Harris Speaks at Washington Event

English Professor Represents UA and Alabama at American Women Writers Museum

Dr. Trudier HarrisFrom the May 2013 Desktop News |  Women writers from each state are being showcased in a project by the American Women Writers National Museum. Dr. Trudier Harris, a professor in the Department of English, will represent Alabama and give a presentation this month in Washington, D.C. at the National Press Club as part of that project.

Her talk, entitled, “Bama Bones: A Black Southerner Talks Place & Creativity,” focuses on how living and growing up in Alabama influenced her scholarly and creative works. Harris will revisit topics from her memoir, Summer Snow: Reflections from a Black Daughter of the South.

The idea for her talk came from a line in Langston Hughes’ memorable poem “One-Way Ticket,” which says, “I pick up my life/ And take it with me.” The line resonated with Harris, she said, because as she has traveled all over the world and worked on numerous projects, she has always felt the connection with her home state and the influence of her upbringing in the South. “Everywhere I go, Alabama is always in my bones,” she said.

Harris’ presentation is part of a collaborative project that aims to have a writer from all 50 states come and speak about their work in the Capitol. The American Women Writers National Museum has partnered with the Empire State (New York) Center for the Book, Notre Dame University Letras Latinas, Oklahoma Center for the Book, West Virginia Center for the Book, the Willa Cather Foundation, and the Alabama Center for the Book.

Donna Adcock, director of public relations for The University of Alabama Libraries, nominated Harris to represent Alabama on behalf of the Alabama Center for the Book, which is the state affiliate of the Library of Congress Center for the Book and is under the auspices of The University of Alabama Libraries.

The American Women Writers National Museum, was founded in 2012 to honor and showcase the premier historical and contemporary women writers in the United States. In its first year of operation, the museum hosted more than 20 programs featuring prominent writers who represent a wide variety of literary topics.

For more information, visit: www.americanwomenwritersnationalmuseum.org.