Carson-Newman to host “An Evening with Artress Bethany White”

^{Dr. Artress Bethany White}

(Feb. 5, 2014) – Carson-Newman University’s Appalachian Center is inviting the public for “An Evening with Artress Bethany White” on Tuesday, Feb. 11.

White, a Carson-Newman associate professor of English, will read from her recent book of poetry “Fast Fat Girls in Pink Hot Pants.” White has received rave reviews from her poetry collection, which has been described as “personal and universal in scope and a must-read for anyone who has made the sojourn across the Mason-Dixon Line.”

“Dr. White reminds us that the human journey is often one of great trial,” said Dr. Jennifer Hall, director of the University’s Appalachian Center. “Yet at the same time, she celebrates family, tradition, and community as the forces that will help us prevail over such struggles.”

Hall says she looks for the evening to be one of emotion. “This promises to be a night to make us think, to make us cry, and to make us laugh,” noted Hall. “I am personally very excited to hear her new poetry about parenting and children and the challenges and joys those adventures bring.”

White received her Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, before earning her Master of Arts in creative writing from New York University. She continued her education at the University of Kentucky where she received her doctorate. Her poetry has appeared in Harvard Review, Appalachian Journal, Black Renaissance Noire, and Melus as well as other anthologies and literary journals. She was recently awarded a faculty post-doctoral fellowship from the Appalachian College Association for 2014-15.

The 7 p.m. event is free and open to the public. The reading, along with a book signing, will be hosted at the University’s Appalachian Center.