The “Professor Speaker Series: Professors Present Their Work” debuts Wednesday, May 21, 2008, at 12:50 p.m. in the Golub Great Room featuring talks by Associate Professor Kara Doyle, Lecturer April Selley and Professor Jordan Smith of the English Department.
The talks are free and open to the public; lunch will be provided.
The idea for the series sprang from YAWP (You’re Addicted to Writing and Poetry), which was founded by co-presidents Yolaine Jean ’08 and Becky Chawner ’08. They wanted to show students a different side to their professors’ lives.
“This was something that we’ve wanted to do since the Alumni Writer’s Series began,” said Jean. “We liked the idea of students hearing what the alumni were doing. This takes it one step further, to show professors’ career and personal interests.”
Doyle’s talk is titled “Every Woman’s Friend: Chaucer and the Fifteenth-Century Audience."
“My courses on Chaucer are informed by and touch tangentially on my research,” said Doyle. “But I seldom have the opportunity to talk solely about my work. It’s an honor to be able to share this other side of my scholarly career—a side not always visible in the classroom because it doesn’t fit into the curriculum.”
Selley teaches American Literature, but has focused her recent efforts on creative writing, particularly fiction. Her talk illustrates how her endeavors as a teacher, critic and creative writer are interrelated.
“I’m looking forward to getting students’ reactions,” she noted, “since I write some unusual material.”
Selley will also read a section from her short story “Bodies,” which was inspired by newspaper accounts of a serial killer in Poughkeepsie, N.Y.
The author of five collections of poetry, Smith will discuss some of his recently published poems as well as the process of compiling poems for a collection.
Future speakers in the series will draw from other departments. YAWP also plans to broaden the scope of the club through co-sponsor events with the newly formed Dickens Theme House beginning in the fall.
The Professor Speaker Series is sponsored by YAWP and Student Activities. For more information, contact Jean at yobear2K@gmail.com