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    1. UNG
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    English professor shares insights on Lillian Smith's writings

    October 30, 2019
    Dr. Tanya Bennett is working on a book of essays about Lillian E. Smith as the editor and author of the introduction and one of the volume's chapters. She presented at the Lillian E. Smith Symposium on Oct. 26 at Piedmont College's Athens campus.

    Article By: Staff

    When Dr. Tanya Bennett decided to research Georgia native and writer Lillian E. Smith, she did not expect her curiosity to lead to such an energetic conversation about Smith's work.

    "I presented a conference paper on Smith's ‘Strange Fruit,’ and a representative of University of Mississippi Press heard it," said the professor of English at the University of North Georgia (UNG). "They told me they had been wanting to publish a book about her."

    Bennett accepted the project and reached out to experts on Smith, who was at the forefront of desegregation efforts in the 1940s. Bennett's work on the book of essays about Smith, as editor as well as author of the introduction and one of the volume's chapters, led to an invitation to present at the Lillian E. Smith Symposium, organized by LES Center Director Matthew Teutsch. Titled "Celebrating Lillian E. Smith," the event was held Oct. 26 at Piedmont College's Athens campus.

    "I hope this will spark a new interest in Smith's aesthetic," Bennett said. "People know of her as a desegregationist and an activist, but she was poetic. She was a top-notch intellectual and artist, and she should be studied as a literary figure."

    Bennett hopes with renewed interest in Smith, her books such as "Strange Fruit" and "Killers of the Dream" will appear more often on college syllabi.

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    Book by Rifenburg explores cadet writing

    Book by Rifenburg explores cadet writing

    UNG English faculty member Dr. Michael Rifenburg is publishing a book about the writing training ROTC cadets receive.
    Trio attends intelligence education conference

    Trio attends intelligence education conference

    A faculty member, a recent alumna and a staff member attended an intelligence education conference in Italy.
    STARTALK academy offers students variety

    STARTALK academy offers students variety

    UNG held a Chinese and astronomy camp for 16 high school students this summer thanks to an NSA grant. These students will receive further learning opportunities throughout the 2022-23 academic year.
    Three receive study abroad grants

    Three receive study abroad grants

    UNG students Melena Appling, Edleen Henriquez, and Susana Olivo Sandoval received funding from CIEE to study abroad in 2022 or 2023.

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