Dr. Tracie Morris

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – The department of English in the College of Arts and Sciences at The University of Alabama will host the 28th English Symposium, March 29-30, at the Ferguson Center.

The symposium, titled “Eruptions of Funk,” will show how funk music has inspired musicians and writers of various historical periods. The focus is on James Brown and other musicians who inspired writers and poets.

“Before James Brown influenced hip hop producers, he was an important influence on African American poets and critics who created new styles of writing and new perspectives about literature by studying his musical and choreographic artistry,” said Dr. Tony Bolden, assistant professor of English and coordinator of the symposium.

Of the more than 20 speakers and performers are Dr. Tracie Morris, author, poet and professor at Eastern Michigan University, Dr. Mark Anthony Neal, author and associate professor of black popular culture and director of the Institute for Critical U.S. Studies at Duke University, and Dr. Aldon Lynn Nielsen, author, poet and the George and Barbara Kelly Professor in American Literature at Pennsylvania State University.

The symposium is free to UA faculty, staff and students. For more information, contact Bolden at tbolden@english.as.ua.edu or 205/507-4612.

The College of Arts and Sciences is the University’s largest division and the largest liberal arts college in the state. Students from the College have won numerous national awards including Rhodes Scholarships, Goldwater Scholarships and memberships on the “USA Today” Academic All American Team.

The University of Alabama, a student-centered research university, is in the midst of a planned, steady enrollment growth with a goal of reaching 28,000 students by 2010. This growth, which is positively impacting the campus and the state’s economy, is in keeping with UA’s vision to be the university of choice for the best and brightest students. UA, the state’s flagship university, is an academic community united in its commitment to enhancing the quality of life for all Alabamians.