After Long Absence. . . .

Betsy's little blurb below has finally galvanized me out of a funk to start to contribute once more. After all, a new semester, a new year, a new administration--what more can we ask for? I know, I know, a little relief in the financial arena so's we can have students, both new and continuing. And, as Betsy and I just talked about, why not throw this blog open for Clark observations, reminiscences, predictions stemming from Tuesday's Inauguration. I know Meredith, who was on the Mall, has told me she's going to post some of her "I was there" observations. Use the comment thread to ruminate!

Also, I need to post the announcement for the Conference at the end of next month in honor of Winston Napier; that needs as much circulation as possible.

Here's Fern Johnson and Steve Levin's description:

Dear Faculty Colleagues,
As many of you know, plans are underway for a conference on February 27-28 to honor the intellectual vibrancy of Professor Winston Napier (1953-2008). Attached is a printable poster for the conference and the registration form.
Winston, who held the E. Franklin Frazier Professorship and was a faculty member in the English Department, not only built an exciting and rigorous curriculum in African American literature and theory but also founded the African American Intellectual Culture Series. Since its beginning in the mid 1990s, the Series brought many leading scholars in a range of fields to our campus. A number of these scholars will be speaking at the conference.
Evolutionary Momentum in African American Studies begins on Friday afternoon, February 27, and runs through the day on Saturday, February 28. The Keynote Speaker is Dr. Karla FC Holloway, James B. Duke Professor of English and Professor of Law at Duke University. Conference presenters include: E. Victoria Arana (Howard University), Crystal Anderson (Elon University), Bert Ashe (University of Richmond), Carol Bailey (Amherst College), Allison Blakely (Boston University), Jarrett Brown (Bowdoin College), Barry Gaspar (Duke University), Ayesha Hardison (Ohio University), Mark Anthony Neal (Duke University), Ousmane Power-Greene (Clark University), Daniel Scott III (Rhode Island College), Amritjit Singh (Ohio University), James Smethurst (UMass-Amherst), and Kate Capshaw Smith (University of Connecticut). There will also be a panel of Winston’s former students.
We hope to see many of you at the conference. Conference registration forms should be returned to Shirley Riopel-Nelson in the English department (Anderson House). Please forward this e-mail to others who may be interested in attending.
Best Regards,
Fern Johnson and Steve Levin, English Department

And here's the details from the flyer:

EVOLUTIONARY MOMENTUM IN
AFRICAN AMERICAN STUDIES:
FRIDAY & SATURDAY
FEBRUARY 27 -28, 2009
Dana Commons, Clark University
legacy and future direction
A CONFERENCE IN HONOR OF WINSTON NAPIER
This Spring we pay tribute to Professor Winston Napier
(1953-2008) with a conference honoring his commitment
to the study of African American intellectual culture,
its influence on America at large, and its contribution
to social and political action.
Dr. Karla FC Holloway (James B. Duke Professor
of English and Professor of Law at Duke University)
will present the keynote address: ‘Home Invasions:
A Narrative Ethic of Race and Privacy.’
The Higgins School of Humanities at Clark University, the Office of the President,
the Office of the Provost, and the Department of English present:
winston napier
PLEASE REGISTER BY FEBRUARY 18: conference fee $25 ($5 for students). To register,
and for the full conference schedule, please visit our website or contact Shirley Riopel Nelson at
508.793.7142, or napierconference@clarku.edu
karla fc holloway
www.clark.edu/higgins
Conference opens February 27 at 4:30 and resumes on
Saturday, February 28 from 9:30-6:00; includes reception
on Friday and luncheon on Saturday.

I hope to see a lot of you there!

--Jay

Jay Elliott shares thoughts on the Inauguration in the Daily Hampshire Gazette

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Our very own Jay Elliott was quoted by the Daily Hampshire Gazette in a story on the Inauguration of Barack Obama. Check it out at:

http://www.gazettenet.com/2009/01/21/amherst-cinema-brings-community-together-historic-occasion

Care to share your thoughts on the Inauguration? Post away!

-Betsy