooks talks about his experiences at UK and in England, and how he is putting his knowledge to use around Kentucky.
This podcast was produced by…
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