News and Events

Dr. West's 'Sin and Salvation' essay appears in 'Religion and Literature'

Dr. Genevieve West's "Sin and Salvation: Marita Bonner's Early Explorations of Christian Theology" appeared in Religion and Literature (51.3-5 p. 77-100). "Sin and Salvation" explores three of the author’s overlooked writings - a short story and two essays - to establish their theological underpinnings and the ways in which they engage larger cultural debates about religion in the Harlem Renaissance.

"This essay wouldn't have been possible without early guidance from Dr. Fehler!" West said.

National Endowment for the Humanities awards grant to TWU faculty

The National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) today announced that it awarded a Humanities Connections Grant of $99,426 to Texas Woman’s University. The grant will support the very first interdisciplinary and experiential learning initiative to integrate the history of Quakertown into courses at TWU. It will also enable the future development of a digital humanities archive of Quakertown-related research and reflection, which the project co-directors aim to connect to a public platform that will promote community engagement with Quakertown’s history for decades to come.

Ashley Bender, PhD, featured in National Humanities Alliance report

We're proud to announce that TWU ESFL Assistant Professor Ashley Bender, PhD, is featured in the new National Humanities Alliance report, "Strategies for Recruiting Students to the Humanities: A Comprehensive Resource." Check out her unique approach on page 48.

TWU ESFL remembers former chair Dr. Lavon Fulwiler

Professor Emeritus Dr. Lavon Fulwiler, a former chair of ESFL at TWU, passed away at the age of 92 on Feb. 23. Fulwiler was a Chaucer and medieval English literature scholar, and she implemented the department's PhD program in rhetoric. She began teaching at TWU in 1961, and served as chair from 1971 until her retirement in 1992.

Her family has asked that "in lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the Lavon B. Fulwiler Endowed Scholarship for TWU students whose majors are within the Department of English, Speech and Foreign Languages; the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research; Planned Parenthood Federation of America; or the Center for Biological Diversity."

BCALA names Genevieve West's 'Hitting a Straight Lick' among 2021 Literary Award winners

The Black Caucus of the American Library Association, Inc. (BCALA) announced the winners of the 2021 BCALA Literary Awards during the virtual Midwinter Meeting of the American Library Association. The awards recognize excellence in adult fiction and nonfiction by African American authors published in 2020.

"Hitting a Straight Lick with a Crooked Stick: Stories," written by Zora Neale Hurston and edited by TWU ESFL professor and chair Genevieve West, PhD, was named an Honor Book for Fiction. Recipients will receive awards recognition during the 2021 virtual National Conference of African American Librarians.