Appalachian Cultural Center features C-N professors in spring lineup

^{Dr. Susan Underwood, an English professor at Carson-Newman University, will present a reading of her latest work, “The Book of Awe,” at 7 p.m., Monday, Feb. 11, in Thomas Recital Hall, located in the Tarr Music Center on C-N’s campus.}

(Jan. 30, 2019) JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. — Recent works by three accomplished members of the Carson-Newman University family are among the Appalachian Cultural Center’s spring lineup of events.

“These three events celebrate the amazing women and men who serve and have served Carson-Newman,” said Director Jennifer Hall. “Each speaker clearly exemplifies C-N’s commitment to its students, to world-class education, and to the value and interconnectivity of all disciplines: humanities, arts and sciences.”

• “An Evening with Susan O’Dell Underwood” will be at 7 p.m. Monday, Feb. 11, in Thomas Recital Hall, located in the Tarr Music Center. The event will feature a reading of her latest work, “The Book of Awe,” published in 2018 by Iris Press. This book of poems seeks to remind the reader to focus attention on the simple things in the natural world that inspire awe as well as to give awareness to the damage inflicted on the environment. Underwood directs the creative writing program at Carson-Newman, where she is also a professor of English. Her previous publications include two chapbooks, “From” and “Love and Other Hungers,” as well as poems, essays and stories within journals and anthologies, including Oxford American, North Carolina Literary Review, Southern Humanities Review and others.

• Joe Mack High will present “The Centurion: A Tale of the Crucifixion” at 7 p.m. Monday, March 18, in Thomas Recital Hall. Despite failing eyesight, High, a retired professor of business administration at C-N, took up writing with the help of friends and family. This first novel traces three generations through the tale of a Roman soldier who undertakes a journey of self-discovery. Archway Publishing issued “The Centurion” in 2018. High served in the Fleet Marine Force during World War II as a telephone lineman. Prior to joining Carson-Newman’s faculty, he was a ’49 C-N graduate who went on to receive his masters from the University of Tennessee and form a career as a certified public accountant.

• “Americana Meets Mindfulness: A Concert of Acoustic Music” will take place at 7 p.m. Monday, March 25, at the Appalachian Cultural Center. The concert will feature C-N retired professor Guy Larry Osborne, who continues to teach as an adjunct professor, and Diane Krause. These singer-songwriters perform “Americana with a mindfulness twist” using acoustic guitars, harmonium and vocal harmonies. The Osborne/Krause duo will perform selections from their first album, “We’re Here Now.” The duo formed Osborne/Krause in 2017. Both had separate musical careers, having performed in venues nationally and internationally. Osborne also performs in the folk-rock group, “The Emancipators,” which he founded in 2008. Krause works in public health research and communications through Oak Ridge Associated Universities.

All programs are free and open to the public. The Appalachian Cultural Center is located on Russell Avenue on Carson-Newman’s campus.