Public Intellectuals — For the past six years, I have been participating in the Public Intellectuals Conference, which until this year, has taken place at Harvard University. Last year I co-organzied the conference, and this year I am helping host the conference here in Charlotte. The 6th Annual Public Intellectuals Conference will take place at UNC 
Charlotte Center City on April 10-11, 2015. This conference is not a gathering of public intellectuals although some of the participants could be classified as such. Rather, it provides a forum for scholars to discuss the careers and contributions of prominent public intellectuals. A good example of such a person is Melissa Harris-Perry, who spokeat UNC Charlotte last week. In some cases, presenters focus on particular public intellectuals while in other cases, the focus is on political or cultural movements in which public intellectuals participate.
Over the history the conference, we have have never agreed on a precise definition of what constitutes a public intellectual, but this hasn’t stopped us from having lively discussions. In fact, I think the inherent vagueness of the term contributes to the liveliness of these discussions. Last year, for example, I made the case for Dr. Seuss being a public intellectual even though the members of the public with whom he shared his ideas were young children. One could argue that preschoolers are too young to understand intellectual discourse. For me at least, such debates contribute to the pleasure of participating in this conference.
As I contemplate the topic of public intellectuals, I am impressed with how many members of our English Department can be seen as public intellectuals. I am aware of numerous examples of members of our department who make an effort to share their work as intellectuals with a broader public. Here are some examples from the past month. Paula Connolly spoke to over 150 people about her book Slavery in American Children’s Literature, 1790-2010 as part of the Personally Speaking series. Ron Lunsford was featured in an article published in the Charlotte Post in which he shared his expertise on the evolution of language. Alan Rauch received a two-year appointment to the Baldwin Library Scholars Council with the expectation that he will help develop programming for the Baldwin Library of Historical Children’s Literature, which is located in Gainesville, Florida. These are just three recent cases of members of our English Department sharing their academic expertise and intellectual insights with the larger public. Such engagement is a hallmark of public intellectuals.
Kudos— As you know, I like to use my Monday Missives to share news about recent accomplishments by members of our department. Here is the latest news:
Katie Hogan recently presented a paper titled “Nature as ‘Safe House’ in Alison Bechdel’s Fun Home” at UNC Asheville’s Navigating Normativities: Queer Studies Conference.
Paula Martinac, who teaches a creative writing course as a part-time faculty member, recently presented a paper titled “The Magical History Tour: Imagining the Lesbian Past” at UNC Asheville’s Navigating Normativities: Queer Studies Conference.
Upcoming Events and Deadlines— Here are some dates to keep in mind:
April 8 — Matt Johnson will give a presentation titled “Pressing Matters: The Conservation of Books and their Enduring Legacy” as part of the Julian D. Mason Talks on Rare Books. The event will take place at the Atkins Library’s Halton Room and will begin at 3:30 p.m.
April 8 — A poetry reading featuring Anne-Marie Fyfe and C. L. Dallat will take place in the English Department Seminar Room (Fretwell 290B) from 5:00-6:00 pm.
Quirky Quiz Question — In thinking about Melissa Harris-Perry as a public intellectual, I am reminded that she both a professor at Wake Forest University and a host of a weekly television program. Does anybody know the name of the network that airs the Melissa Harris-Perry Show?